.
.
.
.
.
If you find yourself doing a lot of outdoor grilling this summer, beer is an excellent appropriate ingredient. It is as versatile as cooking with wine and can add a savory essence to many favorite dishes. Beer offers a variety of flavors, all of which stand up well to other strong tastes typically found in grilled foods. Flavor overtones include caramel, nuts, fruits, citrus and the sweetness of smoky malt (malted barley). The bitterness in hops can compliment the spiciness of chilies. Keep reading to find grilled Mexican burger and Pan-Asian pork chop recipes that feature beer as an ingredient. Both are perfect for casual backyard entertaining.
Beer is less acidic than vinegar and can add another flavor dimension to marinades, glazes, sauces, bastes and mops. Beer connoisseurs recommend adding malty beers to tomato-based sauces and ‘less-hoppy’ beers to simmered sauces to prevent any hint of bitterness. Marinades with beer need some type of oil for added-moisture. When choosing beer to cook with, always pick one that you enjoy drinking. As the liquid cooks off, the flavor intensifies. If you didn’t like the flavor to begin with, you certainly won’t like the end product.
.
Grilling with beer can be as easy as pouring a bottle over steak to marinate for an hour or so. In the recipe for Mexican Stout Burgers with Grilled Onion and Avocado, 1/2 cup beer is mixed into ground sirloin. A rich Stout stands up well to the beef’s robust flavor. Add a touch of ‘spice’ in the form of cumin, cinnamon, brown sugar and unsweetened cocoa. Top the burgers with a slice of Monterey Jack cheese, grilled red onions and sliced avocado, along with favorite condiments. Serve the burgers with tortilla chips and salsa, a summer salad with a citrus vinaigrette dressing and cold Lagers.
.
Pork and lager are natural flavor companions in the recipe Pan-Asian Beer Glazed Pork Chops with Pineapple-Black Bean Salad. Start by marinating boneless pork chops in a mixture of ginger, curry powder, cloves, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, garlic and Lager Beer. Grill the pork over the coals or on a gas grill, brushing with a glaze sauce of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar and Lager. While cooking, mix up an accompanying colorful side salad made up of pineapple chunks, canned black beans, diced red pepper, lime juice, green onions and mint. Just add a side dish of brown or white rice and Lager or Pilsner beer for a complete menu.
.
.
~Mexican Stout Burgers with Grilled Onion and Avocado~
1/2 cup Stout Beer
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds ground sirloin
2 red onions, sliced into thick rings
6 slices Monterey Jack cheese
2 avocados, sliced
6 hamburger buns
.
In small mixing bowl, stir together Stout Beer, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cumin, granulated garlic, brown sugar and salt. Place ground sirloin in large mixing bowl; pour beer mixture into meat. Stir gently until well-combined. Form meat into six patties.
.
Prepare gas or charcoal grill, or pre-heat broiler.
.
Place meat patties on grill or under broiler and cook about 5-7 minutes. Add onion rings to grill. Turn burgers and cook additional 5-7 minutes until cooked through to desired doneness. During final minutes of cooking burgers, top each with a slice of cheese. Add opened buns to grill, toasting just until golden.
.
To assemble, place burgers on grilled buns and top with grilled onion and avocado slice. Serves 6.
.
Nutritional Information, Per Serving:
500 calories; 24 g fat; 8 g saturated fat; 33 g carbohydrate
.
.
.
~Pan-Asian Beer Glazed Pork Chops
With Pineapple-Black Bean Salad~
Marinade:
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
3/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 bottle Lager Beer (6 ounces)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
6 boneless pork chops, cut 3/4-inch thick
.
Glaze:
1/2 bottle Lager Beer (6 ounces)
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
.
Pineapple-Black Bean Salad:
2 cups diced pineapple
1 can black beans (15 ounces), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
2 tablespoons shredded fresh mint
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
.
In large re-sealable plastic bag, combine ginger, curry powder and cloves. Reserve 1/2 teaspoon spice mixture for salad. Add half bottle beer, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice and garlic to remaining spice mixture. Seal bag and shake to blend. Add pork chops to bag; reseal and turn well to coat. Refrigerate 2 hours.
.
Prepare glaze by combining in medium saucepan 1/2 bottle beer, hoisin sauce, light brown sugar, soy sauce and ginger. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Boil 10 minutes until reduced and thickened to a glaze.
.
While glaze is reducing, in medium bowl combine all salad ingredients with reserved 1/2 teaspoon of spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook pork.
.
Prepare gas or charcoal grill, or pre-heat broiler.
.
Remove pork from bag; discard marinade. Grill pork over medium-hot coals, 5 minutes, per side, brushing generously with glaze. Grill until juices until clear, about 5 minutes per side. Divide salad and mound on each plate or spoon onto large serving platter. Place pork chop next to salad. Serves 6.
.
Nutritional Information, Per Serving:
270 calories; 9 g fat; 2.5 g saturated fat; 22 g carbohdyrate
.
.
.
Recipes from the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) in Alexandria, Virginia. They were submitted by home cooks to the first “Cooking with Beer” competition, held in New York City in November of 2006.
.
NBWA represents America’s beer distributors who serve as the critical link in the American distribution system which provides beer brands a vehicle to market and provides consumers with the choice they desire at great value. Distributors operate within a system controlled by the states which ensures the safe and efficient sale of alcohol products.
.
Photo courtesy of the NBWA
.
Read the State Newspaper Food Page today for information on GELATO, a refreshing Italian frozen dessert. Gelato is the perfect ending for a backyard barbecue!
Leave a comment