There was some discussion in another thread about cooking with beer (e.g., boiling brats). I have no personal experience but it seems to me that during the cooking (e.g., boiling) process that much of the beer’s aromatics (e.g., flavors) would be boiled off during the cooking process. So, to those of you with experience cooking with beer, what say you? Does cooking with beer make a noticeable impact to what culinary dished you make? Do you select differing beer styles per each recipe (e.g., AAL beers for boiling brats, Stouts/Porters for…?). Cheers!
Jack, do you ever make beer bread? That's really the only thing I make where I consistently add beer to the recipe. I think it's good in chili as well, but I don't make chili very often (wife doesn't like it). Beer bread is pretty intriguing. The flavor and character of the bread change considerably depending on the beer you use. In my experience, fruited lambics and stouts work best (making for a more flavorful bread), but even light lagers will make a decent loaf of bread.
Nope. I have yet to produce any food items using beer. My wife recently made a Chocolate Stout Cake for Saint Patrick's Day. Luckily I had two bottles of homebrewed Oatmeal Stout left in the cellar, one bottle for the cake and one bottle for me!
I have cooked with beer from time to time. Witbier to cook mussels, usually a “sessionable” beer I’m long on to make a beer cheese for mac&cheese, Guinness Dark Lager (RIP) for beer waffles. It makes a notable difference in taste and texture; in the cheese it will add a slightly sweeter and bready taste than without it. Be sure to cook out the alcohol or will taste of booze more than beer. Also, I don’t like using IPA in my cooking; that adds too much bitterness to my food.
I've used beer quite a bit in cooking. As @DoubleJ stated, wits are great for steaming mussels. Seafood boils often contain a few cans of beer. Braises and stews would probably be the most common use. I've made some nice desserts with beer (favorite was a barleywine ice cream with chopped dates, cinnamon, and Gran Marnier). I've even used Rodenbach to make a vinaigrette. You do have to think about how bitter the final dish will be for anything cooked, because the bitterness will be concentrated as the liquid evaporates in any dish. I've found that Belgian beers, due to lower bitterness (most of the time) can create some really interesting dishes. There are Michelin starred restaurants in Belgium that are dedicated to it.
Your post reminded me! It has been a number of years since I went but, in the past, I would often go to a local beer bar/restaurant (Teresa’s Next Door) and my dinner of choice was the Drunken Mussels. From their online menu: “Drunken dark beer, chorizo sausage, shallot, garlic, chervil” As I type this I am salivating just thinking about this dish. They do not specify a specific beer brand to cook these mussels but I can testify that it works really, really well with this recipe. Cheers to mussels cooked with beer! P.S. Maybe they used a Belgian Dubbel for this recipe? @MrOH
I've added beer to homemade soups from time to time with good results. And sometime in the next couple of weeks I plan to make a recipe I found for Mushroom, Guinness and Pearl Barley stew.
I never boil my brats in anything, only simmer. I also don't boil my chili, only bring it to a boil then simmer it for a couple hours. Simmering allows flavors to meld slowly and evenly. My chili doesn't actually taste like beer, but it has a richer, deeper all-around flavor when I use the right beer. I've tried it with a few different styles, but only a couple work well. I also use wine in many recipes -- pasta sauce, rouladen, and French onion soup off the top of head. Again, either simmering, braising, or deglazing a pan. These recipes all taste richer and more complex with the use of the wine and don't really retain a forward wine character. My cooking lesson for the day.
Sorry to hear that, it's really too bad. My wife craves my chili. If only we can get stew meat to come down in price -- it's been too long since I've made a batch.
I wish I was even half a decent cook but beside prepping tasty homemade carbonara pasta I’m afraid not. On topic, I really dig the Belgian/Brussels Carbonade which is basically a beef stew only cooked/marinated with a brown beer. Not sure which one, tasty for sure.
My wife uses beer to braise brats before grilling them, to boil shrimp and to make beer bread. She always asks me for a bottle of the lightest flavored, non-hoppy beer that I have on hand. Usually I happen to have a light-flavored lager, but wheat beers sometimes do the job too.
Nope. Secret recipe that I've experimented with for a long time. Take your own time to find what works best for you. I will say, wine doesn't work with my chili recipe, only beer.
I sure do, and it sure does ... but it depends on the context. It's not an instant benefit for just any dish. I'm far more likely to cook with wine, in particular if I'm deglazing a pan after cooking meat in it. Beer doesn't work as well to deglaze (it foams up quite a bit). But in chili or shepherd's pie? Absolutely I'll cook with a stout (if I'm not cooking with red wine; it's either/or in that instance). And like @JEBmass , I'll use a lighter beer from time to time when making a soup, although even then, I'm usually going to lean toward white wine instead.
BTW -- nothing hoppy or roasty. I've tried them and they don't balance well with my other ingredients and spices. But... palates differ.
I probably marinate with beer more often than actually cook. Beer brined pork chops that get a nice amber are a regular. Mussels as mentioned above. Brats on a slow simmer with what's available, though not with an IPA. Wrong flavors for me. I have a nice Guinness shepherd's pie recipe.
