Beer Brined Grilled Pork Chops

Beer tenderizes the pork chops and adds subtle flavor.  The brine creates a salty sweet taste that perfectly compliments the flavor of the meat.

Yum!

Beer Brined Grilled Pork Chops

2 Cups Water 

1 12-Ounce Bottle Red Ale

1/4 Cup Kosher Salt 

3 Tablespoons Packed Light Brown Sugar 

2 Tablespoons Dark Molasses 

2 Tablespoons Honey

1 Cup Ice Cubes 

6 Thick Center-Cut Bone-In Pork Chops 

Seasoned Salt ( I use Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning)

Combine water, beer, salt, sugar, molasses and honey in large bowl. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Stir in ice. Place pork chops in large resealable plastic bag. Pour beer brine over pork chops; seal bag. Refrigerate 4 hours, turning bag occasionally. 

Preheat grill to a medium high heat.  

Remove pork chops from beer brine.   Sprinkle with seasoned salt.  

Grill pork chops for approximately about 10 minutes per side or until no longer pink inside.

Transfer to a plate, cover with foil and allow to rest for about five minutes before serving.

Beer-Candied Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Beer is definitely proof that God wants us to be happy.  But beer and bacon are proof that there's a heaven - right here on earth!

Beer Candied Bacon Wrapped Chicken is a tasty combination of flavors - sweet, salty, smoky. 

I used a winter beer for the syrup because of the combination of sweetness and spices.  Use what you like for a completely different taste experience.  But use something with enough flavor for it to stand up against the bacon.

Beer-Candied Bacon Wrapped Chicken

1 Lb Thick-Cut Bacon, Smoked Bacon 

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Beer
2 Large Chicken Breasts

In a small bowl, mix the beer and the brown sugar together until the sugar is dissolved.  Set aside.


Cook bacon on a griddle or in a pan until just starting to crisp.  Place in a bowl and pour the beer syrup over them.  Toss to coat.

Continue to cook the coated  the bacon on the griddle or in a pan.  Turn and baste with syrup as the bacon cooks.  Cook until the crispy and browned.

While the bacon is cooking.  Cut each chicken breast length-wise into four pieces.  And cook on the griddle until done.

Wrap two slices of  bacon around each piece of chicken.  

Any left over back - yeah right! - can be wrapped into coils and left to dry on a rack for about an hour.  It'll get nice and crunchy!

Stout Mudslide

Although technically this recipe isn't really cooking, but it is food related.  Ice cream is food, right?  Sure it is!

This recipe is so easy it's ridiculous and it's super tasty.

The bitter beer mixes with the sweet chocolate and ice cream and blends together to make a rich mudslide like creamy shake.  

Make it.  You know you want to!





Stout Mudslide


2 Dark Chocolate Klondike bars
2 oz. Stout 

Cut Klondike bars in half and place in a blender with the stout.

Pulse to break the bars into smaller pieces and then blend on high until smooth.

Stuffed Breakfast Stout French Toast with Framboise Lambic Syrup

A rich and incredibly delicious french toast featuring Founders Breakfast Stout and topped with a syrup made with Framboise Lambic.   The flavors are complex and complimentary.  Very different from standard French toast.  Simply amazing.

Stuffed Breakfast Stout French Toast with Framboise Lambic Syrup



Breakfast Stout Stuffing:
12 Oz. Cream Cheese
6 Oz. Founders Breakfast Stout
1 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp Chocolate Syrup


With a mixer whip cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Stir in the powdered sugar and chocolate syrup.  Add the beer and mix well. Place in refrigerator until you’re ready to top your toast.





Framboise Lambic Sauce:

1 Bottle Framboise Lambic
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup


Pour the lambic into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Boil for about 20 or 30 minutes until it reduces to the consistancy of the thick syrup.  Remove from heat and stir in the maple syrup.   










Breakfast Stout Toast:

1 Loaf Challah Bread
5 Eggs
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Cup Founders Breakfast Stout
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon To Taste

Add eggs, milk, stout, vanilla extract and cinnamon to a bowl and whisk well. 

Cut the the challah bread into 1 inch thick slices and soak in the egg mixture making sure both sides are coated well. 



Add the bread to a heated skillet and let it sit for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Spread a slice of french toast with the cream cheese stuffing and stack and spread the top piece of French toast with a layer of cream cheese stuffing.  

Drizzle the lambic syrup on top.  The syrup is very rich and you really don't need a lot.  

 

Firewater Friday - Baby Guinness

I fell in love with Patron XO Café at first taste.  It is smooth and delicious and very coffee.  Mixed with Bailey's it simply wonderful!

Baby Guinness 

1.5 oz Patron XO Café Tequila
3/4 oz Bailey's Irish cream

In separate containers chill Patron XO and baileys over ice. Pour Patron XO in small cocktail glass, then slowly pour the Baileys down the side of the glass to float on top.

Rustic Beer Tortillas

Homemade tortillas are better than any you can buy in the store.  These rustic beer tortillas made with an imperial pale ale and rendered bacon fat were really good. I'm no expert tortilla maker, not by any stretch of the imagination.  I call these tortillas rustic because they are not evenly flat and misshapen   However, that doesn't effect the remarkable flavor and texture.

I can only imagine what this recipe would be like in the hands of someone who hand makes tortillas on a regular basis.  They'd be amazing, I'm sure!

Also, make sure to use a good, flavorful beer.  The difference between Coors Light and Pyramid Outburst is like store bought vs. homemade.

Rustic Beer Tortillas 

2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Rendered And Cooled Bacon Fat (Or Lard)
3/4 Cup Warm Beer ( Plus 3 Additional Tbs)

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. 

Add the fat and rub it into the flour with your hands until it forms course crumbs and all the fat has been distributed. (I used my Kitchenaid with the mixing attachment)

Heat the beer until just warm to the touch. Slowly pour 3/4 of a cup into the flour mixture, mixing with a fork until all of the flour has been moistened.  Use a little more beer, a tablespoon at a time, as needed). (Again using the Kitchenaid with the mixing attachment)




Knead for about 3-5 minutes or until the dough becomes shiny and slightly stiff but not firm. Return to the bowl and cover with a towel, allow to rest for 30 minutes to an hour.

Pull off pieces of the dough just smaller than a golf ball. Roll into balls and place on a plate, continue for the remaining dough. Cover the plate with a towel and allow to rest for an additional 30 minutes.

Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet over medium high heat.

Using a rolling pin roll the tortillas out until they are thin enough to see through. A tortilla press  doesn't work well with flour tortillas. On a lightly floured surface, flatten a ball of dough with the rolling pin, then roll forward and back across it; rotate a sixth of a turn and roll forward and back again; continue rotating and rolling until you reach a very thin consistency.

Throw onto the griddle and allow to cook until lightly brown, about 1 minute per side. Don’t over cook or your tortillas will be crispy.  You don't need to add any oil to the pan as there is already enough fat in the dough.  

Note:  I save all bacon fat.  I usually freeze it for making soap once I have enough collected.  But I keep some in the fridge for cooking, too.