An elegant winter dish with balance and sophistication: Tender pink roast beef, served with a crisp, aromatic red cabbage salad and a spicy mustard dressing – a light but flavourful winter dish. The interplay of savoury meat, fresh red cabbage and creamy seasoning makes this dish a perfect candidate for a sophisticated wine pairing.
But which wines harmonise perfectly with this dish? In this article, you’ll find out which red and white wines work perfectly with roast beef and red cabbage salad – and why! 🍷
🍷 Perfect wine pairing for roast beef with red cabbage salad
Why is roast beef with red cabbage salad an exciting wine pairing? This dish combines three key flavour components: tender meat, fruity and tangy red cabbage & spicy dressing. On the one hand, the wine must have enough structure and body to accompany the meat, but it must also not be too tannic so that it does not clash with the acidity of the red cabbage.
1. pinot noir (e.g. Burgundy, Germany or New Zealand)
✔ Why does it fit perfectly?
- Elegant acidity & fine fruit harmonise with the fresh note of red cabbage
- Few tannins prevent a collision with the mustard dressing
- Flavours of cherry, raspberry & forest floor round off the roast beef perfectly
➡ Tip: A mature Pinot Noir from Baden or a Burgundy from the Côte de Nuits complements the dish perfectly.
2. Sangiovese (z. B. Chianti Classico, Toskana)
✔ Why does Sangiovese work?
- Red fruit & light spice enhance the flavours of meat & dressing
- Medium acidity balances the freshness of the red cabbage
- Gentle tannins & slightly earthy notes round off the dish
➡ Tip: A Chianti Classico Riserva with fine oak barrel ageing makes for a well-rounded, elegant pairing.
3. chardonnay (e.g. Burgundy or California)
✔ Why is Chardonnay a surprising but great choice?
- Creamy texture & subtle woody notes harmonise with the mustard butter
- Light acidity & mineral elegance emphasise the freshness of the red cabbage
- Full flavour & body balance out the roast beef
➡ Tip: A mature Meursault (Burgundy) or a Californian Chardonnay offer an exciting white wine alternative.
Roast beef with wintery red cabbage salad & mustard dressing
Cooking utensils
- 1 Frying pan for the steak
- 1 Cutting board & knife
- 1 Bowl for the salad
- 1 Whisk for the dressing
Ingredients
For the roast beef:
- 2 Roast beef steaks (approx. 200 g each)
- 2 EL Olive oil
- 1 EL Butter
- Salt & black pepper
For the red cabbage salad:
- 250 g Red cabbage (finely chopped)
- 1 Apple (grated)
- 1 EL Apple cider vinegar
- 1 TL Honey
- 1 EL Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
For the mustard dressing:
- 1 TL coarse mustard
- 1 TL Dijon mustard
- 1 TL Lemon juice
- 3 EL Olive oil
- 1 TL Honey
Preparation
- Prepare the roast beef: remove from the fridge 30 minutes before roasting.
- Prepare the salad: Mix the red cabbage with the apple, vinegar, honey, oil, salt and pepper.
- Mix the dressing: Mix together the mustard, lemon juice, honey & olive oil.
- Fry the steak: Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sear the steak for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Leave to rest: Leave the steak with the butter flake to rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve: Serve with red cabbage salad & dressing.
