Tasting Again for the First Time: Experimenting with Beer in the Kitchen

The next beer you try, stop for a minute and taste it. Really. It might sound strange, but stop and taste it like it was the first time again. Savor the aroma before bringing the beer to your lips. Inhale the citrusy or dank hops of a West Coast IPA or the maltiness of a well-lagered Doppelbock, with its hints of roast, chocolate, plum and caramelized raisins lifting from the glass. Look at the head of the beer: Is it full of perfect Belgian lace? The lively beer brings bubbles to the tongue, along with the warmth of alcohol, a hint of pine and maybe a touch of black peppercorn to your taste receptors. Now, taste the beer again. Close your eyes and imagine which of the food flavors you taste in this beer might be a good starting point for cooking with this fine beverage.

To cook with great beer as an ingredient can be very rewarding. I know, some beers are just too good to cook with; but think about what a Rochefort 10, Westvleteren 12, Dark Lord, Aardmonnik, Firestone Walker 10 or Hair of the Dog Dave would do for the right combination of handpicked ingredients, cooked to perfection.

The use of a special beer can add a new dimension to a featured dish. Have some friends over; celebrate a new day, a new beer or a change in season. Host a beer-tasting event where everyone brings their favorite style of beer. Use that beer as a muse for the main course. Build a theme around it.

To help with this, here are three recipes: Chili, Sausages Braised in Onions & Beer and Beer Floats. Each recipe has several ideas built on the classic, elevating the dish to a different plane—turning an average chili into a Flemish Bison Carbonades chili. Think outside the box. Begin here.

Chili

Try not to think of this as a recipe for traditional chili, but more as list of base ingredients with a standard technique that can create a Duck Coconut Green Curry Chili, Pork Chocolate Milk Stout Mole Chili, Lamb Smoked German Ale Chili, Moroccan Tofu Chili or Classic Texas Steer Chili. With each version of this recipe, you can play off culinary themes and put your own spin on a classic. You can also double or quadruple this recipe for a crowd. Ask your butcher to coarse-grind any of the meats below, if they don’t have them already pre-ground in their case.

Note: Instead of using cumin, coriander and paprika in the base recipe, chili powder or a packaged seasoning blend can be used as an alternative.

Makes Four 8-ounce servings.

Ingredients:
1 tsp. cumin, ground
1 tsp. coriander, ground
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt, kosher or sea
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 each yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 each garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground meat, see below
2 12-ounce bottles of beer (see below)
1 cup water
1 can tomatoes (14.5 oz.), preferably fire-roasted and diced
1 tbsp. corn flour or meal
salt and pepper

Directions:
Place a medium-sized pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add cumin, coriander, paprika, salt and pepper (and/or other spices, if using). Stir with a spoon until you start to smell the spices and they start to smoke, about 2 minutes. This will toast the spices, helping them release their flavors, and will heat the pan for the onions at the same time. Remove the spices to a bowl and return the pot to the heat. To the pot, add olive oil and onions (also peppers and chilies, depending on what recipe you’re using) and stir occasionally until the onions are transparent and starting to turn brown, about 7 minutes. This will add a depth of flavors created by caramelization of the simple sugars found in onions, converting them to sour organic acids: sweet, bitter and fragrant molecules. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Using a spoon, gather the onions and garlic to one side of the pot, creating a small pile and add meat of choice in one single layer to the rest of the pot. If the meat layer is more than half an inch thick, remove half of the meat and repeat the following step. Leave meat for 3 minutes; this will brown the meat, intensifying the flavors, adding more richness and complexity. Stir the meat for another 3 minutes to cook evenly. Add the toasted spices and corn flour or meal to the meat and cook for another minute. The corn flour will help thicken the chili, giving it extra body. De-glaze the pan with beer, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits; then add water and tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Once the liquid is bubbling, turn heat to low and let cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, then serve.

Variations
— Pork Chocolate Milk Stout Mole Chili: Add 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon allspice to the dry pot, and increase the cumin and coriander to 2 teaspoons each, then toast with the rest of the spices. To the onions and garlic, add 1 poblano pepper, sliced (with seeds removed), 1 red bell pepper, sliced (with seeds removed) and 1 minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. Add 1/4 cup raisins, 1 bar of dark chocolate (preferably 70 percent cocoa), 1 can black beans and 2 bottles of Milk Stout after the 1 pound of pork has been browned.
— Wild Boar Oktoberfest Chili: Add 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, 2 cloves and 1 bay leaf to the spice mixture, and increase to 2 onions. Brown with 1 pound wild boar and deglaze with 2 bottles of Märzen, omitting tomatoes and the corn flour. Finish the dish with 1 to 2 tablespoons of malt vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Additional uses: Pour chili over a Mexican-inspired polenta or mashed potatoes (potatoes boiled in Bohemian Pilsner or Vienna Lager then mashed as normal), or serve over Brats braised in Doppelbock and Sauerkraut.

Beers that pair/cook well with “the other white meat”: Milk Stout, Märzen, English Mild, Belgian Strong Dark, whisky-barrel-aged Barleywine, Bière de Garde.

— Lamb Smoked German Ale Chili: Add 1 tablespoon smoked paprika to the spices, brown 1 pound ground lamb, deglazing with 1 bottle Rauchbier.
— Spiced Venison Chili: Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves to the spices, substitute red onion for yellow onion and add a sliced Anaheim chili and 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced. Brown 1 pound venison and deglaze with your favorite Holiday Spiced Ale, omit corn flour, substituting finely ground hazelnuts.

Additional uses: Use hollowed-out bell peppers as edible bowls, fill with chili and top with chipotle-infused white cheddar cheese.

Beers that pair/cook well with game: Dubbel, Alt, Maibock, Doppelbock, ESB, Rauchbier, Scotch Ale, Holiday Spiced Ale.

— Classic Texas Steer Chili: Add 1 teaspoon cayenne and 1 teaspoon oregano, and increase paprika to 2 teaspoons. Add 1 jalapeño pepper, 1 habanero pepper and 1 poblano pepper (all sliced) to the onion. Brown 1 pound beef and deglaze with 2 bottles of Pale Ale.
— Flemish Bison Carbonades Chili: Omit spices except salt and pepper, adding 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf and 3 sprigs of fresh thyme. Increase the onions to 3 and mince them fine, rather than chopping them. Brown 1 pound bison and add 1 tablespoon flour with salt and pepper, deglaze in 1 bottle Oud Bruin or Pannepot (de Struise) and 1 bottle Flanders Red Ale, omitting corn flour.

Additional uses: Use this chili to top your favorite dog on a hoagie or sourdough roll for the perfect chili dog, as an extra topping for nachos, over some buttered egg noodles or over a baked potato with sour cream.

Beers that pair/cook well with red meat: Porter, Brown Ale, Old Ale, Oud Bruin, Dunkel, Flanders Red Ale, Schwarzbier.

— Duck Coconut Green Curry Chili: Add 1 red bell pepper to onions, brown 1 pound of duck meat adding 2 tablespoons Green Curry Paste at the end deglazing with 1 bottle of German Pilsner and 1 can coconut milk.
— Chicken Kriek Chili: Omit spices and add 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, 1 sliced leek and 1/2 cup peeled and sliced shallots with the onions, brown 1 pound ground dark chicken meat, deglazing with 1 bottle of Kriek; substitute almond flour for corn flour to thicken.

Additional uses: Use as a filling with crepes, adding some goat cheese over the top.

Beers that pair/cook well with poultry: Wit, Blonde, Hefeweizen, Tripel, Kriek, Framboise, Kölsch, English Pale Ale, Saison.

— Moroccan Tofu Chili: add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 cloves and 1 bay leaf to the spices; increase paprika by 1 tablespoon. Add 1 head of sliced fennel, 1 chopped red onion and 1 can of rinsed garbanzo beans to the onions. Add spices and deglaze with 2 bottles of Wit. Substitute 2 tablespoons of couscous for corn flour and add cubed firm tofu. Simmer for 45 minutes. Add 2 pounds of baby spinach, mixing to wilt the greens. Serve.
— Pakistani Pumpkin Chili: Increase cumin to 2 teaspoons, and add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 small fresh pumpkin or 1 butternut squash (cubed) and add to the onions. Deglaze with 2 bottles Saison. Serve with Greek-style yogurt and pita.

Additional uses: Add to a flour tortilla to make a taco or put in between two tortillas and make a quesadilla. Add to roasted spaghetti squash.

Beers that pair/cook well with tofu: Wit, Blonde, Hefeweizen, Tripel, Kriek, Framboise, Kölsch, English Pale Ale.

Sausages Braised in Onions and Beer
This is a great recipe for a few friends, or a large crowd—perfect for the Sunday kickoff.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter
2 each yellow onions, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
2 12-ounce bottles of beer (see below)
6 each sausage, see below
6 each hoagie or sourdough rolls
salt and pepper

Directions:
In a medium-sized pot add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers, stirring frequently for 5 to 6 minutes until the onions start to brown. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir for another 5 to 6 minutes until the onions are a dark shade of brown. Do not burn the onions: The darker the brown, the more bitter the onions. If you burn them, the dish will be very bitter. Add sausage and deglaze with beer, then bring to a low simmer, cooking for 30 minutes and keeping the heat on low. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Variations
— Brats Braised in Doppelbock and Sauerkraut: Use your favorite bratwurst and add 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon malt vinegar and 2 cups of rinsed sauerkraut to the core recipe, deglazing with Doppelbock, Alt or Schwartzbier.
— Italian Sausage with Onion and Peppers: Add 1 yellow, 1 red and one green bell pepper, 6 cloves minced garlic and 1 sprig rosemary to the onions. Deglaze with pale ale or pilsner. Chicken Apple Sausage Braised in Stout: Add 1 tablespoon fresh sage, 2 cans Irish Stout and cracked pepper.
— Smoked Kielbasa Braised in Steam-style Beer: Add 4 cloves minced garlic, substitute one yellow onion for one red onion, then deglaze with Steam Beer, Cream Ale or American Wheat.

Beer Float or Beershake

Photo by Derek Kouyoumjian

Ideal for hot weather or an afternoon of friends over for the game (or beer buddies over for a tasting), this is an easy dessert recipe that will raise eyebrows.

Makes 1 serving.

Ingredients:
1 12 oz. bottle of beer
2 scoops ice cream

Directions:
— For Beer Float: Take a favorite pint glass and add two scoops of ice cream. Then tilt the glass to a 45-degree angle and slowly pour a beer next to the ice cream into the glass; this will help reduce the head. Serve with a spoon and a straw.
— For Beershake: Add two scoops of ice cream of your choice to a blender and top with suggested beer pairing. Cover with the lid and mix until combined and smooth. Pour into a pint glass and serve immediately.

Flavor matching ideas:
Vanilla | Kriek, Framboise, Hard Cider, traditional Mead, Porter
Chocolate | Coffee Stout, Brown Ale, Doppelbock, Dunkel
Butter Pecan | English Barleywine, Pumpkin Beer, Old Ale, Bock
Coffee | Scotch Ale, Milk Stout, Belgian Strong Dark, Eisbock
Vanilla Bean | Tripel, citrusy IPAs, Maibock, Helles, Wit
Strawberry | Hefeweizen, Berliner Weiss, Flanders Red Ale
Butterscotch Ripple | Dubbel, Vienna ■