Cooking with beer

Cooking with beer

Welcome to the Drunken Chef!

Welcome to the Drunken Cook!

Cooking and beer go hand in hand, and in this blog I'll be exploring the magical combination of both. The culinary spectrum of possiblities when using beer is endless, and the history of using beer as both a food staple and ingredient goes back as far as ten thousand years! Many anthropological experts credit beer with being a catalyst for the development of the first civilization, because continuous production of beer required stable agriculture, as opposed to nomadic hunting and gathering. Since it's inception, people have used beer as a stand alone source of nourishment, as well as a safe primary liquid in food recipes. Water was often unpotable, which resulted in beer being safer to consume.

I'll be sharing historical tidbits, beer descriptions, tips, and recipes for appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and sometimes simple pairings. When it comes to food, beer adds a ton of flavor and brings a bounty of vitamins and nutrients to the party. Increasingly, studies are piling up with regard to the healthful nature of beer. So let's pop a cold one, and get cooking!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

One Pot Black Beans


     So today we'll be making one of my favorite dishes, using one of my favorite beers to cook with (and drink): New Belgium's 1554. This is a Brussels style Black Lager, the recovered recipe of this beer dates back to the year 1554 (hence the name).  Although this beer's origin is not from the same region that influenced today's entry, the notes of chocolate and coffee enhance this Mexican style black bean dish.  Trust me, you'll be amazed at how incredibly tasty these beans turn out, considering how easy they are to make.

This recipe will make about 4 servings.
Estimated time: 15 minutes prep, 40-55 minutes cooking



First things first: Crack a 1554 for yourself. One thing I've learned is that drinking the beer you're cooking with not only makes it more fun, it also creates good mojo for the dish.

 













Ingredients:
  • 2 bottles of 1554 (one for drinkin', one for cookin')
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbls butter
  • 4 strips cooked bacon chopped
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 jalapenos chopped
  • 1 roasted red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 small piece of chocolate (about 1" x 1" is fine)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons of cumin
  • 2 teaspoons of oregano
  • 1 teaspoon of cayenne
  • kosher salt (to taste)
  • cracked black pepper (to taste)
  • a few dashes of hot sauce
  • 1 can of Rotel drained
  • 2 cans of black beans drained

*Whenever possible, I like to use veggies and herbs from my garden (or my friend Amber's, since her garden is so massive), but right now I'm still a few months away from having those available.*

Getting Started:  While you're chopping veggies, now is a great time to cook those bacon strips. After they're done cooking, let 'em drain on a paper towel, then chop and set the pieces aside.

MMMMM...Bacon!
Don't Forget To Compost Those
Veggies Scraps For the Garden.
























Alright, the prep is done...let's cook!


1.  Heat a large pot (I prefer to use a dutch oven. They produce even heat, and are kick-ass for stews and soups) to medium heat. Melt the two tbls of butter.


2.  Toss in the onions, garlic, peppers, a pinch of salt, and a couple grinds of pepper. Slowly stir for approx 3-4 minutes, until the onions begin to turn transluscent.
Sauteed Onion, Garlic, and Peppers

3.  Its time for both cans of black beans, Rotel, bacon, and chocolate to get in the pot.  Give a quick stir, pour in the chicken broth and bottle of 1554, and give another quick stir.  It will foam up quite a bit due to heat, but don't worry about that.  Make sure the liquid reaches above the beans (add more beer or broth if neccesary).
After Adding Chicken Broth and 1554




Spice Layout
4.   Grab, and lineup your spices and hot sauce (don't forget a pinch of salt, and a couple grinds of pepper).  Once added, stir them well. Don't hesitate to change the spice/ingredient amounts to your personal preference and really make this dish your own. For example: you can eliminate the peppers and hot sauce, or, if you're a fan of the heat like me, add even more (I like to use serranos, because they pack a little more of a heat punch).  Roasted poblanos can also add a nice touch of smokey flavor.

5.  Alright, now that everything's in the pot, crank up the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. As soon as you reach a low boil, turn the heat down to medium low, cover with the lid (leaving a slight crack/opening) and simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The time will depend a bit on your pot, your heat source, and the amount of liquid you added.  Once finished, the liquid should be reduced until the beans are as thick as shown below.
"Kyle's Black Beans and Black Beer,"
Finished and Ready For Grubbin'



That's it.  Pretty easy, huh?  Simplicity, great flavor, and the fact that this dish is very healthy is why I make them regularly (to make it even healthier, you can omit the bacon, and use 2 tbls of olive oil instead of butter when you saute). They are great by themselves as a main dish, or used as a side dish. I like to garnish them with avocado, a little sour cream and pair them up with fish tacos or enchiladas (both of which can be made with beer!  Two recipes I'll share at a later date).

If you have any questions, or changes that worked well, I'd definitely like to hear about it!

Cheers!
The Drunken Chef


Posted by at 1 comment:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)