There are two sections of a pig's stomach: the dark grey side is a thin muscle wall and is rather crunchy compared to the lighter coloured, thicker and more succulent part. There are many ways to cook stomach: it can be steamed, stir-fried, deep-fried and boiled into soup. Compared to other offal cuts, the pig's stomach has a lot of flavour - it's nutty and juicy. When stir-fried with black bean sauce, the richness is magnified and the savoury sweetness contrasts well with the black bean flavours. The perfect wine with this humble but delicious dish needs plenty of substance to hang on to the texture as well as the intensity of the black bean sauce. Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2007, South Africa This delicious chenin blanc is a perfect match with the resilient texture of the lighter part of the pig's stomach. The rich, creamy wine has plenty of fruit depth to handle the flavour of something as deep as the black bean sauce, yet has enough freshness to give the stomach some high notes. The richness of both the wine and the dish are seamlessly matched. The acidity of the Mulderbosch defines and lines the palate. The interaction from the beginning to the end with the chenin fruit and slightly bitter black beans jostle for attention. Available for HK$105 from Altaya (tel: 2523 1945) Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 2005, South Australia This is an Australian icon - it has a track record of more than 40 years. St Henri is great value for money although it will never get big Parker points, and will always be for those strictly in the know and confident enough to trust their own palates. The shiraz is minimally oaked; it's lean and silky and contradicts the typical Australian shiraz mould and shape. It's the perfect match with the darker part of the pig's stomach and the black bean sauce, and the lightness of the wine contrasts with the meat's crunchy texture. The spicy shiraz fruit sits happily alongside the black bean sauce's richness. Drink this wonderfully aromatic red wine in a smaller white wine glass so you can savour the aromas rather than lose them to the atmosphere. Available for HK$620 from Ponti (tel: 2328 3218) Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta Carmenere 2005, Chile There is nothing quite like Clos Apalta in the powerful wine world of generally wishy-washy carmeneres. The wine is dense and modern in style, with plenty of extracts and wood, but wrapped up nicely by bunches of really ripe grapes. It's the perfect match with pig's stomach and black bean sauce. The wine's chocolate notes from the wood and super-ripe grapes link the flavour to the black bean sauce, while the stomach gives the wine additional texture. Available for HK$718 from Moet Hennessy Diageo (tel: 2976 1888)
