Cooking with beer

[Lisa Shock]

You could also try "beer can chicken". I'm not sure how much beer flavor actually imparts during roasting though.

Well when I make it I drink the beer first, which I thought was the point, so unless I'm doing it wrong there's no flavour imparted to the chicken...

There's no flavor imparted, the beer doesn't even come to a boil. (assuming you cook your bird to 165°) HERE's an article debunking the myths surrounding beer can chicken. The main advantage is that the can props up the bird, maximizing the surface area for crispy skin. But, there are a lot of down sides. IMO, you'd be better off grilling a spatchcocked bird, or using a rotisserie. Anyway, since the beer doesn't flavor the bird, I don't think this would really be suitable for the OP's needs.

[nickrey]

For dessert with an Irish/Italian twist, you could do a variant on tiramisu called beeramisu.

[djyee100]

Love the story about the pistol in the soup. I'm sure the pistol imparted a steely, mineral quality reminiscent of fine French wine.

You haven't said so specifically -- Are you going to do a cheese tasting? Some people believe beer harmonizes better with cheese than does wine. (I understand what they're getting at. I still like my wine.)

FYI, an article with recommended beer and cheese pairings:
http://www.culinate.com/articles/culinate8/beer_cheese_pairings

Thai food goes extremely well with beer--all kinds of Thai food that I've tasted. Mexican food also. I drink American pale ale with both, mostly because I'm not much of a beer drinker so I reach for what I like and recognize. You can probably find more interesting pairings of beer with Thai or Mexican food.

[Lisa Shock]

Research has shown that cheese masks almost all flavor (except buttery notes) in wines. (it isn't generally served at serious wine events) One is usually suspicious that a seller is passing off an inferior wine if they insist that it be tasted with cheese.

[Mjx]

This stout (I've used other stouts than Guinness, and they've worked beautifully) and ginger cake is amazing.

If you make it, make sure that the pot you use for combining the stout, molasses, and baking soda is huge (e.g. a stockpot; I've also transferred the stout-molasses mixture to a huge bowl, and worked in that, instead). I think it's even better with butter than vegetable oil (170g butter).

[liuzhou]

Research has shown that cheese masks almost all flavor (except buttery notes) in wines.

I would rather say "suggests" than "shows". Nothing has been proved.

There are dissenting voices. As Jeffrey Benson says "Tasting wine is so subjective; it's like tasting food. Not everyone tastes the same things." Like him, I remain convinced that cheese and wine can be successfully paired.

Pity we can't see the original research.

Not to suggest that there is anything wrong with beer and cheese. Far from it.

[Lisa Shock]

When I managed a wine bar and took classes for the first time in the 80s, I was taught to distrust any wine seller who offered, or worse insisted, that we sample cheese with their wine. It's an ages-old trick: customer visits a winery and has a wine and cheese tasting then buys their wine and has it shipped home where the wine, when tasted without cheese, is completely different -often bitter, overly tannic, and/or overly acidic. Serious wine events don't feature cheese, and that's been the case for a very long time.

The original 2006 research referenced is behind a paywall, only the first paragraph is visible.

[nickrey]

Be really, really careful about selectively quoting research that you cannot access in full and, moreover, which is unreplicated.

They trained students to be "expert" tasters in a few hours. First huge red flag.

They said that the cheese masked certain flavours and didn't mask others. Conclusion: cheese (like all food) interacts with wine. This is a trivial conclusion at most.

Third, they concluded that the effects they find for a variety of wines and cheeses are so similar, that we should be able to enjoy almost any cheese with almost any wine. This is rubbish to anyone who drinks a variety of wine with cheese. It doesn't meet the reality check. It is possible therefore that something may be wrong with their research design and execution. See my earlier comment on replicability.

Garbage in, garbage out. Please let's not perpetuate the conclusions of bad research. I'm a scientist and open to persuasion by research. This doesn't persuade me at all.

I'm not criticising your own experience by the way. Taking your B all the way to concluding Z is, however, a problem.

[liuzhou]

The original 2006 research referenced is behind a paywall, only the first paragraph is visible.

What a surprise!

[jmacnaughtan]

Research has shown that cheese masks almost all flavor (except buttery notes) in wines. (it isn't generally served at serious wine events) One is usually suspicious that a seller is passing off an inferior wine if they insist that it be tasted with cheese.

You may be right, but that's not generally the point- having a cheese course means you can finish the glass or bottle you drink with the main course before moving onto something better suited to dessert.

I can't imagine having beer with a cheese course. It seems wrong. Plus, it means switching from wine back to beer, which is never a good idea.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Research has shown that cheese masks almost all flavor (except buttery notes) in wines. (it isn't generally served at serious wine events) One is usually suspicious that a seller is passing off an inferior wine if they insist that it be tasted with cheese.

You may be right, but that's not generally the point- having a cheese course means you can finish the glass or bottle you drink with the main course before moving onto something better suited to dessert.

I can't imagine having beer with a cheese course. It seems wrong. Plus, it means switching from wine back to beer, which is never a good idea.

J, the point of beer pairings is that you're never drinking wine at the meal. Just the different beers….

[Plantes Vertes]

Well just to disrupt any sort of etiquette that might apply, in the UK we serve cheese after the dessert!

Thank you all so much for the super suggestions so far!

We have a very stupid tiny kitchen and not a lot of equipment, which rules out a few of them, but I'll definitely be looking back on this thread once (if) our landlord agrees to provide an oven (or we move, whichever comes sooner... ). and we get some better gear. We also have some dietary preferences to consider. Anyway, I think we've almost decided on:

1. Bitter salad with pears poached in pale ale

2. Carbonade flamande/mushrooms and onions cooked in dark Trappist ale, root vegetables glazed in witbier, steamed potatoes

3. Lambic fruit sorbet

4. Beeramisu ( ) with Guinness

5. Welsh rarebit with Welsh stout for a midnight snack

Thanks again!

[Plantes Vertes]

We took the opportunity to buy some beers (most of which) we didn't know in order to select a few for the party:

 

 

Anyone tried them?

Edited March 2, 2014 by Plantes Vertes (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

We took the opportunity to buy some beers (most of which) we didn't know in order to select a few for the party:

001 (640x480).jpg

Anyone tried them?

You have one of my absolute favorites on the right - Chimay bleue. Truly fabulous.

Duvel is great too, although I don't remember trying the triple hop variety.

Anchor Steam is very solid too.

I am not familiar with the other ones, but it looks like a nice selection!

Edited March 2, 2014 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Plantes Vertes]

The first two are the ones I had tried before and I insisted on them this time. Have to make sure they're still appropriate. Always do my due diligence

Edited March 3, 2014 by Plantes Vertes (log)

[patrickamory]

Jumping in late here, but just on the general topic, how about drunken beans?

[Chris Hennes]

I make my Carbonade a la flamande with Chimay red (you're going to need a bigger bottle, though!).

[ChrisTaylor]

We took the opportunity to buy some beers (most of which) we didn't know in order to select a few for the party:

 

001 (640x480).jpg

 

Anyone tried them?

 

Some of them.

 

The Chimay and Duvel are excellent. Try get your hands on the Grande Reserve version of the former.

[Plantes Vertes]

Run-through was today. We didn't do the meat, the rarebit or the sorbet but tried out the other dishes ahead of the party this weekend.

 

Salad with goat cheese and pears poached in blood orange pale ale

 

 

Risotto with lemon witbier

 

 

Drunken beans with chestnut porter

 

 

Root vegetables with honey, mustard and smoked urbock glaze

 

 

Beeramisu! with chocolate stout

 

 

This meal was fantastic! The beers were delicious and our tour-of-the-world menu was a success too. Really looking forward to the real thing. Thanks for all the advice!

[SobaAddict70]

I cook with beer fairly regularly, particularly with seafood and fish.

Ommegang Witte goes well with mussels or in a fish stock, in place of wine, for example.

[biochef]

I have a good option for you.

 

1 Pretzels and Beer-Cheese Sauce  

2 Beer-Battered Cremini Mushrooms

 

Both are very yummy and easy to make.  You can get more option from http://allrecipes.com/recipes/everyday-cooking/cooking-with-beer/