Oven Smoking

While this doesn't directly relate to beer, I use beer throughout the processes (processi?!), so I think I'm safe.

I've always wanted to try smoking, meat of course. I'm a huge fan of grilling and outdoor cooking, in general, from the simple hot dog to the more creative, grilled pizza. I have multiple (yes, more than one) gas grills, but have yet to expand beyond that medium into charcoal and wood.

Still, not letting that stop me, I've come up with a pinch-hit method to smoke meats in my oven. Its not a very elaborate process, basically I take a large aluminum pan, add my soaked wood chips and then levitate the meat above it in some fashion.


Pork Ribs Above Wood Chips, Unwrapped.

The first cut I used with this method was a beef brisket, weighing in at a little under 5 pounds. Big enough to feed a crew, small enough to be manageable. I rubbed the brisket with a cocoa-ancho pepper rub that I found in The Best of American Beer & Food book by Lucy Saunders, that link being the online companion. I'd repost the recipe but I don't have the book handy and perhaps it will encourage you to seek it out. More on that handy text later. Into the oven in went, at 250°F for most of the day, all wrapped up and sitting in a Pyrex above the wood chips, hickory soaked in North Country Brewing's Catherine the Great Imperial Stout. The meat turned out very tasty and rather tender, though I think I could have gone lower and longer. The leftovers ate very well thinly sliced and made into sandwiches. Note for next time: make sure I drain all the liquid before starting, so it creates more smoke than steam.

Super Bowl Sunday the meat of choice was two racks of pork ribs. I had made a full recipe of the above spice rub so I went that route again, followed up with bastes of Yuengling Lager Sauce. Again at 250°F, this time for about 6-7 hours, all told. This time I used mesquite as the chip of choice and poured in some Rivertowne Pour House (easily heading toward my favorite western PA brewpub, more on that later, too) Espresso Porter and propped the meat over top using a baking rack, which worked wonderfully to infuse the flavors.


Super Bowl Meal: the Above Ribs, Beans and Oven Fries

Kim, lovely wife, said they were the best ribs she's ever had, so there's an endorsement for you. The Espresso Porter was a nice match for the eating, too.


Rivertowne Espresso Porter

Forgive the above faux pas, that is a Rivertowne beer in a Red Star glass.

Last Night's Dinner

Last evening, as winter began to swell up even more to the west, we had over a friend of mine from work and his family. They have kids very close in age to our own, plus they're just good people, so its nice to get together.

The menu as follows, with 'expected' beer pairings.

Baked Brie with Blackberry Jam
-Homebrew Steam Beer

Crunchy Romaine Salad with Cider Vinaigrette
-Church Brew Works Pipe Organ Pale Ale and Celestial Gold

Dr. Pepper Glazed Ham with Prunes
Homemade Chunky Apple Sauce
Skin-On Mashed Potatoes
-Troegs Troegenator Double Bock

Pumpkin Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting
-Bell's Expedition Stout

The meal was incredible, the pairings quite successful, the children generally well behaved. A good time was had by all.

PS: The ham was even better today after soaking all night in the sauce... Nice matchup for the Church Munich Style Dunkel for lunch.

Grilled Venison Backstrap & Broccoli Cheddah Soup

Quick Post.

Used this recipe for the backstrap and this tasty recipe from Kegs and Kitchens for the Broccoli Cheddar Soup.

I used a little Steam beer homebrew in the soup and drank a brown ale with the meal.

Finished the night with Mad Elf and Frosty the Snowman with my son.

What Beer to Pair with Venison?

Not being a hunter, but enjoying both food and things that are free, I was more than happy to accept a friend's offer of some venison from his recent hunts.

He was kind enough to give me some backstrap, described as one of the best cuts of meat aside from the tenderloin.

My plan is to marinate it in some way, though I'm not sure in what base. Any ideas on pairing beer with deer, or game in general?

Turkey and Beer

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, what better topic than Beer and Turkey.

A couple resources to help out your research:

Trouble Brewing kicked things off in early November with some Turkey Trials.

Beer Advocate has a special feature written up for the holiday, including a very cool, dare I say whimsical, illustration.

Bob Batz Jr, at the Post-Gazette, moves his usual Thursday column up to Monday morning with a feature on pairing beer and turkey, making sure to highlight local beers ideal for the meal.

He also makes mention of the Brewers Association's http://www.beerandturkey.org/. Guess what that's all about.

I'm not sure what I'll be having with my turkey this Thanksgiving. I was hoping for homebrew, but I don't have anything that will be ready in time. What about you?

Beer and Food with the Brew Lounge

As much as I wish I were announcing a coming together of beer bloggers to meet, eat and drink, it is not so (just yet...)

Bryan has posted about the new section on Beer and Food on the Victory Brewing webspace, but goes the extra mile by adding links to a few other excellent resources.

Thanks, pal!

So far, the Victory coverage is kind of sparse, but promising. The HopDevil marinade sounds good, as does the sandwich it leads to. A friend of mine recently did a marinade with Golden Monkey and a fresh herb that I am currently not recalling, and he said it turned out fantastic.

Beer and Food: A Roughneck's Take

Over at A Roughneck's Take on Beer, Wörtwurst has posted a scanned piece from the Brewers Association about the delicious combination of good beer and good food.

Wörtwurst prefers snack foods with his brews and while I'm not one to pass over pretzels with my beer when offered, I really enjoy pairing beers I drink with the food (usually dinner) I am eating. Its not a new concept, in fact there have been a few excellent books written on the subject, most notably Garrett Oliver's The Brewmaster's Table.

The article is pretty boilerplate as far as beer and food goes, for example, German food with German beer, but its a good reference article. Also included are a few blurbs about glassware and cooking with beer.

The real Easter Egg in the article though, is this handy chart that grids beer style, along with some basic style characteristics. The chart then details suggested foods, cheeses and desserts for each style, as well as preferred glassware and serving temperature.

I'd like to think this goes to show that beer doesn't only go with food, beer IS food!