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Wheat Beer

Beer Steamer Clam Linguini

15 Minute Dinner: Beer Steamer Clam Linguini

Beer Steamer Clam Linguini1

I’m on a layover in Salt Lake right now, in an airport bar resisting the urge to hair-of-the-dog my way out of sleep deprivation and a small sprinkling of a hangover. I’m going to tell you something that will make you think I’m crazy, but I already rolled that dice when I told about the time I decided to be a vacuum salesman and that time I assaulted a waiter in Spain: I like layovers. I like the energy, this mix of people, the contentment of knowing there isn’t a lot expected of me at this moment, the brief pause in a day otherwise filled with travel, the calm before I get back home and jump back into my life. I look at the faces of the other travelers and wonder if we’d have been friends if we’d ever really met. I wonder if we’ve ever been in the same place before this, or if we ever will again.

I made a decision two years ago—in the midst of the biggest personal crisis of my life— to figure out how to enjoy my time instead of "kill time". The last thing I need to do is go around killin' the moments of my life that don’t please me as much as I’d hoped, and then later complain when it goes by too fast. Maybe all moments aren’t amazing, or even traditionally enjoyable, but as my theory goes: if you can figure out how to enjoy a layover then just maybe those great moments will be even better. Maybe not. But at least I’m not just going' around killing off moments in the prime of my life.

Beer Steamer Clam Linguini3

Beer Steamer Clam Linguini

Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup 56g unsalted butter
  • 1 shallot chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon 1g crushed red pepper
  • 1 cup 80z wheat beer
  • 1 lbs clams Little Neck or Manila
  • 1 lbs linguini pasta
  • ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan with a lid.
  • Add the shallots, cooking until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and the red pepper.
  • Stir in the beer, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the clams, cover and cook until most of the clams have opened, about 6 minutes. Discard any clams that have not opened.
  • If using dried pasta, cook until just before al dente, about 6 minutes. Add to the clam pan, stirring until combined, cover and cook until cooked through.
  • If using fresh pasta, add the pasta directly into the clam pan without par cooking, cover and cook until pasta is cooked, about 4 minutes.
  • Plate the pasta, sprinkle with parsley.

Beer Steamer Clam Linguini2

Beer Dutch Babies Oven Pancakes with Peaches and Cream

Beer Dutch Babies Oven Pancakes with Peaches and Cream

Beer Dutch Babies Oven Pancakes5

This was the first recipe I ever memorized.

I was 16 and I’d driven 3 hours to stay at a house on the lake with a few friends. Five guys shared a dirty, old, charming, huge, lakeside craftsman house and were very clearly expecting me to cook breakfast.

The weekend prior I’d spent the early morning hours making Dutch Babies with my friend, pretending we’d just woken up rather than just snuck back into her house. I remembered the recipe. I remembered that it was simple, easy, and really, really good. I made a double batch for the guys, poured it into two very hot glass baking dishes, and baked until they puffed in a way that made me look like a breakfast genius. Other than scrambled eggs, it was the only breakfast recipe I knew.

I served it with powdered sugar and some blackberries that grew wild in the backyard. I pretended like this was just another dish, I hid the oh-my-god-I-can’t-believe-that-worked expression that was begging to get out.

I still love it. It’s simple, quick, beautiful and makes you look like a breakfast genius. Even if you are serving people who are not hungry frat boys who are probably hungover.

Beer Dutch Babies Oven Pancakes2

Beer Dutch Babies Oven Pancakes with Peaches and Cream

Servings 2 -4 servings

Ingredients
  

Dutch Babies

  • ¼ cup wheat beer
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ cup flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Topping:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
  • 2 large peaches sliced (or diced)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 450.
  • Add the beer, milk, flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla and butter to a blender. Blend until smooth.
  • Add the butter to a 9-inch cast iron skillet. Place in the oven until the skillet is very hot and the butter is melted. Swirl the pan to distribute the butter evenly.
  • Pour the batter in and place in the oven.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the center has puffed and the sides curl inward.
  • Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl, beat with a hand mixer until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the peaches to a bowl, sprinkle with sugar, toss to coat.
  • Slice the Dutch Baby into 4 equal pieces, top with peaches and whipped cream.

Notes

*for a stronger beer flavor replace the 1 teaspoon of vanilla with 1 to 2 tablespoons of beer.

Beer Dutch Babies Oven Pancakes4

Blackberry Peach Saison Galette + Beer’s Favorite Celebrity

Blackberry Peach Saison Galette , with the BEST pastry crust ever. 

Blackberry Peach Saison Galette

I wonder if he likes it.

Garrett Oliver starts an effortless soliloquy about the beer we’re drinking. A careful and accurate dissection of flavor, body, and aroma of a replica batch of a 133-year-old Carlsberg beer. In his cashmere voice he talks, almost without thinking, to tell me his thoughts on the beer we’re drinking.

He’s a beer celebrity if there ever was one. I wonder if the center stage he always takes while in the company of beer people is something he likes as much as he seems to. In a crowd like this you can watch the wave of acknowledgement and awe wash over the faces of the people in attendance as his presence is noted. Whispered tones sneak through the crowd in a way that reminds me of my days in Hollywood and the drunken celebrities that I crossed paths with. Similar in a way, but this seems like a deeper connection. A beer celebrity is given that crown because of accomplishments, knowledge, and achievements. Not because of sex tapes, DIU’s and antics. It’s as much fame as it is reverence. Beer celebrities have earned their spot through decades of hard work, magnificent beer, and an unwavering dedication to people in this community. It’s more than just fame, it’s glory.

I wonder if he likes the attention or if he just puts up with it. I wonder because it’s impossible to tell, he seems as effortless as coffee in Paris. I wonder because we don’t want him to stop showing up and telling us what he thinks of the beer.

Blackberry Peach Saison Galette3

Blackberry Peach Saison Galette

Servings 4 -6 sevings

Ingredients
  

Crust:

  • 1 ½ cups 180g all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon 3g salt
  • 1 tablespoons 15g sugar
  • 5 tablespoons 70g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 4 tablespoons 50g vegetable shortening
  • ¼ cup 48g ice cold beer (pale ale, Saison, wheat beer)
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon sanding sugar or granulated sugar

Filling:

  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/3 cup 71g granulated sugar, plus ¼ cup (60g) divided
  • 3 teaspoons 12g cornstarch, divided
  • 2 tablespoons 24g Saison beer
  • 2 yellow peaches sliced
  • 6 wt oz blackberries

Instructions
 

  • Add ¾ cup of flour (reserve the other 3/4 cup), salt and sugar to a food processor, pulse to combine. Add the butter and shortening, process until well combined and dough gathers around the blade and is slightly fluffy and whipped (this will be far more processing than most recipes, but this will create a new fat, making the crust incredibly flakey).
  • Add the remaining flour and pulse 6-8 times or until all the flour has been combined.
  • Transfer to a bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the beer until completely incorporated into the dough (don’t add the beer in the food processor or your dough will turn into a cracker). Dough will be very soft.
  • Lay a long sheet of plastic wrap on a flat surface, add the dough to the center.
  • Form into a flat disk. Wrap disk tightly in plastic wrap. Chill until firm, about 3 hours and up to three days.
  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Knead the dough lightly in hands until dough comes together and warms slightly. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to form a large circle, about ¼ inch thick.
  • Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, transfer the dough circle to the parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl add the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons beer. Beat with a hand mixer until well combined.
  • Add the cream cheese to the center of the dough in an even layer, making sure to leave the outer 4 inches of the dough bare.
  • In a medium bowl add the peaches. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch, toss to coat. Add the peaches on top of the cream cheese layer.
  • Add the blackberries to the bowl, top with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cornstarch, toss to coat. Add blackberries to the center of the galette.
  • Fold the bare edges of the dough up over the filling, using the parchment paper if necessary.
  • Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer, freeze for 15 minutes. Alternately you can chill in the fridge for 30-45 minutes (or overnight). This will help the galette stay together when baking and help the crust to be lighter and flakier.
  • Brush the crust with melted butter, sprinkle with sugar.
  • Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool prior to serving.
Blackberry Peach Saison Galette5

Strawberry Pineapple Pale Ale Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Strawberry Pineapple Pale Ale Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting 

Strawberry Pineapple Pale Ale Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. So moist and delicious with my FAVORITE frosting ever.

This is the new beer-to-watch of 2016.

Pineapples have been slowly sneaking their spiked heads into brew kettles for the past few years, closing the lead on grapefruit’s fruit-of-the-moment status. IPA’s are often the drug of choice for the pineapple craze, but the tentacles of this trend are extending their reach into all corners of the beer world.

The sweet acidity of this gorgeous tropical fruit blend so well with citrusy hops and is balanced so beautifully with malt that the pairing feels effortless. Scour your bottle shops and report back. Possibly a beer Randalled  through a cored pineapple? Let’s give that a try. For now, here are a few to seek out.

Strawberry Pineapple Pale Ale Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. So moist and delicious with my FAVORITE frosting ever.

Strawberry Pineapple Pale Ale Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
  

Pineapple Cake:

  • 1 cup 226g butter, softened
  • 1 cup 200g sugar, plus ½ (100g) cup, divided
  • 4 large eggs separated
  • 1 teaspoon 5g vanilla extract
  • 1 cup 8wt oz IPA beer
  • 1 ½ cup 0.75 lbs finely chopped fresh pineapple
  • 3 ½ cups 360g all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons 8g baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon 4g baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon 6g salt

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1 ½ cup 339g heavy cream
  • 1 ½ cups 155g plus ½ cup (55g) powdered sugar, divided
  • ½ cup 113g butter, room temperature
  • 16 wt oz cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon 5g vanilla extract
  • 1 pint fresh strawberries sliced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer add the butter and 1 cup sugar. Beat on high speed until well creamed.
  • While the mixer is running on medium speed add the yolks (reserve the whites in a clean bowl) one at a time. Stop the mixer several times to scrape the bottom to insure the butter is well incorporated.
  • Stir in the vanilla, beer and pineapple.
  • Stop the mixer, sprinkle with flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir until just incorporated.
  • With a hand mixer beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Slowly add the remaining ½ cup sugar, beating until peaks return. Gently fold egg whites into batter.
  • Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans.
  • Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes or until the top of the cakes are golden brown and spring back when lightly touched.
  • Allow to cool before removing cake from pans.
  • Add the heavy cream and ½ cup powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, beat on high until soft peaks form. Remove from mixer, set aside (no need to clean mixer bowl between jobs).
  • Add the butter and cream cheese to the mixer, beat on high until well combined, light and fluffy. Add the remaining 1 ½ cups powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat on high until well combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
  • Ice the cake with a layer of frosting and sliced strawberries between each layer of cake.

Inspired by: She Wears Many Hats, Pineapple Cake 

Strawberry Pineapple Pale Ale Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. So moist and delicious with my FAVORITE frosting ever.

Grilled Garlic Beer Flatbread

Grilled Garlic Beer Flatbread

Grilled Garlic Beer Flatbread1

It’s stopped raining for two days. So, obviously, the grill needs to come to life. There is something beautifully primal about cooking over open flames, even if those open flames are produced by propane our ancestors didn’t have access to. The fire, smoke, heat much higher than your oven is able to compete with, grilling isn’t just another way to cook food, it’s often a better way to cook food. That glorious char is worth braving the possibilities of spiders under the grill cover.

A few tips for grillin' like a pro:

  1. Preheat. You want the grates hot enough to sear on contact and the space under the grill hood to be hot as well.
  2. Marinate your meat. There is a lot of heat in there and it’s easy to overcook meat, especially poultry. Marinating meat, like these chicken skewers, gives you a little wiggle room and allows even over-cooked meat to stay juicy.
  3. Oil for flavor not for sticking. Contrary to popular belief, your meat and veggies will release from the grill when the char marks appear. No need to oil so the meat won’t stick. But it can add a little extra flavor, especially olive oil. But you’re better off oiling the food in most cases.
  4. Thermometer. If you want to get the perfect level of doneness, don’t leave it to chance. Get an inexpensive thermometer and take your meat off the grill when it’s 5 degrees below the temp you want, it will continue to cook even after you remove it from the grill.
  5. Grill. It. All. Not just burgers and dogs, vegetables, fruit, dessert and bread are all awesome with a little love from the grill. Pizza is one of my favorite grilled foods and a great way to feed picky eaters and people who don’t like meat.
  6. Skewers + Water. If you won’t have metal skewers and want to make a few meat or veggie sticks, soak bamboo skewers for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from scorching or catching on fire. Put them on a baking sheet or in a baking dish, fill with water and place a heavy plate on top keep them submerged.
  7. Session beer. Ok, this isn’t a grilling tip but more of a reminder. If you’re going to spend the day drinking and hanging with friends (friends who may need to drive later), skip the high ABV beers and fill your beer tub with tasty, lower alcohol craft beers. Here are some of my favorite session beers for spring and summer.

Grilled Garlic Beer Flatbread2

Grilled Garlic Beer Flatbread

Servings 8 pieces

Ingredients
  

For the bread:

  • 2 ¼ cups 300g bread flour
  • 1 envelope 2 ¼ tsp or 7g rapid rise yeast
  • 1/2 tsp 2g garlic powder
  • 3/4 cup 226g beer
  • 3 tbs 40g olive oil
  • 1 tsp 6g salt

For the butter

  • 2 tbs unsalted butter melted (olive or for vegan)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the flour, yeast and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Mix until combined.
  • In a microwave safe bowl add the beer. Microwave on high for 20 seconds, test temperature with a cooking thermometer and repeat until temperature reaches between 120 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Add the beer to the stand mixer and mix on medium speed. Once most of the dough has been moistened, add olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt while the mixer is still running.
  • Turn speed to high and beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
  • Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Allow to sit in a warm room until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
  • Remove from bowl and add to a lightly floured surface. Knead several times, cut into 8 equal sized pieces.
  • One at a time form the dough into 6 inch circles.
  • Preheat a grill to medium high. Combine the melted butter, remaining garlic powder and salt.
  • Place circles on the grill until the dough releases and the underside has grill marks, about 2 minutes. Brush with the top with the melted butter. Grill until dough is cooked through, about 2 additional minutes.
  • Remove from grill, serve warm.

Grilled Garlic Beer Flatbread3

Beer Brined Rotisserie Spiced Chicken Legs

Beer Brined Rotisserie Spiced Chicken Legs

Beer Brined rotisserie Spiced Chicken Legs1

I spent a few years resenting chicken.

Not chicken in general, beer can chicken. Mostly because when people found out that I cooked with beer for a living, that was the first recipe they thought of. "Like….beer can chicken?" Um, yeah. Or Beer Brined Duck with Stout Pomegranate Sauce and Belgian Ale Sweet Potato Mash.

Over the years, I’ve gotten over it. The truth is, it was my issue. Not theirs, not the chickens, but mine. I was so bent towards pushing the idea of cooking with beer into the space that wine occupies that I lost sight of the fact that beer can chicken is pretty damn good. Not to mention the fact that it’s more accessible than most wine dishes, and it highlights one of the main reasons to cook with beer: it makes poultry taste fantastic.

When people ask me what my go-to cooking with beer recipe is, I always talk about poultry. I decided that it was time to put pen to digital paper and show the world that cooking with beer isn’t JUST beer can chicken, it is ALSO beer can chicken. After all, you can make any wine dish with beer but wine can chicken just isn’t the same.

Get the recipe for Beeroness Beer Can Chicken on eHow

Beer Brined rotisserie Spiced Chicken Legs3

Beer Brined Rotisserie Spiced Chicken Legs

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs chicken drumsticks or wings
  • 2 tbs kosher salt
  • 12 ounces wheat beer
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp baking powder this will help crisp the skin
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • 1 ½ tsp brown sugar

Instructions
 

  • Place the chicken in a large bowl or baking dish. Sprinkle on all sides with kosher salt. Pour the beer over the chicken until submerged (adding additional beer or water to submerge the chicken).
  • Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour and up to 12.
  • Preheat the oven to 250.
  • In a small bowl stir together the paprika, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, 1 tsp salt, chili powder and brown sugar.
  • Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse well and pat dry.
  • Place a wire rack over a baking sheet, spray with cooking spray.
  • Rub the chicken on all sides with the spice mixture, add to prepared pan.
  • Bake at 250 in the bottom half of the oven for 30 minutes. Move the chicken to the top half of the oven and bake at 450 for an additional 30 minutes or until cooked through.*

Notes

Although the timing of this recipe sounds like it's too long, it isn't The recipe was adapted from America's Test Kitchen and always yields perfect results. The first 30 minutes is just meant to render fat, not cook the chicken. The second 30 minutes cooks the meat and browns the skin. The baking powder in the recipe helps draw out moisture and crips the skin.

Beer Brined rotisserie Spiced Chicken Legs4

Buttermilk and Beer Beignets

Buttermilk and Beer Beignets

Buttermilk and Beer Beignets1

I have this detrimental habit of undercutting my price, or doing work for free, in exchange for a plane ticket and a hotel reservation. Last year I nearly committed to writing an entire menu just for the opportunity to go to Uganda for the weekend. The timing ended up being too last minute and (fortunately or unfortunately, I can’t decide which) I had to back out.

Buttermilk and Beer Beignets4I also have a habit of obsessively bookmarking restaurants across the world if they sound interesting, just in case I’m ever in that area and looking for a place to eat. Most of which will go unvisited, but the few times I’ve found myself within walking distance of bookmarked business, I’m more thrilled than is appropriate.

The majority of my pre-trip plans include figuring out where I want to eat once I get there. Last year in Panama it was ceviche in the fish market. In Bogota it was Abasto. When I finally make it to New Orleans it’ll be beignets at Cafe Du Monde.

This recipe is the closest I’ve come to the real thing. Light, airy, slightly chewy and completely addictive. The beer gives it a beautiful lightness that I haven’t found in the classic recipes that call for evaporated milk.

These were so good, in fact, that they now replaced my beer doughnut holes as my go-to recipe for bring-a-dish gatherings.

Buttermilk and Beer Beignets2

 

Buttermilk and Beer Beignets

Yield: 20-24 Beignets
5 from 2 votes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 envelop 2 ¼ tsp/7g rapid rise yeast
  • ¼ cup 54g sugar
  • 4 cups 480g bread flour
  • ½ tsp 2g baking soda
  • ¾ cup 180g wheat beer
  • 1 ½ cups 360 g buttermilk
  • ½ tsp 3g salt
  • oil for frying canola, peanut, or grapeseed oil
  • Confectioners sugar for dusting

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer stir together the yeast, sugar, bread flour, and baking soda.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl combine the beer and butter. Heat until the mixture reaches between 120-130F on a cooking thermometer (mixture may curdle, this is normal).
  • Add the liquid to the dry ingredients, mix on medium speed until all the flour has been moistened.
  • Add the salt, turn the mixer on high and beat until the dough forms a soft sticky ball that gathers around the blade, about 8 minutes.
  • The dough will be very soft and loose, but if it’s too loose to hold together add a few pinches of flour.
  • Transfer to a large, lightly oiled bowl. Loosely cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm room until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  • Add dough to a well-floured surface, dust with flour. Pat into a large rectangle about ½ inch thick. Avoid using a rolling pin in order to preserve the air bubbles in the dough.
  • Add 3 to 4 inches of oil to a pot over medium-high heat. Clip a cooking thermometer onto the side making sure the tip doesn’t hit the bottom of the pot. Heat oil to 350F to 375F, adjust heat to stay in that temperate range.
  • Using a bench knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2-inch squares. A few at a time (don’t crowd the pot) fry the beignets on both sides until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes.
  • Remove and allow to drain on a stack of paper towels or a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

Adapted from Epicurious

 

Drunk Pasta Carbonara with Pomegranates

Drunk Pasta Carbonara

Drunk Pasta Carbonara with Pomegranates5

In the guts of Sam Adams I sat in the back of a room filled with beer people. Julia Herz stood at the front, addressing the crowd of beer writers, just thirty minutes before the bottles of Utopias were to be popped by Jim Koch, and we could think of little else. "Raise your hand if you drink beer," Julia said with the perfect touch of sarcasm. Every hand was enthusiastically raised as a small giggle spread across the room. "Keep ’em up. Raise the other hand if you also drink wine." Nearly every hand raised. "Good, me too. Now cross your arms over if you also, at least occasionally, drink liquor." I look towards her as a sea of beer drinking limbs form X’s in front of me.

We drink beer. We drink wine. We drink liquor.  Of course we do.

Outsiders always draw parallels between beer and wine, assuming a rivalry that has yet to be realized. Wine is wine, beer is beer. Both are consumable alcoholic beverages, both take skill, dedication, fermentation, and yeast to produce, but for us, there isn’t a conflict. Do you ask Italian chefs if they eat Japanese food? Do you ask if there is a threat to pasta because of sushi? Of course not.

Cooking with wine is a long-respected practice and beer is just starting to enter into the scene in a legitimate way. Wine and food pairings seem natural, while there still seems to be a need to explain the importance and value of pairing beer and food. Beer has a spectrum of flavors that wine can’t even imagine, the application for cooking with beer far exceed those for wine, and reminding the masses that craft beer is not at all the same substance as that stuff they beer ponged with in college is a fight still being won.

We know the value of beer, and we see where we need to go, but beer is in no way "the new wine." As we expand the knowledge base for craft beer, showcase the flavors and ingredients being presented, we created a bigger space for it rather than devour the space that wine is already in. We won’t stop drinking wine, we don’t need to. There is space at the table for well-made beverages of all sorts, we’re just looking to join the party on an equal footing and we’re getting there.

Drunk Pasta Carbonara with Pomegranates1

Just a few months ago Beer Pairing: The Essential Guide To Pairing From The Pros by Julia Herz and Gwen Conley was released. Essential is the right word to describe it, it’s a book that clearly illustrates the value and possibilities that exist when it comes to the relationship between beer and food. It’s a manifesto on the celebration of the flavors of beer, the importance of glassware and how to bring beer and food to it’s full potential. I took the majority of the photos in the book, with the exception of a few portrait shots, and was able to experience first hand the staggering knowledge these two women possess as well as the full impact of well-paired food and beer. It’s a book that I’ve reached for in the past few months more so than any other beer resource  I own. I highly recommend it.

Drunk Pasta Carbonara with Pomegranates3

Drunk Pasta Carbonara with Pomegranates

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz wheat beer*
  • 1 ½ cups chicken broth
  • 12 wt oz linguini
  • 4 wt oz diced pancetta
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 wt oz shaved parmesan
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup baby arugula leaves
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds

Instructions
 

  • Add the beer and broth to a pot over medium high heat, bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and cook until just before al dente. Drain pasta, reserving about ¼ cup cooking liquid, add noodles to a serving bowl.
  • In a pan over medium high heat add the pancetta, cooking until crispy.
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together the egg yolks, parmesan, salt pepper and the reserved cooking liquid, pour mixture over the pasta, toss to coat. Sprinkle with pancetta, arugula and pomegranate seeds.

Notes

*For a more assertive beer flavor, replace the chicken broth with beer. Be careful to use a low IBU beer or the end flavor will be overly bitter and intense.

I do not make any money from the sales of Beer Pairings, I was not compensated in any way for this post. All opinions are my own. 

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean and Beer Chicken Soup

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean and Beer Chicken Soup 

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Beer Chicken Stew3

"You’re not reactionary, you’re rebellious but intentional. You think before you jump off the bridge."

Someone I know well said this to me once. I was the kid your parents warned you about, the one who jumps off the bridge and your parents ask if you’re going to follow me into the cold waters of Lake Washington. "If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?" My mom never asked me that questions because she knew I was always the first to jump. But the fact is, I only jump if I know with reasonable certainty that it’s safe. When I was homeless in Hollywood at 19, I had a cell phone, a savings account, and a craigslist ad to house sit for free, as long as it was a nice neighborhood.

When I decided to quit my job as a social worker to pursue my dream of being a writer and photographer, I first spent a year doing both. 80 hours a week doing both my day job and my dream job. Then a year part-time at my day job (which, to be fair I still loved), and full-time hustling to work in writing. I jumped, and it seemed brave, but I had a backup plan.

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Beer Chicken Stew7

Maybe it comes from a non-traditional upbringing that required several backup plans, but I’m not afraid to jump. I just need to know what my options are. I can be stranded in a coastal Spanish town at 3 am, or lost in the center of a Moroccan city, my mind will start to formulate a plan, "You’ll be fine, you can figure this out," will be my first thought. I’ve jumped before and it hasn’t gone well. I’ve lost, I’ve failed, I’ve done things I shouldn’t have. But I more regret the things I didn’t do than the things I did.

You’ll never hit the ball if you don’t swing the bat. So, as this year hurdles forward, that’s what you should do. Swing the bat. Jump off the bridge. Maybe you need a backup plan for failure first, but you can do it. It’s better to fail at doing what you want than succeed at doing what you don’t. Grab a beer, make a plan, and swing the bat. Best thing I ever did.

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Beer Chicken Stew6

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean and Beer Chicken Soup

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounces dried Great Northern beans
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 12 ounces pale ale
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • ½ cup diced white onion
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbs chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbs tomato paste
  • 3 cups Tuscan kale Lacinato kale, sliced into ribbons

Instructions
 

  • Add the beans, broth, beer, carrots, celery, onion, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, and oregano to a slow cooker, stir to combine.
  • Cook on low for 8 hours.
  • Remove the large pieces of chicken, shread with two forks, return to slow cooker.
  • Add the tomato paste to a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of very hot water, stir to combine. Add to the slow cooker, stir to combine.
  • Stir in the kale, allow to cook for about ten more minutes on low. Ladle into bowls.

 

 

One Bowl Cinnamon Sugar Beer Muffins

One Bowl Cinnamon Sugar Beer Muffins

One Bowl Cinnamon Sugar Beer Muffins

There is a feeling in the depths of winter that the quiet will swallow you whole if you don’t keep moving. As if you’d just be that misplaced bracelet that never gets found, disappearing behind furniture and then just ceasing to exist.

I’m not used to this. Born and grown in California, the winter was hardly different from the summer other than a lower flow of tourist, grabbing a sweater for Cinespia, and the absence of Vin Scully’s voice. You’d have to stop and think, just for a second, when you wanted to reference what season you were in. Like being on a vacation where the actual days of the week lose meaning and you have to stop to figure out if it’s Tuesday or Wednesday. Winter just meant a different set of activities, not an entirely different wardrobe and lifestyle.

Winters up North are different. There is a beauty in those clear crisp days when it feels like your voice and the sound of your footsteps on wet pavement will travel forever. The perpetually dewy trees, the misty morning fog, the light and unobtrusive snow fall, even the rain. It’s all majestic in a way that feels intensely calming. What they don’t tell you, when you plan to move a thousand miles North, is that it’s dark. Really dark. The cloud cover mid-day that blocks the sunlight from ever hitting the grass out front, and the sun finally calling it quits around 4PM.

Baking has become a winter activity. It fits in the culture of this newly acquired season in a way that makes me appreciate it so much more than the sun filled, warm day baking I used to do. Just the smell and the warmth from the oven seems like a missing piece of furniture finally being put back into place . Spring is on it’s way, and I’ve a few trips planned between now and then, but for the next few months I’ll be warming the days with baked goods.

One Bowl Cinnamon Sugar Beer Muffins

One Bowl Cinnamon Sugar Beer Muffins

Ingredients
  

For the muffins:

  • 2 cups 248g all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp 4g baking powder
  • 1 tsp 4g baking soda
  • 3/4 cup 150g granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp 3g salt
  • ½ tsp 2g cinnamon
  • 1 tsp 4g vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup 150g wheat beer
  • 1/3 cup 75g whole milk
  • 2 large eggs

For the topping:

  • 2 tbs 15g cinnamon
  • ¼ cup 50g granulated sugar
  • 3 tbs 42g butter, melted

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and cinnamon.
  • Make a well in the center, add the vanilla, wheat beer, milk, and eggs. Stir until just combined.
  • Line muffin tin with muffin papers, spray lightly with cooking spray.
  • Place the muffins in the oven, lower temperature to 325. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Allow to cool.
  • Stir together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
  • Dip the muffin tops in melted butter, then roll gently in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

One Bowl Cinnamon Sugar Beer Muffins6

No Yeast Vanilla Brown Sugar Beer Cinnamon Rolls

No Yeast Vanilla Brown Sugar Beer Cinnamon Rolls
No Yeast Vanilla Brown Sugar Beer Cinnamon Rolls3

Every Christmas I make cinnamon rolls. Yeasty, gorgeous, giant rolls with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. A recipe that took years to prefect into the soft, tender, sweet and cinnamony treat with the thick ribbon of sugary butter center and tangy frosting. I make it the night before allowing the second rise to take place overnight in the fridge. It’s the first recipe in my first cookbook, The Craft Beer Cookbook (affiliate link).

But I also understand that taking two days to make breakfast might not be ideal for most people. And there may even be some of you that found your way to this post because yeast terrifies and baffles you the way some people think it takes a wizard to make velvety cheese sauce that doesn’t separate. I’m afraid of mall Santas, we all have our thing.

These rolls were awesome. Soft, tender, a bit more on the cakey side than the yeast rolls I’m so in love with, but still a fantastic way to throw together a dessert or a holiday breakfast. The yeast in the yogurt and the beer reacts with the leavening powers of the baking powder and basking soda to do a fabulous job of mimicking yeast dough. The way I try to do a fabulous job of mimicking a normal person when I see a middle aged man in a red suit and fake beard lurking near a Hollister.

No Yeast Vanilla Brown Sugar Beer Cinnamon Rolls1

No Yeast Vanilla Brown Sugar Beer Cinnamon Rolls

Servings 8 -10 rolls

Ingredients
  

Dough:

  • 3 cups 360g all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp 4g baking soda
  • ½ tsp 3g baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ cup 107g brown sugar
  • 2 tbs 18 olive oil
  • 2 tsp 8g vanilla extract
  • ½ cup 150g vanilla Greek yogurt (not non-fat)
  • ¾ cup 190g wheat beer, room temperate

Filling:

  • ½ cup 113g unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup 142g brown sugar
  • 2 tsp 4g cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp 0.5g nutmeg
  • pinch salt

Frosting:

  • 8 wt oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup 113g powdered sugar
  • ½ cup 119g heavy cream
  • 1 tsp 4g vanilla extract
  • Pinch salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350.
  • In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and brown sugar making sure to break up any brown sugar lumps.
  • Make a well in the center, add the oil, vanilla extract, yogurt and beer, stir until combined.
  • Add to a lightly floured surface, knead lightly until the dough comes together and is much less sticky (it will still be slightly sticky). Cover loosely and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes
  • Roll into a large rectangle about ¼ inch thick.
  • In a small bowl stir together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  • Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Starting at the long edge, roll the dough into a long log.
  • Slice into 2 inch rings, place in a baking dish with the swirl side up.
  • Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Using a hand mixer beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and salt until well combined, light and fluffy.
  • Spread the cinnamon rolls with the frosting before serving.

No Yeast Vanilla Brown Sugar Beer Cinnamon Rolls8

 

20-Minute Garlic Cheddar Beer Biscuit Rolls

20-Minute Garlic Cheddar Beer Biscuit Rolls

20-Minute Garlic Cheddar Beer Biscuit Rolls6

This is an early warning sign.

Some people have a nicotine itch when the stress starts to climb up their insides, some people get aggressive and angry, but I make bread. It’s a strange feeling, "I just want to make some bread," being my pressure release valve. Biscuits are the yellow light before it turns red and I break out the yeast packets and KitchenAid.

20-Minute Garlic Cheddar Beer Biscuit Rolls11

It’s also one of my favorite ways to use beer. The biscuits give you flakey, almost creamy layers when you give them a bit of beer. Even if you abusively roll them into a large rectangle, smear them with butter and cheese, roll them up and cut them, they still stay light and fluffy.  Which is good because with an open bottle of beer and a plate full of cheese carbs around, the last thing you need is more stress.

20-Minute Garlic Cheddar Beer Biscuit Rolls7

 

20-Minute Garlic Cheddar Beer Biscuit Rolls

Servings 8 -10 rolls

Ingredients
  

  • 3 ½ 420gcup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp 8g baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsp 8g baking soda
  • 1 tsp 6g salt
  • 1 tsp 5g sugar
  • 10 tbs 146g unsalted cold butter, cut into cubes
  • ¾ cup 190g pale ale or wheat beer
  • 1/3 cup 76g buttermilk
  • 8 tbs 110g softened butter
  • 1 large clove garlic grated with a microplane
  • ½ tsp 1g garlic powder
  • pinch 1g salt
  • 2 cups 226g grated cheddar cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • In a food processor add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
  • Pulse to combine. Add the cold butter, process until well combined. Add to a large bowl.
  • Add the buttermilk and beer. Mix with a fork until just combined.
  • Add to a well-floured flat surface, pat into a rectangle. Using a cold rolling pin gently roll into a large rectangle, about 3/4 inch in thickness, using as few strokes as possible.
  • In a small bowl stir together the softened butter, garlic, garlic powder and pinch of salt.
  • Spread the dough with the butter mixture (reserving 2 tablespoons), sprinkle with grated cheese.
  • Starting at the long end, roll into a tight log. Cut 2-inch rounds, place in a baking dish.
  • Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons garlic butter, brush the top of the rolls with the melted butter.
  • Bake at 400 for 14 to 16 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
  • Serve warm.

20-Minute Garlic Cheddar Beer Biscuit Rolls9

Chipotle White Ale Cranberry Sauce

Chipotle White Ale Cranberry Sauce

Chipotle White Ale Cranberry Sauce3

This is a game changer.

It’s the "best cranberry sauce ever" for cranberry sauce people, also for I-don’t-like-that-stuff people, and even for "don’t judge, but I like the phallic looking, ridged, gelatinous, canned version, don’t hate" people.

It’s smokey, spicy, and has a slight hint of beer. A  recipe that requires you to open a beer, then "figure out" what you should do with the remaining 1/2 cup.

It’s also a make ahead, one step, one pot, fifteen minute dish that makes holiday prep easy.

We can do this. We can make it through the holidays. Although we may need much more than 1/2 cup beer to helps us get that job done.

Chipotle White Ale Cranberry Sauce

Chipotle White Ale Cranberry Sauce

Servings 6 -8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 12 wt oz fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup white ale*
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 medium sized chipotle chili in adobo minced
  • 1 tbs adobo sauce
  • pinch salt

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a pot, bring to a low boil.
  • Boil, stirring frequently, until thickened, about fifteen minutes.
  • Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
  • Can be made three days in advance.

Notes

*Use a white ale, Belgian ale, Hefeweizen, or craft cider

Chipotle White Ale Cranberry Sauce3

Hefeweizen Mozzarella Bombs

 Hefeweizen Mozzarella Bombs

Mozzarella Bombs2

You should do an experiment.

Before you become so dismissive of the impact of beer in baking (or, as a marinade for chicken), do a side by side. Sometime we beer-cook because of the flavor, but not always. Do you taste the baking soda in your cake? Of course not. But if it’s missing you can tell right away. If you marinate chicken in beer and then grill it, it stays juicy. If you don’t, it will dry out on your grill. If you can’t taste the beer, but the chicken is still juicy, congratulate the beer because it did it’s job.

Bread is the same way. I spent the summer making these beer doughnuts for just about every backyard soirée I was invited too (it was too much, honestly, but I couldn’t stop). One of those excessive doughnut making adventures came at a time when I was short on beer, so I used something else and the doughnuts suffered. Same recipe, same amount of liquid, but the doughnuts tasted flat, a little more dense and little tougher. This is how beer shines in baking. It’s amazing baking-super-concoction of yeast, grains and carbonation gives you an amazing texture.

So, maybe you can’t taste the beer every time. And maybe you aren’t supposed to. But maybe it tastes better because of the beer, and you should give thanks to the beer that did all the work and got none of the credit. Some of us can relate to that.

Mozzarella Bombs1

Hefeweizen Mozzarella Bombs

Servings 16 Mozzarella Bombs

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups 360g all-purpose flour
  • 1 envelope 7g rapid rise yeast
  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 3/4 cup 186g wheat beer
  • ½ cup 113g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 6g tsp salt
  • 16 ciliegine sized Mozzarealla balls
  • topping:
  • 1 tbs melted butter
  • 1 tsp coarse or flakey salt I used smoked Maldon
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the flour, yeast, and sugar. Mix until combined.
  • In a microwave safe bowl add the beer. Microwave on high for 20 seconds, test temperature with a cooking thermometer and repeat until temperature reaches between 120 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Add the beer to the stand mixer and mix on medium speed. Once most of the dough has been moistened, sprinkle with the salt and add softened butter.
  • Turn speed to medium-high and beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
  • Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Allow to sit in a warm room until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
  • Add to a lightly flowered surface, knead for about 3 minutes. Cut dough into 16 pieces.
  • One at a time press the dough into a small circle, add the mozzarealla ball to the center and form the dough tightly around the cheese. Make sure the dough isn’t too thin in any place, and the mozzarella is completely covered.
  • Add to a baking sheet. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with garlic powder and salt.
  • Allow to rest for 15minutes while the oven heats.
  • Preheat the oven to 400.
  • Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a light golden brown.

Mozzarella Bombs3

Coconut Beer Steamer Clam Chowder

Coconut Beer Steamer Clam Chowder

Coconut Beer Steamer Chowder2

I remember the walls were dirty. Before he tried to push the glass table through my torso, I could only focus on the stains spread like a grease constellation across the Navajo White walls of the government subsidized apartment I was trapped in. His mom’s girlfriend wrapped her dark, sinewy arms around him, pinning his arms to his sides. Their tandem screams, dulled by the shock that had numbed my brain, tumbled together like puppies rolling down a hill…

I have these narratives rolling around inside me, fighting to get to the surface. They wake me up at night. Sentences form out of nowhere that take me back to a forgotten time and place.

Mostly, it’s repressed memories from my days in Hollywood, and the times I worked with gang members in South Central Los Angeles. It’s parts, mostly, of experiences I can’t remember entirely. Feelings searching for words. But the thing is, experiences are made up of an amalgamation of your senses. It’s a big ball of touch, smell, taste, sight, and sound. Words don’t fit well in that sensation cocktail. Even when the words leave me, I know they are so small, so inadequate. But it’s all I have. It has me, more than I have it. I’ll never claim that editing and technical writing is my calling in life, it’s always been a struggle.  But creative expressions via words and images has sucked me into it’s undertow.

So, please. Give me a pass when the verbs and tenses don’t stand in a perfect line, and typos come en masse. I’m trying to turn feelings into words, and there is only one part of that I can do at a time.

Coconut Beer Steamer Chowder3

Coconut Beer Steamer Clam Chowder

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 wt oz 114g pancetta, diced
  • 1 large 43g shallot, diced
  • 1 large 110g carrot, diced
  • 3 tbs 22g flour
  • 1 cup 236g wheat beer
  • 1 ½ cup 360 mL chicken broth
  • 13.5 fl oz 400 mL coconut milk
  • ½ tsp 4g salt
  • ½ tsp 1.3g black pepper
  • ½ tsp 1.3g garlic powder
  • ½ tsp 1.3g smoked paprika
  • 3 medium sized 300g red potatoes, diced
  • 1 lbs manila clams
  • 2 cups 44g sliced Swiss chard (or spinach)

Instructions
 

  • Add the pancetta to a large pot or Dutch oven (add pancetta to a cold pan, it will render better than if you add it to a hot pan). Cook over medium high heat until crispy, remove with a slotted spoon.
  • Pour off about half of the fat in the pot, leaving about 2 tablespoons.
  • Return to medium heat, add the shallots and carrots, cooking until very soft and slightly caramelized, about 15 minutes (if the pan dries too much, add a bit of olive oil).
  • Sprinkle flour on top, whisking until the flour turns slightly brown.
  • Add the beer, scraping to deglaze the bottom of the pot.
  • Stir in the broth, coconut milk, potatoes, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and red potatoes. Simmer until slightly thickened and potatoes have softened, about 15 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to low, add the clams and chard, cover and allow to cook for 6 minutes. Discard any clams that have not opened. Serve immediately.

Coconut Beer Steamer Chowder5

10-Minute Tater Tot Beer Cheese and Chives Soup

10-Minute Tater Tot Beer Cheese and Chives Soup

10-Minute Tater Tot Beer Cheese and Chives Soup 1You don’t have to make a decision.

There’s no pressure to decide if you really want to give this a try, or if you think it’s a new deviant low in beer cooking. It can always be both. More than anything, its a reminder. Don’t look both ways before crossing the food trend street. Don’t check the paper next to you  when searching for the right answer to whether or not something is desirable. Blink. What’s your blink reaction? There needs to be no further explanation. There needs to be no additional analysis. This seems to be difficult. It’s hard, in a way, to just like what we like because we like it. We seem to need constant validation as to our decision making and preferences.

Let’s just stop. Let’s just like stuff, because, well, we like it. Let’s drink without checking reviews on Untapped or Beer Advocate. Let us eat, cook with, order and enjoy stuff regardless of trending hashtags. Just for a while, just to see how it feels.

 10-Minute Tater Tot Beer Cheese and Chives Soup 4

10-Minute Tater Tot Beer Cheese and Chives Soup

Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups 450g wheat beer, pale lager, pilsner
  • 3 tbs 30g cornstarch
  • 16 ounces 450g sharp white cheddar, grated
  • 1 cup 240g broth (vegetable or chicken)
  • ½ cup 120g heavy cream
  • 1 tsp 4g red pepper sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup chopped chives
  • 2 cup 200g tater tots, cooked according to package directions*

Instructions
 

  • Add the beer, cornstarch, cheddar, broth, heavy cream, and red pepper sauce to a blender. Blend on high until very well combined, about 5 minutes.
  • Add to a pot over medium high heat, simmer until warmed and slightly thickened.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir in chives.
  • Ladle into serving bowls, top with tater tots, serve immediately.

Notes

*To bake crispy tater tots, rather than soft ones, drizzle with oil just prior to baking.

10-Minute Tater Tot Beer Cheese and Chives Soup 3

 

BBQ Beer Brat Tailgate Pizza & How To Prep A Grilled Pizza For Tailgating

BBQ Beer Brat Tailgate Pizza & How To Prep A Grilled Pizza For Tailgating -6

I grill pizza more often than I grill anything else. Unless you have a pizza oven in your backyard, it’s likely your best option when it comes to at home pizza cooking. Or, in this case, parking-lot-back-of-a-truck-with-a-portable-grill cooking. You get those lovely grilled char marks that you want when open flames are cooking your food, and it’s easy to modify to your guest eating persuasions.

Tailgate Pizza Tips:

Prep as much as you can ahead of time. If you’re making more than one pizza, write down the toppings you want for each, prep them all and store them in small containers to take with you. The dough can, and should, be made in advance. Just make sure to punch down the dough  every 12 hours (literally just punch the middle of it to deflate, you can also grab the sides and pull to deflate). Pizza dough is best if it’s able to cold ferment in the fridge for a few days.

BBQ Beer Brat Tailgate Pizza & How To Prep A Grilled Pizza For Tailgating

Don’t forget to bring a surface to roll out the dough. Some people like to use a rolling pin, while others think hand shaping the dough is the only way to go, it’s your call.

Brush the grates with olive oil to keep the dough from sticking. I sometimes oil the dough and flip it onto the grill like a giant pancake, but that’s just me.

You only want to grill the underside until it holds shape. It’s going back on the grill to heat the toppings and melt the cheese, undercooking it the first time will prevent overcooking it the second time.

Pizzas take about 8 minutes to cook, so they are easy to make as-needed. Plus they don’t take up too much room in the cooler, leaving you way more space for beer. Which, really, is the most important part.

grilled pizza

 

I used Stout & Sriracha BBQ Sauce

BBQ Beer Brat Tailgate Pizza & How To Prep A Grilled Pizza For Tailgating

Servings 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Pizza Dough:

  • 3 cups 360g bread flour
  • 1 packet 2 ¼ tsp, or 21g rapid rise yeast
  • 2 tsp 8g sugar
  • 1 cup 226g wheat beer
  • 3 tbs 42g whole milk
  • 1 tbs 14g olive oil, plus 2 tbs (28g), divided
  • 1/2 2g tsp salt

Toppings:

  • 2 to 3 large beer brats raw
  • 24 ounces beer wheat, pale ale, or brown ale
  • Stout & Sriracha BBQ Sauce link above
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 roasted red bell pepper chopped (from a jar is OK)
  • 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
  • Oil for the grill

Instructions
 

Directions:

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the bread flour, yeast, and sugar, stir until well combined. In a microwave safe bowl, add the beer. Heat until 120F. Add the beer to the flour and stir until incorporated. Add the milk, salt and 1 tablespoon oil, stir with the dough hook until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Allow to rise in a warm room until doubles in size, about one hour. You can bake the dough at this point, but it’s best to punch down the dough, cover and allow it to rise again in the fridge from 12-18 hours.
  • Make the beer brats. In a pan with a lid add the brats and the beer, cover and simmer until the brats are cooked through, remove from pan.
  • Preheat the grill to medium high. Grill the brats until grill marks appear on all sides, about 3 minutes. Remove and slice.
  • Brush the grates with oil to prevent sticking . Place the dough on the grill (a pizza peel coated in flour or cornmeal will help) until grill marks start to appear. Flip the dough and very lightly grill on the underside, just until the dough holds shape. Remove from the grill, place on a work surface with the lightly grilled side down. Spread an even layer of BBQ sauce over the crust, top evenly with cheese, add sliced brats and red pepper.
  • Return to the grill, close the lid and cook until the cheese has melted, 3-5 minutes. Remove from grill, sprinkle with parsley (or cilantro), slice and serve.

Notes

Pre-prep (tailgating tips):
• Make the dough the night before, let it do a second rise in the fridge. You’ll have to have a space to roll it out when you get to the venue, so bring a large cutting board if needed. It’ll be best if you let it come to room temp before trying to roll out. 10 minutes in a car with the heater on should be fine.
• Boil the brats ahead of time, pack them in the cooler, grill and slice them on site.
• Have all your ingredients prepped and stored in small containers, ready to go when you need them, it’ll help make the process much easier.

BBQ Beer Brat Tailgate Pizza & How To Prep A Grilled Pizza For Tailgating -6

Gochujang Beer Cheese Dip and Is Gochujang The New Sriracha?

Gochujang Beer Cheese Dip and Is Gochujang The New Sriracha?

Gochujang Beer Cheese Dip -5

There are similarities, I’ll be honest.

Spicy red sauces, with fermented ingredients, originally from the Far East. Americans "discovered" these sauces, that have been around for generations in other countries, and decide they are the hot "new" thing. Clearly, Sriracha and Gochujang have a lot in common. Although the latter doesn’t have its own documentary and two best-selling cookbooks, but there’s still time.

So what is Gochujang? It’s a spicy, slightly sweet sauce with a nice acidic backbone. It’s also so popular that it’s now found at Target. It’s a way to branch out, to try something new, to expand the pantry of flavors that you go to when you want to add some heat, or some big flavors. It’s best added to something else – it’s pretty intense on it’s own – not unlike Sriracha, a little goes a long way. It’s a great way to add some spice to your favorite homemade BBQ sauce, or transform a standard chicken recipe. It’s absolutely a sauce you should seek out and figure out how to use. But until Rogue Ales makes a beer with it, it’ll always take second place to the Rooster Sauce.

Gochujang Beer Cheese Dip -7

Gochujang Beer Cheese Dip and Is Gochujang The New Sriracha?

Servings 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 16 wt oz cream cheese
  • 6 wt oz shredded mozzarella about 1 ¾ cups
  • 3.5 wt oz shredded white cheddar about 1 cup
  • ¼ cup Gochujang Korean hot sauce*
  • 2 tbs cornstarch
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • 1 cup IPA or Pale Ale Beer

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor, process until smooth.
  • Add to an oven safe dish.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until warmed through.

Notes

-Dip can be made a day or two ahead, the flavors continue to deepen as the dip chills. Refrigerate until ready to serve, bake just prior to serving.
-Look for Gochujang in the Asian section of your local market, or buy online.
Gochujang Beer Cheese Dip -1