Argentinian Angus meets Tennessee Whiskey

By Jack Peat, Editor of The London Economic

At what point does this become uncomfortable? I thought as Fernando Larroude, Head of Grills at Gaucho pushed his chief bar staff up against the window of his Piccadilly outlet. Bent limply at the hands of the bearded Argentinian chef the cocktail connoisseur was an unwitting prop, evidently not for the first time, of a hilarious demonstration of steak cuts which became increasingly hilarious as Larroude slid his hand from Rib to Sirloin and finally to the Rump.

The demonstration was part of a collaboration between the renowned steak house and Jack Daniels to promote a week dedicated to celebrating American whiskies. Ranging from Jack Daniel’s whiskey and beef masterclasses, to exclusive tastings of new whiskies and an indulgent three course dining experience, the seven day celebration of American whiskey runs from the 2nd to the 8th November 2015.

Personally, American whiskey would be the last thing that comes to mind as an accompaniment to a good steak. I’m a sucker for a full-bodied claret with red meat, as are most people, and stuck in a room surrounded by wine cabinets stuffed with Argentinian Malbec I did at points wonder if we had our priorities mixed up.

But I’m also open to experimentation and not (yet) stubborn enough to be set in my ways. So it was with open arms and ears that I indulged in an intro by Jack Daniel’s Brand Ambassador, Tom Vernon, about the history of Jack and how its origin has obvious links to steak, particularly that of Argentinian descent.

Key to the connection is the regional terrain. In Lynchburg, Tennessee, young Jasper “Jack” Daniel took advantage of locally-sourced grain and the nearby Cave Spring which runs out of the Tennessee mountains and provides completely iron-free water thanks to the limestone surrounding it. In addition to the bountiful natural resources he used a troublesome filtering system called the “Lincoln County process” to age his whiskey taking hard sugar maple and burning it to charcoal before filtering the whisky through into barrels. In the early days meat was a focal part of the distillery’s operations and it remains so to this day. Tomorrow (24/10/2015) the 27^th annual Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue is taking place with teams from across the country and around the world going head to head in an intense battle of smoking, seasoning and searing.

For the Angus steak that arrive in Gaucho’s kitchens their heritage is similarly key. Argentina is among the best countries in the World for quality beef because, contrary to other countries, the majority of its cows are not fed on grains in feedlots but are raised eating luscious grass, principally in the humid pampas where open flat plains dominate the landscape. Some 13 million head of cattle are now slaughtered every year in Argentina and its residents have the highest consumption of beef in the world, a whopping 68kg per capita each year.

Together, Gaucho and Jack Daniel’s will pay homage to the heritage of meat and whiskey through experiences set to celebrate the perfect couple. See below for details of the events.

Events

Gaucho Piccadilly – Mon 2^nd November, 7pm – 8pm

Woodford Reserve Master Class

£20 per person

Gaucho Smithfield – Tues 3^rd November, 6.30pm – 8.30pm

Jack Daniel’s Whiskey & Beef Master Class

£30 per person

Gaucho Chancery Lane – Weds 4^th November, 6.30pm – 8pm

Bourbon Vs Rye

£15 per person

Gaucho Broadgate – Thurs 5^th November, 6.30pm – 9.30pm

An Old Fashioned Dinner with Woodford Reserve

£75 per person

Gaucho City – Fri 6^th November, 6.30pm – 8pm

 Jack Friday

£20 per person

Gaucho Charlotte Street – Sat 7^th November, 4.30pm – 6.30pm

Small Batch Bourbon Master Class

£20 per person

Gaucho Piccadilly – Sun 8^th November, 2.30pm – 4pm

Old Forester Cocktail Master Class

£20 per person

For more information visit: www.gauchorestaurants.co.uk