What’s better than beer with food? Beer IN food

By Daniel Neman

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

In Paradise, it is said, the rivers run golden with beer.

And the food? Much of the food is made with beer, too.

But cooking with beer is not something that the rest of us do very often.

The reason is simple: Beer is generally bitter.

But there are plenty of ways to work with this bitterness, or work around it, to add a startling amount of depth to a meal, and nearly endless variations of flavor. By using a few simple tricks, you can negate the bitterness and coax the beer to blend with the dish.

Perhaps the most common method of cooking with beer and exploring new horizons of taste is to simmer tough pieces of meat gently in it for a long time.

Stews and braises slowly cook off the bitterness while retaining the essential flavor of the beer. At the same time, much like wine, it also enhances the more appealing aspects of the meat.

I used beer to make a braise. A braise is very much like a stew, except the meat is not entirely submerged in the liquid.

In this case, the meat was turkey and the dish was Beer-Braised Turkey Tacos. The beer was Negra Modelo, a dark brew from Mexico.

Next, I made a loaf of bread. Bread is an obvious example of cooking with beer because, when you think about it, beer is basically just liquid bread.

I have made beer bread several different ways in the past and depending on the type of beer or ale you use, you can make the beer flavor of the bread strong or mild, according to your taste.

I could not end my adventures in beer-based cooking without dessert. I made Guinness Ice Cream with Chocolate-Covered Pretzels. True Guinness ice cream is made with actual Guinness stout. And it tastes like it; you get a definite sense of ice cream that has been made with Guinness. And for all the descriptions of Guinness being creamy, it still is a little bit bitter.

BEER-BRAISED TURKEY TACOS

Yield: 12 tacos

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 (1-pound) bone-in turkey thighs or drumsticksSalt and pepper

4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 medium white onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large oregano sprig

1 large jalapeqo, stemmed, seeded and sliced crosswise

1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped

1 ancho chile, stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 cinnamon stick

12 ounces Mexican dark beer, such as Negra Modelo

1 cup water

12 corn tortillas

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Cilantro sprigs

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the turkey with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until richly browned all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot, along with the garlic, diced onion, oregano and jalapeqo and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato, ancho and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring, until the tomato releases its juices.

Return the turkey to the pot, add the beer and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat, turning once, until the turkey thighs are tender, about 1 hour. Transfer the turkey to a plate and let cool. Discard the oregano sprig and cinnamon stick and boil the sauce over high heat until reduced and thick, about 12 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the tortillas in foil and bake about 8 minutes, until softened and heated through. Meanwhile, remove the turkey meat from the bone and shred it. Transfer the sauce to a food processor and puree. Return the sauce to the pot and stir in the shredded turkey. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the turkey onto the tortillas. Top with minced onion, sesame seeds and cilantro sprigs, and serve.

BERGHOFF BEER BREAD

Yield: 16 servings

3 cups all-purpose flour

11/2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 (1/4-ounce) package rapid-rising dry yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 (12-ounce) beer of your choice, see note

2 tablespoons canola oil

Note: Lighter beers, such as Pilsners and lagers, will create a milder flavor. Heavier beers, such as red ales or dark beers, will make a heartier bread.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, yeast, salt and brown sugar. Mix on low speed. Add the beer and oil, and mix on low to form a cohesive dough. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the paddle and replace with the dough hook. Knead the dough on low for 10 minutes, adding all-purpose flour as necessary by the tablespoon for desired consistency. The dough should leave the sides of the bowl and cling to the dough hook. (This can also all be done by hand - mix dry ingredients with a whisk, stir in the liquid ingredients with a sturdy spoon and knead by hand).

Turn out the dough onto a surface lightly dusted with all-purpose flour, and knead to shape into a ball. Lightly oil a large bowl. Put in the dough, turning once so the oiled side is on top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 11/4 hours to 11/2 hours.

Turn out dough on a surface lightly dusted with all-purpose flour, and knead to remove any air pockets. Shape into an oblong loaf and place in an oiled 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Cover with a lint-free, clean kitchen towel that has been wetted and wrung almost dry. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

While the loaf is rising the second time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake 40 minutes, until the top is browned. Transfer from the pan to a wire rack. Do not slice until completely cool.

GUINNESS ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE-COVERED PRETZELS

Yield: 8 servings

2 cups Guinness beer

2 cups heavy cream

13/4 cups whole milk

15 large egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

Chocolate-covered pretzels, for serving

In a large saucepan, combine the Guinness with the cream and milk and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. Gradually add the hot Guinness cream to the yolks, whisking constantly until well-blended.

Pour the mixture into the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until it coats the back of a spoon, about 6 minutes; do not let it boil. Pour the custard into a medium bowl set in a large bowl filled with ice water. Let stand until the custard is cold, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions (this may have to be done in 2 batches). Pack the ice cream into an airtight container and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Serve with chocolate-covered pretzels.