In April this year Rudi Liebenberg relocated from Johannesburg to assume the position as executive head chef at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town. A smart move, he relates, not only in terms of time spent in traffic (having previously worked at the Saxon he commuted from Pretoria to Johannesburg daily), but also in terms of the Cape Town lifestyle.

"Capetonians are very aware and meticulous when it comes to their food". And it is for this culture of discerning diners that Liebenberg is looking forward to please with his dishes that are, like the chef that prepares them, refreshingly natural.

His authentic approach is present in the dish he decided to match with the Diemersdal Private Collection 2006, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc-blend that achieved a rarely bestowed rating of five stars in this month's category tasting (Wine Magazine August): hanger steak with a combination of mushrooms on a bed of pancetta accompanied by black pudding.

Because of his natural approach to cooking, Liebenberg sources produce that's bursting with flavour to feature in his dishes — hanger steak, for example, is situated close to the kidneys and intensely flavourful.

"On freshly opening the bottle of wine, it seemed a bit overpowering; however, upon standing for a while, it revealed lots of earthy tones," comments Liebenberg.

These flavours he decided to complement with the combination of mushrooms in the dish, the black pudding accentuated the sweet French oak flavours of the wine whilst the flavourful hanger steak was well matched by its full palate.

Hanger steak in an onion and red wine sauce with a mushroom Knödel

Serves 4

• 2 hanger steaks (250g each), although fillet or springbok loin works equally well


• 2 whole onions sliced thinly


• 400ml red wine


• 1-2 T sugar


• 2 sprigs thyme


• 2 bay leaves


• ˝ t crushed black pepper


• 1 clove garlic


• 200ml beef stock


• 10ml flour


• 10-20ml oil


• Salt

Method:

Quickly fry the meat in a thick bottomed pan, brown evenly and remove. (Take care not to over cook, hanger steak is best served underdone, as this is a tough piece of meat, therefore quick cooking works best.)

In the same pan, add onions with a little oil, bay leaves and thyme. Fry until golden brown and add garlic. Deglaze with the red wine and reduce. Add stock and reduce.

Knödel

Method:

Heat milk and set aside. Heat butter, add onion and garlic sauté, add cut mushrooms and continue cooking. Add parsley and chives. Add the croutons on heat while continuing mixing. Remove from plate and add whisked eggs to heated milk and cream mixture. Add this to the crouton mixture. Season. Place into a plastic lined bread tin, cover and place in a water bath. Cook for approximately 35 minutes. Cool and slice. Fry the mould in butter and serve.

Vegetables

Make use of a selection of wild mushrooms and broccoli to complement the dish.

Cape Colony Restaurant, Mount Nelson, 76 Orange Street, Cape Town, Tel +27 21 483 1948