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 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.
.JPG)
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.
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. ☺
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.
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.
Pale Ale Sausage, Peppers and Onions
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
