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Cooking with Beer


helenas

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Beer is the only thing I've found that made browned ground turkey taste like anything other than packing peanuts. After browning/cooking the ground turkey, I used to throw in a half a bottle of beer and then simmer until it was almost dry. The complex carbons in the beer made the ground turkey taste like something.

Then there's quick beer bread. 3 cups self-rising flour (you can substitute Bisquick), 3 tsp sugar, 1 bottle of beer. Grease loaf pan, pour the mess in, bake at 350F until a toothpick comes out clean (about an hour, give or take). (Ok, preheat your oven first.) (as opposed to last) (but I digress). Let cool, slice.

The variety of beer you use in this bread determines the final character. A lager like Corona will give you something light and without a strong beer flavor, perfect for an herb cheese bread (stir in a cup of grated cheese and 3 tbsp of your favorite dried herbs before baking). A stout gives a much heartier loaf, almost like a whole wheat in flavor.

Friends of mine also used to make a beer ham. One small canned ham or one of those half hams, one bottle of beer, a couple tbsp of brown sugar and a shake of ground cloves. Everything into the crockpot and cook all day. It made a very interesting sauce and the ham was a combination of salty, sweet, and bitter from the beer. (It'd probably work just fine with a better ham, but no one had a lot of money back then.)

Marcia.

Don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he wanted...he lived happily ever after. -- Willy Wonka

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Marcel Desaulniers (of The Trellis) used to make a Budweiser Beer Ice.

He said beer. :raz:

This reminds me of a beer joke :raz:

After the Great Britain Beer Festival, in London, all the brewery presidents decided to go out for a beer.

The guy from Corona sits down and says, "Hey Senor, I would like the world's best beer, a Corona." The bartender dusts off a bottle from the shelf and gives it to him.

The guy from Budweiser says, "I'd like the best beer in the world, give me 'The King Of Beers', a Budweiser." The bartender gives him one.

The guy from Coors says, "I'd like the only beer made with Rocky Mountain spring water, give me a Coors." He gets it.

The guy from Guinness sits down and says, "Give me a Coke." The bartender is a little taken aback, but gives him what he ordered.

The other brewery presidents look over at him and ask "Why aren't you drinking a Guinness?" and the Guinness president replies, "Well, I figured if you guys aren't drinking beer, neither would I."

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I was just looking for another recipe to use in a blog post, and came across this, in Cassell's Dictionary of Cookery (circa 1870's)

Beer Soup (German Method)

Simmer two quarts of milk beer (it should not be bitter) with the thin rind of a lemon, a few cloves, and a stick of cinnamon, sweeten with sugar, and add it through a sieve to the yolks of sx well-beaten eggs and half a pint of cream. Whilst pouring into the tureen, stir it to a froth with a wire whisk. The beer should be very hot, without boiling, before it is stirred with the eggs. Serve hot with toast.

Also has Beer Soup with Caraway Seeds, Beer Soup with Milk, and Beer Soup with Sago (which also has brandy or rum added).

The sort of soup you have when you really want custard I guess, or egg-nog, or posset or caudle.

What fun

Happy Feasting

Janet (a.k.a The Old Foodie)

My Blog "The Old Foodie" gives you a short food history story each weekday day, always with a historic recipe, and sometimes a historic menu.

My email address is: theoldfoodie@fastmail.fm

Anything is bearable if you can make a story out of it. N. Scott Momaday

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I would have a problem giving up one of my spare beers for cooking, although I like some good brats simmered in summer wheat with some onions and ground coriander before grilling, maybe a dark beer in place of water in a chocolate cake, slow-cook a roast with some beer for the gravy, the previously cited beer bread recipe, or use a beer when making regular bread. I've never had problems sloshing some leftover wine into things, but I'm just starting to waste my beer in food...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“A favorite dish in Kansas is creamed corn on a stick.”

-Jeff Harms, actor, comedian.

>Enjoying every bite, because I don't know any better...

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Sawgies (you know the RI Wieners! sp?) simmered with drained sauerkraut and a good beer

or even better but on the same line a kind of goulash with cubed pork shoulder sliced onions ...sauerkraut..1/4 cup sweet paprika.... 1/4 cup caraway seeds and a good beer simmered all day long served with a nice crusty heavy bread ..yummmm more wintery than a spring dish but very good served with sour cream on top!

I add lager to curries and vindaloo any spicy stews are made better with beer

I use beer as a rinse for my hair (whoops not food but it makes it very shiny!!!)

any BBQ sauce is good with a bottle of beer simmered down into it

Welch rarebit the old fashioned way very yummy and often overlooked as a wonderful treat for kids!!! my kids loved it "Mexican style" with chopped green chiles in it and veggies like jicama and red pepper for dipping (healthy after school snack!)

my husband just loves beer and chocolate .. when I make brownies he will always go and look for a beer to drink with them! ...so one time as a presumed joke I used a dark beer in a chocolate cake ..even put a splash of beer in the chocolate fudge frosting ..he just loved the cake!!! I did too when I took a bite I was so surprised at how good the whole thing went together! go figure my joke backfired into a wonderful cake!

it is good in chicken soup actually or any soup as long as it is not a bitter beer ...

I have tossed it in my brine for fried chicken that was very good and used it in the batter for fried fish or tempura (replaced half the liquid for the batter with beer)

beer pancakes or waffles have a kind of "nutty" flavor but use a light hand or it is not appealing at all maybe 1/2 cup to the entire mix...

(If I repeated anyone's answers I am sorry not enough coffee this morning)

Edited by hummingbirdkiss (log)
why am I always at the bottom and why is everything so high? 

why must there be so little me and so much sky?

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I always throw a Corona into my venison chili. I have used pale ales to degalze after browning meat and am happy with the results.

I have seen many recipes for boiling or steaming shrimp in beer, but I am picky about my shrimp and have not tried it.

Preach not to others what they should eat, but eat as becomes you and be silent. Epicetus

Amanda Newton

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Beef stew with Guinness is one of those wonderful winter warming dishes. Also in Ireland, it is traditional to use it in the Christmas plum pudding. Click here for a few more recipes using Guinness or porter.

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I make a Chocolate Stout Braised Beef using Young's double chocolate stout which is amazing. Brown some chuck in rendered beef fat, take it out and cook some carrots until golden, add in some sugar and let it caramelise, then add in the beer and add back the beef. Cook for 2 hours, remove all the solids, defat and reduce down until it's thick and syrupy. Adjust the salt/sugar/pepper and serve over some mashed potatoes:

435260724_79c05804f4_o.jpg

PS: I am a guy.

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Any stout/porter/brown ale goes awesome in a beef braise.

ABSOLUTELY, and how about cider/perry with pork.

I love to use cider with pork chaps(cheeks) in a long slow braise. there are also a lot of citrus flavoured hop beers(I can`t remember the name of the hop) and these would have a natural affinity with a coq au vin style receipt.

"It's true I crept the boards in my youth, but I never had it in my blood, and that's what so essential isn't it? The theatrical zeal in the veins. Alas, I have little more than vintage wine and memories." - Montague Withnail.

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I make a Chocolate Stout Braised Beef using Young's double chocolate stout which is amazing. Brown some chuck in rendered beef fat, take it out and cook some carrots until golden, add in some sugar and let it caramelise, then add in the beer and add back the beef. Cook for 2 hours, remove all the solids, defat and reduce down until it's thick and syrupy. Adjust the salt/sugar/pepper and serve over some mashed potatoes:

That sounds (and looks) delicious. I love braising. Might very well be my favorite cooking technique in the kitchen. If it wasn't summer already, I'd whip this up next time I cook.

Jeff Meeker, aka "jsmeeker"

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  • 5 months later...

I'm looking for some advice:

There's a great beer bar in Pittsburgh that serves a terrific Hop Devil Potato Soup, made with cheddar cheese, potatos, bacon and Victory's fantastic IPA. I've improvised a version on my own which was pretty good but a bit bitter. Last time I think I substituted a half a cup or a cup of Hop Devil for an equal amount of the recipe's 3 cups of chicken stock.

I'm thinking I need some sweetener but I'm loathe to just add sugar. What should I use to sweeten it? Or maybe I just used too much beer? Does a .5 cup beer vs. 2.5 cups stock sound right? (There's also 1.5 cups cream.)

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I'm looking for some advice:

There's a great beer bar in Pittsburgh that serves a terrific Hop Devil Potato Soup, made with cheddar cheese, potatos, bacon and Victory's fantastic IPA.  I've improvised a version on my own which was pretty good but a bit bitter.  Last time I think I substituted a half a cup or a cup of Hop Devil for an equal amount of the recipe's 3 cups of chicken stock.

I'm thinking I need some sweetener but I'm loathe to just add sugar.  What should I use to sweeten it?  Or maybe I just used too much beer?  Does a .5 cup beer vs. 2.5 cups stock sound right?  (There's also 1.5 cups cream.)

1/2 cup doesnt sound like too much...maybe adding some carrot or parsnip would help sweeten it, just sautee them with the onions in the bacon fat at the begining...you didnt mention onions either did ya?...So sautee some onions and carrot or parsnip in the bacon fat and puree with some of the stock nice and smooth....should help alot

tracey

The great thing about barbeque is that when you get hungry 3 hours later....you can lick your fingers

Maxine

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  • 5 years later...

If i put beer in the crock pot with a nice piece of chuck..... what happens to the chuck when its cooked ?

does it absorb the carbs from the beer or what ?

i hate to sound like an idoit but..... do the carbs stay in the sauce or do they get absorbed into the meat ? or what ?

the meat is going to be flavored by the beer..... what happens to the carbs ?

the alcohol evaporates .... but what happens to the carbs ? does the meat then become a high carb food?

i know this all sounds stupid but i really want to know what happens.

does anybody know for sure ?

thanks

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Whatever sugars and carbohydrates were in the beer will either be absorbed by the meat, present in the sauce in one form or another (hopefully caramelized) or stuck to the side of the pan. They don't magically puff away, unless you're cooking on heat high enough to burn them.

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Whatever sugars and carbohydrates were in the beer will either be absorbed by the meat, present in the sauce in one form or another (hopefully caramelized) or stuck to the side of the pan. They don't magically puff away, unless you're cooking on heat high enough to burn them.

no... i would be using a crock pot.... it would be a gentle simmer.

so then... that means that the chunk of chuck thats been simmering in the beer is now not just a piece of protein .... but a high carb dish even if its just a piece of beef ?

Edited by SpaghettiWestern (log)
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Whatever sugars and carbohydrates were in the beer will either be absorbed by the meat, present in the sauce in one form or another (hopefully caramelized) or stuck to the side of the pan. They don't magically puff away, unless you're cooking on heat high enough to burn them.

no... i would be using a crock pot.... it would be a gentle simmer.

so then... that means that the chunk of chuck thats been simmering in the beer is now not just a piece of protein .... but a high carb dish even if its just a piece of beef ?

12oz beer has about the same carbs as a slice of brown bread (~12g). That is what will be present in your dish. If you eat the meat only and not the sauce of course it will be less.

ETA Light beer, a glass of wine or stock would be lower-carb possibilities.

Edited by Plantes Vertes (log)
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so then... that means that the chunk of chuck thats been simmering in the beer is now not just a piece of protein .... but a high carb dish even if its just a piece of beef ?

I take it that you are trying to avoid carbs, but want the flavor imparted by beer in a recipe? My belief is that, no, simmering chuck in beer will not significantly change the carb content of meat. I am not a scientist, however. I did several searches, and the best evidence I could find to support my belief is that sugar-cured bacon is considered low carb. Not no-carb, but low carb. What you are doing is less extreme than that, so if it were me I wouldn't worry. Just don't drink the cooking liquids.

Why are you asking? There are probably lots of no carb ways to flavor meat in a crockpot.

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If i put beer in the crock pot with a nice piece of chuck..... what happens to the chuck when its cooked ?

does it absorb the carbs from the beer or what ?

i hate to sound like an idoit but..... do the carbs stay in the sauce or do they get absorbed into the meat ? or what ?

the meat is going to be flavored by the beer..... what happens to the carbs ?

the alcohol evaporates .... but what happens to the carbs ? does the meat then become a high carb food?

i know this all sounds stupid but i really want to know what happens.

does anybody know for sure ?

thanks

Anything water soluable, including carbohydrates in solution, can migrate into meat while it's braising. The carb level in this sort of situation would only be signficant for someone who has an actual problem metabolizing carbohydrates.

Beer is mostly water, and runs up to about 15g/UK pint (2.5g carbs/100g).

If you were to braise half a kilo of beef in nothing but a pint of beer, and it sucked up the full amount of beer (unlikely to happen), then ate half the meat in one go (a very big serving), you'd be consuming about 7.5g carbohydrate, not exactly a carb orgy (for comaprison, white bread has about 49g carbs/100g; plain puffed rice cakes have about 80g carbs/100g).

Michaela, aka "Mjx"
Manager, eG Forums
mscioscia@egstaff.org

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If you're cooking a piece of meat in beer, then the meat/sauce will contain everything that the beer contained. The question is, are you planning to consume the entire piece of meat plus all the sauce, so that it is the equivalent of consuming all the beer you added? Or are you planning to have a slice or two with a bit of sauce, so that you are consuming a small portion of the beer? See Mjx's formulation above.

Bottom line: don't worry about it unless you absolutely must refrain from eating any sort of carbs, ever.

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Thanks everyone for your answers. what you say makes sense. i have been off of sugar, bread,pasta, cake cookies, pies and real ice cream for a LOOOONG time. one day i just decided that maybe i was feeling bad because of all the sugar and junk i was eating. i cant really call good food junk but i was eating my fill of baked goods, ice cream and all things with sugar.

it took me MONTHS to get off all of it .... my body just didnt want to let go. But... when i did... an amazing thing happened. I started to feel like a teenager again.

YEAH ! THAT GOOD ! LOL

i wasnt following any prescribed diet ... i just eliminated all the things i thought might be

making me slugish and slow. well.... it sure did the trick.

NOW i have NO cravings for ANY of my old diet.... i DO eat ALOT of plants and i dont miss pizza and pasta.

TWO things i use to love.

in fact.... i cant even stand the tastes of southern Italian food anymore. go figure that one.

i gave away all my fancy imported pasta and sauces. now i just eat simple foods.... whatever i feel like

eating. my body tells me what it wants. i dont overeat because i dont feel like it.

dessert is usually fruit.... or some 'ice cream' made with frozen bananna and unsweetened coaco powder wizzed up

in the vita mix.

i know all this sounds terribly boring but believe me.... i wouldnt trade the way i feel now for any food i use to eat in the past. i never would have believed this was possible to do.... but i am doing it..... and every day i am amazed at how

easy it is to just listen to my body and eat what i feel like eating.

all my life.... i have been plagued with cravings for things with sugar and grains. now..... its totally gone.

thats why i was asking about beer. i have always cooked with beer in the crock pot but i didnt want to disrupt anything

in my body if i used it.

i still get plenty of carbs thru fruits and root veg. i can see now i wont have a problem with eating the meat and a bit of sauce from a beer stewed chuck roast.

thanks for clearing this up for me. i'll be putting a roast in today with beer thats been in my fridge for the past year. lol

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