Cooking with Beer

[KMango]

Now you’re cooking…with beer!

I could not find more than a few mentions of cooking with beer, and it’s something we’ve been doing a lot the past few months of chilly weather.

As a recent example, we modified the heck-gondola out of the described method, but here’s the basic method for a veggie-based burrito that benefited from beer:

All Recipes Sweet Potato Burrito Guidance

Instead of two cups water (the enemy of flavor!), we chose half water and half Port City Porter. We boiled it a bit longer to erase the alcoholic edge, and the result was marvelous. The beer added a pleasing bitter coffee/malt sensation, a beneficial counterpoint to sweet potatoes and earthy beans. Leftovers froze beautifully, and this one is likely to become part of our regular winter rotation.

We also use ale as the basis for a sliced corn-on-the-cob, mushroom, and vegetable soup we place under a chicken slow-cooked in our charcoal rotisserie. The soup simmers gently, the vegetables release their juices, and everything deepens in flavor as the chicken drips into the beer stew. This is all thanks to ye gods of Weber genius and Steve Raichlen for his expert methods and inspirational knowledge-sharing.

What recipes with beer as an ingredient have been successful in your kitchen or backyard grill? Any flops? Anything you have been wanting to try?

[dcs]

100 Ways to Cook With Guinness.

[goodeats]

I've used beer, spirits, and wine in various recipes over the years. I've added beer to my soups, stocks, pie fillings, chops, roasts, turkey, Mac and cheese, etc. it's very versatile, based on what type of beer, what flavors you want the dish used in brought out, etc. I think it's great, and the only time I've been disappointed is when I tried baking Guinness brownies. But then again, I blamed the Guinness and not the recipe :-)

[DC Deb]

I make beef in Guinness every year for St. Patrick's Day.

My favorite way to cook pork shoulder is to use a good spice rub and add 2 bottles of beer (Brooklyn Lager lately). Cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven at 350 until fall apart tender. If you are in a hurry, cut up the pork into smaller pieces. Pork cut into "deck of cards" sized pieces only take about 1 1/2 hour.

[porcupine]

I recently made a lamb soup with a brown ale as the braising liquid, and it turned out well, nice deep flavor but no alcohol edge. I also use beer as the braising liquid for chili (which I made like a stew, with chunks of beef rather than ground beef). At the moment I'm blanking on what else, but it is probably my braising liquid of choice when I'm winging it.

[Anna Blume]

Flemish beer stew

Welsh rarebit--and some use it for fondue, same principle

Homemade mustard with flattened ales or stout

ETA: The most recent winner of contests at Food52 was for a recipe featuring beer as an ingredient. Check other submissions for ideas.