Smoked Steak and Cheese Dip & Zinfandel
DAY 13: 20 Days of Game Day Dips
This dip is basically just a bowl of gooey, smoky cheese wrapped around hearty steak pieces. And it’s fantastic. SUCH a crowd-pleaser and a guaranteed touchdown for flavour!
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TL;DR
Pair this gooey smoke bomb of a dip with a California Zinfandel, like the Edmeades Mendocino County Zinfandel. For similar styles, go for an Italian Primitivo (which is the same grape as Zinfandel), Australian Shiraz, French GSM, or Argentine Malbec. If you’re looking for a different style of wine, try a bold Rosé, a sparkling red (like a Lambrusco), or a full-bodied, oaked Chardonnay. If wine isn’t your thing, pair this dip with with a smoked Porter, Brown Ale,Vienna Lager, Bourbon Old Fashioned, Manhattan, or a Mezcal Margarita. For booze-free options, try pairing this one with an iced black tea with lemon, spicy ginger beer, or a tomato juice spritzer!
Wine Pairing
Pair this dip with a California Zinfandel - a bold, silky smooth red wine style with flavours of ripe, jammy fruit (like berries, plums, and black cherries), baking spices, vanilla, cedar, pepper, and smoke. The wine’s sweet fruit flavours contrast and balance the savoury saltiness of the dip, while its touch of black pepper and smoke match the dips black pepper, smoked paprika, and smoked Gouda. The wines smooth tannins and balanced acidity also cut through the dip’s creamy richness to keep you coming back for more!
My Recommendation
I recommend the bold, juicy, and straight-up delicious Edmeades Mendocino County Zinfandel. This wine is just loaded with ripe fruit flavours (like blackberry and dark cherry) with the perfect kick of pepper, warm baking spices, and smoke. It’s the perfect balance of silky smooth and bold richness - just like this dip!
Pairing Alternatives
If you’re looking for another wine that’ll give you a similar pairing experience, try an Italian Primitivo (which fun fact, is actually the same grape as Zinfandel!), Australian Shiraz, French GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) blend, or an Argentine Malbec.
If you’re looking for a different style of wine pairing, try a bold Rosé (like a Spanish Garnacha Rosado or French Tavel), a sparkling red wine (lik a Lambrusco or Sparkling Shiraz), or a full-bodied, oaked Chardonnay from California.
If wine isn’t your thing, you could pair this with with a
Smoked Porter, Brown Ale, or Vienna Lager if you’re into beer,
a Bourbon Old Fashioned, Manhattan, or Mezcal Margarita if you’re feelin’ a cocktail,
or an iced black tea with lemon, spicy ginger beer, or tomato juice spritzer if you’re looking for something booze-free!
Recipe: Smoked Steak & Cheese Dip
Servings: 6-8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
1–2 cloves garlic, grated
2 cups raw steak, finely chopped
1 tbsp flour
½–¾ cup milk (adjust for desired consistency)
4 oz cream cheese
¼ cup sour cream (14% recommended)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp smoked paprika
1½ cups mozzarella, shredded (reserve ½ cup for topping)
1½ cups sharp orange cheddar, shredded (reserve ½ cup for topping)
1 cup smoked Gouda, shredded
Toppings
Smoked paprika and/or Cayenne pepper
Freshly cracked black pepper
Crispy fried onions (HIGHLY recommended)
Chopped green onions
Directions
Heat a medium to large pan over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the pan and then add the grated garlic. Stir to cook for 1-2 minutes or until frangrant.
Add the chopped steak and cook until just browned, then add the flour and stir to coat the steak pieces. Once the steak chunks are coated with flour, add the milk and stir until the mixture thickens.
Add the cream cheese and stir until it melts, followed by the sour cream, dijon, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika. Mix to combine until smooth.
Reduce heat to low and start adding the cheeses in, 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly between each cup with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and the cheese is fully melted. Taste the dip at this point and adjust flavour as desired.
Transfer dip to an oven safe baking dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup each of mozzarella and old cheddar. Note that the mixture may appear very liquidy at this point, but it will thicken as it cools a bit!
Broil for 2-4 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly, checking regularly to ensure it doesn't burn.
Remove dip from the oven, top with a sprinkle of smoked paprika or cayenne for colour, along with some black pepper, crispy fried onions, and chopped green onions.
Serve immediately with salted tortilla chips or thick crinkle cut original flavoured chips, and enjoy!
Notes & Stuff
Any cut of steak will work! For convenience, you can use pre-cooked steak or even ground beef. Note: If you're using ground beef, drain any residual liquid before adding the flour and continuing on with the recipe.
If you would rather no smokiness, use regular gouda and paprika instead of smoked.
Amp up the spice by adding more cayenne, some chili flakes, or a dash or two of your favourite hot sauce. I would recommend the Valentina Mexican Hot Sauce since it’s nice and smoky!
Orange cheddar is recommended to give the dip a bit of colour!
Substitutions
Milk: Use whole milk for a richer texture or substitute with half-and-half for extra creaminess. You can also use an unflavoured/unsweetened plant-based milk if desired.
Cheese: Feel free to experiment with other cheeses, like fontina or Monterey Jack.
Storage
Store leftover dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To make the dip ahead of time: Prepare the dip base and store it in the refrigerator. When you're ready to serve, reheat it on the stovetop (or microwave in short intervals), stirring frequently to maintain the creamy texture. Add a splash of milk if the dip thickens too much. Top with more shredded cheese and broil, then add toppings right before serving!