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2026 - Keenan Mernet - MK's Table
May 31, 2026
From Michael Keenan's Table
Vermont Wagyu New York Strip · 2021 Mernet Reserve · Spring Mountain District
Buy the farm and the farmer first. Then the cut and the bottle second.
“I made this wine to be opened at a table worth sitting at. Here is what I cook when I open it.”
| SERVES | PREP TIME | COOK TIME | REST TIME | WINE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 15 min + overnight brine | ~45 min | 15 min min. | 2021 Mernet Reserve |
The Cut I Chose. The Wine I Made.
THE CUT
When I want to open a bottle of Mernet at my own table, this is the cut I reach for. The New York Strip comes from the short loin — the least-worked section of the animal, sitting directly behind the ribs. That’s
why it carries the marbling it does: the muscle does almost nothing, so the fat distributes evenly through it. It is one of the most honest cuts on the animal.
People chase the tenderloin. I understand the instinct — it’s tender, it’s famous. But tenderness without fat is tenderness without flavor. The strip gives you both. Fat is where much of the flavor lives — and in properly raised beef, it is also part of the nutritional story. The filet gives you one of those things.
I source from Dr. Sheila Patinkin at Vermont Wagyu’s Spring-Rock Farm in Springfield. Full-blood Wagyu — not crossbred, not Wagyu-influenced. Her animals carry an oleic-acid dominant fat profile, the same monounsaturated fatty acid as extra-virgin olive oil. When I tasted this pairing for the first time, I understood immediately why it works: the richness of the beef and the structure of the Mernet are built for each other. This steak does not need a sauce. It needs heat, a good pan, and patience.
THE WINE
2021 Mernet Reserve
94
James Suckling, September 2024
The Mernet is our proprietary blend — 50% Merlot from our Mailbox Vineyard, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 7 from the Big K Vineyard, both estate fruit from Spring Mountain. We’ve made this wine for 23 consecutive vintages. It is the wine I am most proud of.
The 2021 is seamless — high-toned sweet fruit up front, real depth underneath. Jim Suckling gave it 94 points and called it best from 2029, and I think he’s right. But it drinks beautifully now against a cut like this. The tannins stand up to the fat in the Wagyu without overwhelming the meat. Only 500 cases produced.
| Blend | 50% Merlot / 50% Cab Sauvignon |
| Vineyards | Mailbox + Big K Estate |
| Alcohol | 14.3% |
| Acidity | 0.63 g/100ml |
| pH | 3.56 |
| Bottled | June 29, 2023 |
| Cases | 500 |
WHY I CHOSE THIS PAIRING
I could have recommended the straight Cabernet — it works with this steak. But the Mernet is what I opened the night I first cooked this, and it’s what I keep coming back to. The Merlot from our Mailbox Vineyard brings a generosity that the strip responds to. The Cabernet holds the structure. Together they match the fat and the texture of the Wagyu without competing with it. This is what the Mernet was made for.
“This is the bottle for the dinner where you want the table to slow down, the conversation to deepen, and the food to feel like it came from somewhere real.”
How I Cook It
INGREDIENTS
Vermont Wagyu NY Strip
1 steak, 14–18 oz preferred
Kosher salt
For dry brine — generous, all surfaces
Cracked black pepper
Applied after brine, before oven
Beef tallow
1 tsp — for the sear
Ploughgate Creamery butter
Optional finish — 1 tbsp
KEY EQUIPMENT
Cast iron skillet
Preferred — retains heat for a superior sear
ThermoPro TempSpike Plus
Leave-in probe. Strongly recommended for Wagyu. Precision protects the
investment.
Oven-safe wire rack + sheet pan
Allows even airflow during low-temp phase
Tongs
Aluminum foil
For the rest
THE METHOD
1. Dry Brine
Salt every surface generously with kosher salt. Rack it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight — two hours minimum. The salt draws moisture out, then pulls it back in. You are seasoning the meat from the inside. Do not skip this step.
2. Temper
Take the steak out 90 minutes before you cook it. A cold center cooks unevenly — the outside is done before the inside gets there. I leave mine on the counter, uncovered. The air helps.
. Decant the Wine
Before the steak goes into the oven, open the Mernet and decant it. This is the moment. By the time you sear and rest the steak, the wine will be exactly where it needs to be. It will pay dividends
3. Low & Slow Oven
225°F oven. Crack black pepper on both sides. Rack over a sheet pan — airflow matters. Insert the ThermoPro TempSpike Plus into the thickest part and walk away. You are looking for 105°F internal. Thirty to forty-five minutes depending on thickness. Patience is the technique.
4. Rest
Pull it and tent loosely with foil. Fifteen minutes minimum. Carry-over will bring you to around 110°F. The rest is not downtime — it is when the juices settle back into the meat. Cut too soon and they end up on your board, not your plate.
5. Sear
Cast iron, high heat, until it smokes. A teaspoon of beef tallow. Sixty to ninety seconds per side — do not touch it. The inside is done. You are only building the crust now. Run the edge along the fat cap too. That cap deserves the heat.
6. Finish & Serve
Off the heat. A tablespoon of good butter if you want it — let it melt over the steak for two minutes. Slice against the grain. This steak does not need anything else. Open the Mernet. Pour it. Sit down.
On temperature: I never serve full-blood Wagyu rare. The fat needs heat to render. Target 115–125°F finished — medium-rare to medium. The ThermoPro TempSpike Plus handles the monitoring. You handle the wine.
You will be tempted to make a sauce. Don’t. Really unnecessary. This cut is that delicious!
Where It All Comes From.
THE BEEF
Vermont Wagyu at Spring-Rock Farm
I source from Dr. Sheila Patinkin at Spring-Rock Farm in Springfield, Vermont — full-blood Wagyu, not crossbred, not influenced. When I say buy the farm and farmer first, this is what I mean. Her animals carry an oleic-acid dominant fat profile — the same monounsaturated fat as olive oil. It renders differently, eats differently, and pairs differently. This beef and this wine are something else entirely
To order: vermontwagyu.com · (802) 885-7812
Spring-Rock Farm · Springfield, VT 05156
MY WINERY
Keenan Winery, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley
Reilly and I farm our estate vineyards at 1,700 feet on Spring Mountain. The Mailbox Vineyard Merlot has structure at this elevation I’ve never found elsewhere. The Mernet is 23 vintages in — and it still surprises me. The 2021 is best from 2029, but I’ve had it with this steak and I would not wait.
The 2021 Mernet Reserve is also available in Magnum. Keenan maintains an extensive library of past vintages available for purchase directly from the winery — a rare opportunity to explore the evolution of this wine across more than two decades.
On buying: I built this wine to age. Buy accordingly. Six bottles is the minimum. Twelve is better. Twenty-four is for the person who understands that time is the last ingredient. We also offer Magnums and library vintages directly from the winery — ask us.
keenanwinery.com · (707) 963-9177 · St. Helena, CA
Cheers,
Michael C. Keenan
President, Robert Keenan Winery · Spring Mountain District · Napa Valley
Recipe developed in collaboration with Van Potts, King Street Kitchen.
NUTRITION
Per 6 oz (170g) cooked Wagyu NY Strip
MACRONUTRIENTS
| Calories | ~420 kcal | — |
| Protein | 44g | 42% |
| Total Fat | 27g | 58% |
| Saturated | 11g | — |
| Mono (oleic) | 13g | — |
| Carbohydrates | 0g | 0% |
Wagyu fat profile is oleic-acid dominant — same fatty acid as olive oil.
KEY MICRONUTRIENTS
| Zinc | ~8mg | 73% DV |
| Iron (heme) | ~3.5mg | 19% DV |
| Total Fat | 27g | 58% |
| B12 | ~3.2mcg | 133% DV |
| B3 (Niacin) | ~12mg | 75% DV |
| B6 | ~0.9mg | 53% DV |
| Selenium | ~28mcg | 51% DV |
| Phosphorus | ~340mg | 27% DV |
| Creatine | ~0.9g | * |
*No established DV for creatine. Values are estimates; Wagyu marbling increases caloric density vs. commodity beef.
A NOTE ON SOURCING
Full-blood Wagyu is among the most nutrient-dense proteins available — high protein, superior fat quality, rich in B vitamins, zinc, and heme iron. I have spent my career arguing that where something comes from matters. That is as true of beef as it is of grapes.
Just like your steak or your produce, source matters for wine as well.