How to Use Red Cooking Wine

Any seasoned cook will tell you that the purpose of red cooking wine is not to disguise or alter the taste of the dish, but to fortify it instead. The flavor and the aroma that the dish would normally produce is highlighted further by the wine, and this makes the dish even better than what it should be. Red cooking wine can be used as a marinade ingredient, a cooking liquid or as a flavoring agent in a completed dish.

The most important thing though, is determining how much red cooking wine must be added to the dish. Too little of it will not change anything, and too much of it will end up changing everything. The right amount needs to be added and this is a crucial step that can only be mastered over time and with experience. For those worried about the alcohol content in the wine, it would be fitting to know that the alcohol evaporates when the dish is being prepared, leaving only the flavor of the wine behind. It is also a known fact that red cooking wine must not be added to the dish just before it is to be served. The wine needs to be a part of the dish, and this can be witnessed when the wine has a simmering effect along with the food or the sauce. The ideal time to add wine as a finishing agent would be about 10-15 minutes before the dish is to be served.

Keep in mind though, that not all recipes go well with red cooking wine. There are certain red cooking wine recipes that are not complete without the addition of the wine, and there are some recipes that say nothing about adding wine but get greatly enhanced upon the addition of the wine; but there are also those recipes that the addition of red cooking wine can absolutely ruin.

Adding a pinch of vinegar along with a few spoons of grape juice with the dish is also said to be a decent substitute for red cooking wine, as after all, the wine is nothing but fermented grape juice. Either way, red cooking wine can provide your dish with a great deal of balance and flavor that can enhance the beauty of it.