Stout Skirt Steak

This is a remarkably flavorful meat marinated in a hearty stout.  The beer tenderizes and flavors the skirt steak to perfection.  Delicious!

I used Narwhal Russian Imperial Stout which was amazing.  But you can use whatever stout beer you like.

Stout Skirt Steak

2 1 1/3-Pound Flank Steaks
1 Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning
1/4 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 12-Ounce Bottle Stout
1/2 Cup Worcestershire Sauce

Place steaks in container large enough to hold the steaks.  It's okay if you have to fold them over.

Drizzle the meat with olive oil and make sure they're coated evenly.  Sprinkle steaks on both sides with Chachere Creole Seasoning.  Add beer and Worcestershire sauce, turning steaks several times to coat both sides.

Cover and chill at least 3 hours or up to a day ahead, turn occasionally.

Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before your going to cook them to bring up the temperature.  They will be more tender if they are at a warmer temperature than if you cook them straight from the fridge.

Preheat your grill to medium-high. Grill steaks to desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes total per side for medium-rare

Transfer steaks to cutting board; let rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice steaks across grain.

Serve as a main dish with your favorite sides or on a sub roll with beer glazed onions or  serve on homemade beer tortillas, with aji Sauce, guacamole and shredded cheese.

Beer Marinated Grilled Chicken

Beer is a remarkable meat tenderizer.  It also adds unique flavor that infuses meat through and through.  

Spices, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice mixed with a lager makes for a tasty marinade that makes everyday grilled chicken into something special.  

This recipe is quick, easy and delicious!  Perfect for the grilling season!

I used a Samuel Adams Boston Lager, but use what you like.  A pale ale will bring out the tartness of the lemon.  A dark beer will make for a heartier flavor.

Beer Marinated Grilled Chicken

1 12-Oz Ounce Bottle Boston Lager
1/2 Lemon, Juiced
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp Fresh Basil
1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley
1 Tbsp Fresh Oregano
2 Tsp Coarse Salt
2 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
4-5 Lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

In a food processor, combine lemon juice, olive oil and spices.  Process 30 seconds to a minute to blend thoroughly.

Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over top.  Pour beer into the bag. 

Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible.  Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.  The longer the better!

About an hour before you're ready to start grilling, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.  This will make the chicken (or any other meat) more tender than cooking straight from the fridge.

On a preheated grill, cook the chicken 8 to 10 minutes per side, depending on the size of the breasts.  Cook until the center is white and no longer pink. Try not to overcook.

Enjoy with your favorite side dish or as a topper for a fresh garden salad.

Bacon Wrapped Whiskey Steak with Beer Glazed Onions

The bacon adds salty smoky goodness, the balsamic vinegar creates as sweet tart glaze on the steak.  The Whiskey adds incredible flavor and tenderizes the steaks at the same time.  The beer glazed onions puts this recipe over the top.

Amazingly tender and delicious.  









Bacon Wrapped Whiskey Steak with Beer Glazed Onions

1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 Cup Whiskey or Bourbon
1/2 Pound Bacon
Fresh Ground Pepper
1 Recipe IPA Glazed Onions

Place steaks in a sealable container.  Grind fresh pepper over the tops of both steaks.  Pour Vinegar and whiskey over top.

Marinate steaks at least an hour but the longer the better.  Make sure to turn them so both sides get equally sauced.

Cut the steaks in half or smaller depending on the size steak your using.  Wrap them in a slice or two of bacon and secure the ends with a toothpick.  Partially cook the bacon, if desired.  Top with more fresh ground pepper.

Grill the the edges of the steak to cook the bacon.  Then grill to desired temperature.

The balsamic vinegar / whiskey marinade will create a lovely crust on the outside of the steak.

Top with beer glazed onions.

Enjoy!

Pale Ale Sausage, Peppers and Onions

Sausage is one of my favorite meats.  In all honesty, sausages are nothing more than meat by-products stuffed into a a section of intestine.  But whatever.  I love them. Sausage with peppers and onions is one of my favorite ways to prepare them. 

Then I thought about adding a beer to the mix.  And then I thought that would be a fine idea.  So that's what I did.  And it was awesome!





I used Pemi Pale Ale brewed by Woodstock Inn Brewery for the beer.  It's a tasty pale ale with loads of flavor.  It made an excellent addition to the recipe.

I also used my homemade tomato paste in place of canned paste - recipe here.

Pale Ale Sausage, Peppers and Onions

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Pounds Italian Sausage Links
3 Large Bell Peppers, Sliced
2 Large Vidalia Onions, Sliced
4 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
2 (12 Fluid Ounce) Bottles Pale Ale
1 (6 Ounce) Can Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
2 Tablespoons Hot Sauce
Salt And Pepper To Taste
Kaiser Roll
Parmesan Cheese (Optional)

In a heavy skillet, cook sausages in olive oil until brown on all sides.  Remove sausage from pan, and keep warm. 

Deglaze the pan witn one bottle of the pale ale. Scrape the yummy bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the peppers, onions and garlic to the pan. Stir in the tomato paste, cilantro, hot sauce and the remaining bottle of beer. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer until onions and peppers are tender. 

While the onions and peppers are cooking, slice the sausages into bite size pieces.  

When the onions and peppers are done, stir into the sausage.  
Cover, and simmer until sausage is cooked through.

Serve on a kaiser roll.  Top with parmesan cheese, if desired. 

Homemade Tomato Paste from Fresh Tomatoes

Homemade tomato paste is so easy to make and so much better than anything you can buy in a can.  Use it to make spaghetti sauce or in any recipe calling for tomato paste.

Select fresh, meaty tomatoes - like Roma.  I used a mixture of tomatoes I got from my garden.  You can use any tomato you like but the more water that has to cook off the longer it will take to reduce the tomatoes to a paste.


Homemade Tomato Paste from Fresh Tomatoes
(Slow Cooker - Water Bath Method)
About 9 half-pint jars

8 quarts tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon canning or pickling salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

I use the whole tomato but you can take the time to peeled and core them before you chop them up.  Discard stems and cut out any bruised spots. 

Place the tomatoes into a large pot and stir in 1 teaspoon salt.  Bring them to a boil over high heat. Cook about 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften, stirring often. 

In batches, puree the tomatoes in a blender until smooth and transfer to a slow cooker. Add the bay leaves. (You can also cook the tomatoes down on the stove top, if desired.)

Cook on low, with the lid removed, for approximately 8 hours. Depending on desired consistency, you might need to cook for longer.  You can cook the tomatoes on high to reduce the time but you'll have to pay attention to it so that they don't burn or stick.

I let them cook overnight on low heat.  They still needed to reduce a bit more even then.

Once the tomatoes have cooked down into a thick, delicious paste you're ready to can them.

Prepare the jars (either pint or half-pint canning) and lids by washing them in hot, soapy water.  Rinse well.  Dry the bands and set aside. Heat jars and lids in a sauce pot of simmering water.  Allow jars and lids to remain in hot water until ready for use, removing one at a time as needed.  

Fill boiling-water canner half-full with hot water. Heat water just to a simmer and keep hot until used for processing.

Transfer the tomato paste into the prepared jars. (Make sure you remove the bay leaves)  Add a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice to each jar prior to adding the tomatoes.  Leave 1/2 inch of head space.  Runa thin knife along the sides of each jar to release as many air bubbles as possible. 

Wipe rim and threads of jar with a dean, damp cloth. Remove lid from hot water using a lid wand. Place lid on jar. Screw band down evenly and firmly, just until resistance is met-fingertip tight.

As each jar is filled, set into the boiling-water canner. Water in canner should be kept at a simmer. After all jars are filled and placed into the pot make sure the water covers the two-piece caps on the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.

Put lid on canner. Bring water to a boil. Start counting processing time after water comes to a rolling boil. Process pints 30 minutes, half-pints 20 minutes, at a gentle but steady boil for altitudes at or below 1,000 feet above sea level.

When processing time is complete, turn off heat and remove canner lid. Let canner cool 10 minutes before removing jars. Remove jars from canner and set them upright, 1 to 2 inches apart, on a dry towel to cool. Do not retighten bands. Let jars cool 12 to 24 hours.


After jars have cooled, check lids for a seal by pressing on the center of each lid. If the center is pulled down and does not flex, remove the band and gently try to lift the lid off with your fingertips. If the lid does not flex and you cannot lift it off the lid has a good vacuum seal. Wipe lid and jar surface with a clean, damp cloth to remove food particles or residue. Label. Store jars in a cool, dry, dark place.  They will keep for up to a year.

Stout Burgers with IPA Glazed Onions & Smoky Pale Ale Cheese Sauce

This is a totally beerific burger!  I combined several yummy beer infused recipes and the end result was intoxicatingly delicious!  Not really intoxicating despite all the beer used in the recipe.  But super tasty, for sure!

The beer makes the burgers incredible moist and juicy.  Have a pile of napkins ready!

I used Saranac Imperial Stout.  It is a well rounded stout that adds nice flavor to the meat without overpowering the other ingredients.  

Stout Burgers 
With IPA Glazed Onions & Smoky Pale Ale Cheese Sauce

1 Pound Ground Beef
2 Tbsp Onion, Finely Chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
1/4 Cup Stout

2 Kaiser Rolls
1 Cup Smoky Pale Ale Cheese Sauce (Recipe here)
1 Cup IPA Glazed Onions (Recipe here)  

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef with all ingredients in list up to and including the stout.  Mix gently but thoroughly.  Try not to work the meat more than necessary as it will make the burgers tough.

Gently form into two patties.

Grill burgers to desired temperature.  

Place burgers on the rolls.  Top with the beer glazed onions and cheese sauce.

Enjoy

Note:  I make these burgers really big.  You could get away with making this same recipe into four smaller burgers, if you want to.  Although, I can't imagine why you would.  ☺

IPA Glazed Onions

Tangy onions glazed with the sweetness of sugar with a bite of an IPA.  It makes for a wonderful contrast of flavors that compliments steaks, chops or burgers.  These would be great in an omelet or mixed roasted potatoes.  The possibilities are endless!  And delicious!

I chose Harpoon IPA for this recipe.  Harpoon is a nice balanced beer; not too bitter so it won't overwhelm the other flavors.  







IPA Glazed Onions

1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Large Onion 
1 Cup IPA Beer
1 Teaspoon Raw Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Slice the onions very thin.

Melt the butter in medium sized skillet over medium-high heat. 

Add the onions and saute.  Stir occasionally.  Cook for about 5 minutes until they begin to brown.

Stir in the salt and sugar.  Then pour in 3/4 cup of beer.

Continue cooking until all the beer has been absorbed by the onions and they begin to brown slightly, about 18 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup beer and bring to a simmer. Keep onions warm until ready to use.

Nut Brown Ale Brussels Sprouts

I've discovered that when I'm cooking with beer that it enhances the flavor of just about everything.  

I'm a big fan of tenderizing and flavorizing meat with beer.  I like veggies too, and it does remarkable things for them, as well.

These Brussels sprouts are tender and tasty.  An excellent side dish or chopped up in a salad.

For this recipe I used a bottle of my husband's homebrew, but you can use whatever beer you like best.

Nut Brown Ale Brussels Sprouts

1 Pound Fresh Brussels Sprouts 
12 Ounce Bottle Nut Brown Ale
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper


Place washed and trimmed in a medium saucepan.

Pour beer over Brussels sprouts.  One bottle should be enough to cover 1 pound.

Bring beer to a boil.  Be careful, it will boil over.

Put a lid on the pan, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain.  Return to pan, stir in butter.  Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.