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Hoisin Pineapple Beer Pork over Coconut Lime Rice

Hoisin Pineapple Beer Pork over Coconut Lime Rice

How are you out there? Are you ok?

If you’re like me, and I kind of think you are, you have two opposite feelings, nearly back to back, and it’s unsettling. 

My thoughts jump from "Everyone needs to settle down, you are all overreacting!" to "Are we all going to die and is our society going to collapse and I need to form a post-apocalypse tribe immediately," 

and 

"Self-quarantine is great, and my neighbors are the best and I want to stay like this forever," and then the next minute: "Will I ever travel again, I need to be on a virus-free plane immediately or I’ll die because my wanderlust is killing me, and I need my local bars and restaurants to re-open soon, I miss them so much,"

It’s all so disorienting. Just know that you’re not alone, we are all in this together even if it feels lonely. 

My favorite part of pre-apocalypse grocery shopping is the "weird" ingredients are always left. The chicken breast and pork chops are long gone but the more obscure meat is in abundance and on sale. My particular grocery store had rows and rows of oxtails, shanks, and boneless pork ribs, and I’m hoping yours does too. So I made you something. It’s easy and since you’ll be home all day, you should make it. It’s really good and you’ll only want coconut rice from now on, so make sure to add cans and cans of coconut milk to your next venture out in your hazmat suit. 

Hoisin Pineapple Beer Pork over Coconut Lime Rice

5 from 4 votes

Ingredients
  

For the pork:

  • 3 lbs boneless country pork ribs or pork shoulder cut into chunks
  • 1 tablespoon salt kosher
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • ¼ cup (62g) low sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup (66g) hoisin sauce
  • 2 teaspoons (10g) sriracha
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) brown sugar
  • 2 cup (310g) pineapple chunks drained if using canned
  • 1 cup (8oz) beer stout, porter, brown ale

For the rice:

  • 1 (14oz) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 ¼ cup (10oz) water
  • 1 ½ cups long-grain or jasmine rice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons green onion chopped

Instructions
 

To make the pork:

  • Preheat the oven to 300°F.
  • Sprinkle the pork on all sides with salt, add to a large Dutch oven or covered baking dish.
  • Add the remaining ingredients (from the pork list) to a blender, blend on high until well combined. Pour the liquid over the pork. Cover and bake for one hour.
  • Remove the lid, turn the pork over, then continue to bake, uncovered, for 2 ½ more hours, turning the pork every 30 minutes or so until the pork is fork-tender (total of 3 1/2 hours of cooking time). 
  • Remove the pork from the pot, set aside.
  • Place the pot over a burner over high heat (if you used a baking dish, transfer the remaining liquid to a pot), boil, stirring frequently, until thickened.
  • Pour the thickened glaze over the pork.

To make the rice:

  • Add the coconut milk, water, rice, and salt to a large pot, stirring to combine.
  • Add to a burner over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low for 18 minutes. Once the 18 minutes is up, remove from heat but allow to sit for 2 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and stir in the lime juice and green onions.
  • Serve the pork over the rice.

Spicy Beer Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Spicy Beer Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Somedays the internet is just pug videos and Game of Thrones memes and other days it feels so full of trolls lurking just under the surface, waiting with their beady little eyes for the chance to pounce.  On the bad days, I have to believe those of us who are willing to mama-bear the good people and come out in force against the trolls are much larger in quality and quantity than former.

Let’s just make that agreement, shall we? As we make our pulled pork and drink our beer that we’ll look out for each other. We’ll stick up for someone who’s being bullied online and push the trolls back into the caves from which they came.

There are days when I want to be the kind of person that will love the trolls so hard they will crack wide up and shed their skin like a snake and evolve into a self-aware human.

But other days I don’t have the strength. I just want to hand you my beer and wreck shop. I find the restraint and often channel that rage into cooking. So I rage cooked you some stuffed sweet potatoes and served them with this amazing hazy IPA from bells called Official Hazy IPA. It’s one of those beers that makes everything right in the world.

Stout Beer Barbecue Sauce

Beer Pickled Jalapeños

Spicy Beer Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

5 from 1 vote
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

For the pulled pork:

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 4 lb pork shoulder
  • 6 cloves of garlic peeled
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 cups stout or smoked porter

For the potatoes:

  • 6 medium sized garnet sweet potatoes
  • olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons butter

For the toppings:

  • 1 cup BBQ sauce for beer BBQ sauce, link above
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • ¼ cup pickled jalapenos for beer pickled jalapenos, link above

Instructions
 

Make the pulled pork:

  • In a small bowl stir together the salt, brown sugar onion powder, chili powder, cumin, pepper, smoked paprika and mustard powder together until combined, set aside.
  • Take out your pork and stab 6, 2-inch deep holes fairly evenly spaced through the meat. Push a clove of garlic into each hole until no longer visible.
  • Rub the entire surface of the meat with the spice mixture, using it all.
  • In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil until very hot. Sear all surfaces of the meat, even the sides, until browned. The entire process will probably take about 10-15 minutes. Pour the beer over the meat, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 3 hours, turning the meat over about every 30 minutes, until the meat is tender and falling apart.
  • Once the meat is tender remove from heat, use two forks to shred into pieces while still in the pot (or remove, shred and return to pot). Return to the pot to heat and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot, add to a servings bowl.
  • If planning on store the meat, reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid to add to the meat while storing.

Make the potatoes:

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Pierce the potatoes all over with a small knife.
  • Add the potatoes to a wire rack over a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt.
  • Bake for 40 minutes or until fork tender ( the time will depend on the size of your potatoes, larger ones can take up to 30 minutes longer).

Top the potatoes:

  • Slit the potatoes lengthwise. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the center of each, sprinkle with salt. Mash the butter and salt into the sweet potato with a fork.
  • Add desire amount of pulled pork to each potato, top with cilantro, barbeque sauce, and jalapenos.

Maple Beer Glazed Crispy Pork Belly

Maple Beer Glazed Crispy Pork Belly, the easiest and tastiest pork belly I’ve ever made! 

Pork belly is an investment. Not financially—it’s actually pretty inexpensive—it’s a time investment. One that’s well worth the effort with the right recipe. I’ve made pork belly so many times over the years and I’ve learned that patience is key to getting what you want. That is if what you want is juicy pork with crispy skin.

I usually source my pork belly from a local restaurant supply store, it’s a great place to shop if you want to buy your body weight in pork products. Why yes, yes I do want more pork belly than I can safely lift without a spotter! With a recipe that takes this much time, I want to test it to make sure it’s right when you finally make the investment of time it takes to get this done.

If you do find that an overly ambitious trip to a pork belly purveyor straddled you with more pork than anyone can safely eat in a lifetime, just remember that it freezes really well. Just wrap it better than you think is necessary and it should be fine for a few months.

After several rounds of testing, this was the winner. Juciy meat: check. Crispy skin: so much. Easy recipe that doesn’t involve scoring, poking, vinegar or excessive steps: absolutly.

Maple Beer Glazed Crispy Pork Belly

Ingredients
  

For the pork

  • 1 (4.5 lbs) pork belly, rind on
  • 2 cups very warm water
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon whole cloves
  • 1 tablespoon whole allspice
  • 2 (12 ounce) beers (wheat beer, pilsner, pale ale)
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the glaze

  • 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons beer wheat beer, pilsner, pale ale
  • 2 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

Instructions
 

  • Add the pork belly to a large bowl or baking dish.
  • In a large bowl stir together the hot water, salt, cloves, and allspice, make sure the salt is completely dissolved. Pour in the cold beer. Make sure the brine temperature is below room temperature to avoid prematurely cooking the pork.
  • Pour the brine over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 300°F
  • Remove the pork from the brine, add to a stack of paper towels, rind side down for 10 minutes to dry the skin.
  • In a small bowl stir together the kosher salt and egg whites until well combined.
  • Place a wire rack over a baking sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil. Place the pork on the rack, rind side up.
  • Pack the salt on top of the rind until completely covered and slightly compacted.
  • Bake for 3 hours. Remove from oven, raise temperature to 400°F. Gently pull the salt pack off the pork. It will be a hard crust at this point and should remove easily in a few large chunks.
  • Brush off any remaining salt with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Brush with olive oil.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the rind is a dark golden brown.
  • Stir together the maple syrup, 2 tablespoons beer, and mustard. Brush the top liberally with glaze.
  • Turn the broiler to high. Broil in the top 1/3 of the oven (a few rungs down from the very top) until the glaze has caramelized. Re-brush every 5 minutes. Broil until caramelized and dark.
  • Remove from oven, cut into cubes for serving

Notes

Can be served as an appetizer or an entree.

Super Juicy Grilled Pork Tenderloin (only 4 ingredients!)

Super Juicy Grilled Pork Tenderloin (only 4 ingredients!)

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Hoisin Glazed and Beer Brine. Just 4 ingredients to a perfectly juicy pork tenderloin!

This is for you. All of you who’ve ever avoided pork tenderloin because it’d dry. I feel you, I was you. In the wrong hands and with too much heat, these long and lean cuts of meat can do you wrong.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Getting a tender, juicy, flavorful hunk of pork comes down to this: get it drunk.  Not you, the meat. Or both, it’s your life.

Any lean white meat (I’m looking at you, chicken breasts) needs a good long soak in salt and beer. It’ll tenderize and falvorize (that’s totally a word, I swear) your meat in a way that cooking it right out of the package never can.

Don’t be shy with the brine, let that sucker sit in there for days! As soon as you get it home from the market, put it away in a salty soak and it’ll be ready when you are. poultry really only has about 24 hours in a brine before it starts to get mushy and mealy, but pork is tougher and can stay in a brine for days without issue.

Hoisin is the perfect glaze. It’s got the rich umami flavor as well as a great sweetness that caramelizes well on the grill. Not a hoisin fan? Feel free to glaze with your fav. Barbeque sauce works well, want to try it with this Stout Beer Barbecue sauce? You should. Let me know how it goes, tag me on Instagram, (it totally makes my day).

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Hoisin Glazed and Beer Brine

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs pork tenderloin
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 12 ounces pale ale pilsner or wheat beer
  • ¾ cup hoisin sauce

Instructions
 

  • Sprinkle the pork on all sides with salt. Add to a shallow dish or a large Ziploc bag. Pour the beer over the pork. Remove as much air as possible before sealing the bag (or cover dish with plastic wrap).
  • Brine for 24 hours and up to 3 days.
  • Remove from the brine, rinse well, pat dry.
  • Heat the grill to 500°F.
  • Brush the pork on all sides with hoisin, add to the grill. Grill on all sides until the internal temperature reads 145°F.
  • Remove from grill, allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Notes

Don't over cook! The FDA recently lowered it's reccomended cooking temp for pork from 165°F to 145° probably because they were sick of their moms dry, overcooked ham.
You stil want a slight hint of pink in the center, not pure white and fiberous.

Chinese Stout BBQ Pork Recipe (Char Siu)

Chinese Stout BBQ Pork Recipe (Char Siu)

I really think the reason Chinese BBQ Pork is so appealing is because it’s shiny. This probably makes us all giant infants on some primitive level, but it’s true. It’s hard to resist something that catches the light the way this does. It’s like a gemstone.

A slow cooked, juicy, flavorful, deep red meaty gemstone. This isn’t anything like the grocery store dish, that one tightly wrapped in clear plastic, red ringed and dry. Overly sweet but without much flavor beyond that. This version is sticky, shiny, juicy and full of flavor.

Maybe it’s the beer that gives it this extra boost, maybe it’s the long marinade time or even the pickling salt. Most likely, it’s the magical combination of all those elements.

Although it does take some time, the active time is really low. It’s the perfect way to end a lazy weekend.

Chinese Stout BBQ Pork Recipe (Char Siu)

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs pork shoulder roast
  • 1 teaspoon 6g pickling salt
  • ¼ cup 80g hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons 24g brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon 15g cooking sherry
  • ¼ cup 2oz stout beer
  • 2 tablespoons 30g soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon 2g Chinese 5 spice powder
  • 2 large cloves garlic grated with microplane

Instructions
 

  • Cut the pork roast into strips that are the length of the roast and about 2 inches wide, sprinkle with pickling salt, put into a large Ziplock bag.
  • In a small bowl stir together the remain ingredients, pour over the pork. Seal the bag removing as much air as possible.
  • Marinate for 24 to 48 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 275°F.
  • Remove the pork from the marinade, add the marinade to a pot over medium heat, boil until thickened.
  • Add the pork to a wire rack over a baking sheet. Brush with the thickened marinade.
  • Cook, turning and basting ever 45 minutes, until tender, 3-4 hours.
  • Although the pork is ready to eat now, I finished this on a preheated grill. To do so, preheat a grill to about 500°F. Add the pork, cook on each side until slightly charred, about 3 mintues perside.
  • Slice and serve.

Pink Peppercorn Sous Vide Pork Loin + Win a PicoBrew Beer Maker and Sous Vide Machine!

Pink Peppercorn Crusted Sous Vide Pork Loin with Caramelized Pan Sauce

I need to tell you about this, and then I’m going to give it to you. Imagine a Keurig, or a bread machine, but it makes beer. PERFECT beer, with just a few steps. It can even make an exact clone of a beer you already love, with just about 30 minutes of your time.

I got to test drive a PicoBrew for the past few weeks and it’s pretty fun, for those who love to get their hands dirty but fear failure. It’s not for everyone, obviously, nothing is.

It’s not a great fit for a hardcore homebrewer, although breweries use them quite a bit to test flavor combos. It also may not be for some who just wants to buy their beer and has no interest in how the sausage is made.

But for someone who has an interest in the process of brewing, wants to get their feet wet (figuratively but not literally), this is a great little machine. It’s also a great way to have a keg in your fridge of a beer that you can’t get.

The PicoPacks (the stuff you use to make the beer) are pretty exact replicas of beers from all over the country. Such good clones, in fact, that the breweries themselves have to make the PicoPack, taste test, and sign off on the authenticity of the flavors. You can also make your own, if you are so inclined.

And it does more than brew beer, it’s also a sous vide machine. Because I’m me (and I have a fridge stocked full of free beer and a curiosity on all things food related), I was hooked on the sous vide feature.

So easy, just fill it with water and push a couple of buttons and I had (literally) the best steak I’ve ever made.

The awesome people over at PicoBrew are letting me give one away. For you or for that beer lover on your gift list, enter below. Good luck, this thing is a lot of fun!

(USA addresses only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pink Peppercorn Crusted Sous Vide Pork Loin with Caramelized Pan Sauce

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs pork loin
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • ¼ cup amber ale or Belgian ale
  • ¼ cup pink peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions
 

  • Sprinkle the pork loin on all sides with salt. Add to a freezer safe Ziplock bag, add the beer. Seal the bag removing as much air as possible. This can be done by sealing the bag but leaving just the last inch unsealed and carefully rolling the bag and sealing as the liquid reaches to the top, or by sealing the bag but leaving just the last inch unsealed and slowly submerging the bag in water until the bag is submerged to just before the top, then sealing the last inch before remove from the water.
  • Sous Vide according to manufactures instructions at 147° F for at 1 ½ hours and up to 3 hours.
  • Remove loin from bag, reserve bag juices. Pat dry with paper towels or clean kitchen towels.
  • Add the peppercorns, thyme and paprika to a clean, dry, plastic bag. Using a rolling pin or heavy pan, crush the peppercorns, add to a large plate.
  • Roll the loin in the spices until well coated.
  • Heat oil in large skillet until close to smoking. Roll the loin in the pan until the well seared.
  • Remove the pan from heat, add the butter, stir until melted. Return to heat, add the liquid from the sous vide bag. Bring to a boil, boiling until thickened, stirring frequently. Strain the sauce into a pan, removing and discarding the solids.
  • Slice the loin into 1-inch medallions, drizzle with sauce. Serve immediately.

 

Stout Braised Pork and Black Bean Empanadas and a Craft Beer Adventure in South America

Stout Braised Pork and Black Bean Empanadas

Stout Braised Pork and Black Bean Empanadas 6

The first thing you notice about the owners of Bogota Beer Company is how much they care. About each other, about the people who work for them, about the brand and every detail of it. It conveys so strong, the minute they picked me up from an airport in Panama, I could feel it instantly. The entire reason they’d flown me thousands of miles was because of how much they care. The menu they had in the 27 pubs spread over 2 countries was good, but they wanted it to be great. They wanted me to revamp it, add some beer, make it exciting.

Colombia Panama

The week was peppered with new experiences every day. A fish market in Panama, foods and flavors that were new to me, gorgeous dinners, late nights walks around a rain slicked city, a private coffee class in the hills of Bogota, Colombia. All the while I was reworking an already decent menu. A menu that, to be honest, was better than most American pubs. We made it exciting. We added a burger with a bacon jam made with their porter, doughnuts served with sauces infused with their beer, fried chicken made the way American Southern women make it, and a pizza menu that feels as artisan as their beer.

Colombia Panama2

I’m proud of what we did. Proud to work with a company that is paving the way for great craft beer in countries that are brand new to even the idea of a beer that isn’t a pale lager. The beer is fantastic, and the company is even better. If you’re in Bogota, Colombia, stop in the BBC for a pint and sample the menu I helped create. Or stop by one of the micro-pubs they’re dotted across the country in renovated shipping containers. If you visit Panama City, stop by La Rana Dorada. Stop by and have a pint, have some food, and make some friends. They are the best people you can hope to come across while traveling.

Colombia Panama3

Stout Braised Pork and Black Bean Empanadas

Servings 12 empanadas

Ingredients
  

Dough:

  • 3 cups 350g Masa Harina (corn flour)
  • 1 cup 120g all purpose flour
  • 2 cup 450g warm water
  • 2 tbs 32g oil

Filling:

  • 1 tbs oil
  • ½ large 160g white onion, chopped
  • 12 wt oz 340g Ground pork
  • 1 cup 226g stout
  • 2 tbs 32g Tomato puree
  • 15 oz 425g Black beans
  • ¼ tsp 0.6g smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp 1.5g garlic powder
  • ½ tsp 3g salt
  • 1 tsp 1g black pepper
  • Oil for frying

Instructions
 

  • Add the masa, flour, water, and oil to a bowl, stir until a soft dough forms. If the dough is too wet, add additional flour. The consistency should be similar to Play-Doh. Cover the bowl and allow to rest while you prepare the filling.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook the onions until slightly caramelized, about ten minutes. Add the pork, cooking until browned, breaking up into small pieces.
  • Add the stout and allow to cook until the beer is almost completely gone.
  • Add the tomato puree, black beans, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper, cook until well combined. Remove from heat.
  • Form dough into balls about the size of golf balls.
  • One at a time place between two sheets of parchment paper (parchment works better than plastic wrap, the dough removes more easily) and using either a tortilla press or a rolling pin, press/roll into 6 inch circles.
  • Add about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center. Using the parchment, fold over the dough to form a crescent shape. Peel back the parchment and press the dough to seal the edges. Repeat for all dough balls.
  • Heat the oil (canola or peanut oil), in a large pot over medium high heat. Using a cooking thermometer adjust heat to maintain 350F degrees.
  • A few at a time, fry the empanadas until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Allow to drain on a stack of paper towels.

Notes

Masa Harina is sold in most major markets, look for it in the Hispanic food section.
To make ahead of time: After frying allow to cool. Place on a plate and loosely cover, chill for up to three days. Once ready to serve, drizzle with oil and bake at 425 for 12 minutes.

Stout Braised Pork and Black Bean Empanadas 7

Pork Ribs with Chipotle Peach Beer Barbecue Sauce

 Pork Ribs with Chipotle Peach Beer Barbecue Sauce

Maybe it’s because I’m writing this from 30,000 feet above Houston, Texas, en route to South America, that I feel compelled to tell you that American Barbecue has nothing to do with your backyard grill.

Sure there are similarities, the flames, the metal grates, the brave souls with large metal cooking implements poking at the meat from a safe distance. But it’s the difference that makes the biggest impact on your final results.

Barbecue gives us the gorgeous smoky flavors, the fall off the bone meat, the get-your-shirt-messy eating experience because of a cooking method that’s long, slow and low. Grilling is quick, hot and high. Real, true barbecue is a process that takes hours, even days to complete.

Pork Ribs with Chipotle Peach Beer Barbecue Sauce-3

The low temperature renders the fat, infusing the meat, injecting it with flavor and giving you that tender fall-apart texture. Your oven can do this slow and low cooking as well, it just takes time.

It’s the best way to cook ribs at home, no other method can compare to the tender texture, caramelized sauce, and flavors that taste as close to true smoky barbecue as you can get in your own house.

It takes time, as true barbecue should. The meat melts off the bone, the sauce is caramelized and just a little sticky. You’ll need plenty of napkins and a couple beers to make this a meal. And it’s worth every second you spent cooking it.

Pork Ribs with Chipotle Peach Beer Barbecue Sauce-2

 

 

Pork Ribs with Chipotle Peach Beer Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients
  

For the sauce:

  • 1 pound fresh yellow peaches
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • ¼ cup chopped shallots
  • ¼ cup cider vinegar
  • ½ cup stout beer
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons molasses not blackstrap
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 chipotle chilies chopped
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard

For the ribs:

  • 3 lbs pork ribs
  • salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 450.
  • Slice the peaches in half, remove the pit. Place cut side down on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  • Roast until skin starts to pull away from the peach, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, gently peel away and discard skin.
  • Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium high heat, add the shallots, cooking until slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the vinegar, beer, honey, molasses, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, chipotles, smoked paprika, and mustard powder, bring to a simmer.
  • Add the peaches, stirring occasionally, until peaches have broken down, about ten minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth (alternately, you can allow the sauce to cool slightly and blend in an upright blender.) Sauce can be made several days in advance.
  • Lower oven temperature to 250.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the ribs on the baking sheet, sprinkle on all sides with salt.
  • Brush liberally with sauce on all sides.
  • Cook for 30 minutes, remove from oven, brush on all sides with sauce and return to oven. Repeat this step for 4 hours, brushing with sauce every 30 minutes, until meat easily pulls away from the bone and sauce has caramelized

Beer Brined Pork and Pineapple Skewers with Apricot Chili Glaze

Beer Brined Pork and Pineapple Skewers with Apricot Chili Glaze

Beer Brined Pork and Pineapple Skewers with Apricot Chili Glaze

The start of grillin' season also ushers in the start of session beer season. A session beer, for those new to the brew, is a beer with lower alcohol content. Most session beers range between 3% and 5% ABV, making them easy to consume over a long drinking session, hence the name.

Session beers, especially session IPA’s are exactly what you want to fill that beer tub with this summer. Don’t try to assert your manhood with a galvanized bucket full of 11% monsters, it doesn’t impress anyone. A beautifully balanced, crispy and well-hopped session IPA is exactly what you need to devote most of that beer tub space too. You want your guests, as well as your grill-tending self, to be able to enjoy beer all afternoon without becoming a cautionary tale. Session beers let you drink more and still have full control of exactly how obnoxious you truly want to be.

I recently got my hands on a 21st Amendment Down to Earth session IPA. It’s citrusy, tropical, crispy, refreshing, and the perfect level of hops for a session beer. Not a giant hop bomb, but beautiful and bold hop flavors. It’s insanely drinkable and will make a regular rotation in my beer tub this summer.

Have a favorite summer beer? Let me know about it, I’m always on the prowl for a new summer beer.

Beer Brined Pork and Pineapple Skewers with Apricot Chili Glaze-3

Beer Brined Pork and Pineapple Skewers with Apricot Chili Glaze

Servings 10 to 12 skewers

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups hot water
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbs brown sugar
  • 12 ounces chilled pale ale
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1.5 lbs boneless country style pork ribs* cut into bite sized cubes
  • 2 cups pineapple cubed
  • 1 cup 11 wt oz apricot preserves
  • 1 tbs Sriracha chili sauce
  • ¼ cup pale ale or IPA beer

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl combine the hot water, salt and sugar, stir until dissolved. Add the beer and soy sauce, stir to combine, allow to cool to room temperate.
  • Skewer the pork and the pineapple, alternating between the two. Add to a baking pan, pour the brine over the skewers, cover and chill for 1 to 6 hours.
  • In a small bowl combine the apricot, chili sauce, and ¼ cup beer, stir until well combined.
  • Preheat the grill to medium high.
  • Remove the skewers from brine, pat dry. Brush with glaze.
  • Add skewers to the grill, turn and brush with glaze every one to two minutes. Grill until pork is cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Notes

*If you can’t find country style pork ribs, lean towards a fattier cut of pork. Leaner cuts, like the loin and the chops, are much more likely to be dry and flavorless.

Beer Brined Pork and Pineapple Skewers with Apricot Chili Glaze

Beer Braised Pulled Pork Sliders with Chipotle Beer Cheese Sauce

Beer Braised Pulled Pork Sliders with Chipotle Beer Cheese Sauce. Perfect football food!

Beer Braised Pulled Pork Sliders with Chipotle Beer Cheese Sauce

I get to do things. Fun things, cool things. This still feels new to me, these fun cool things. I spent years working with grubby, incredible, wonderful, difficult, heartbreaking kids in South Central LA.

Beer Braised Pulled Pork Sliders with Chipotle Beer Cheese Sauce

Then I worked behind a desk, in the pencil skirts and stilettos that I couldn’t wear in Compton, working with elderly Holocaust survivors in Beverly Hills. I social worked my way through most of Los Angeles.

Now I get to work on TV shows, and I go to Vegas for awards dinners, and cook on the news. There are times when I feel selfish, for walking away from the good work to do the fun work.

But those feelings don’t last long. I’m so grateful for what I do now that I can’t sully that with feelings of guilt. I’m lucky. I’m excited. I cooked on the news again Wednesday, I made football food, talked about beer, and made a few jokes.

It’s the same in a way, social work and beer cooking. I’m solving problems. Beer cheese sauce separates? let me help you with that. Not sure how to tell if that beer is bitter or not? I’ve got the answer. Social work was solving problems and answering questions. I do that now too, although I’m not sure I’m saving anyone’s life.

I’ll always be a person who wants to help, wants to add to your table, wants to make your life better because we came in contact. Even if the only thing you gained from me is a slider recipe or a desire to visit Fremont Brewing. Beer social work is much easier, and I’m fine with bringing my work home with me now.

Beer Braised Pulled Pork Sliders with Chipotle Beer Cheese Sauce

 

Beer Braised Pulled Pork Sliders with Chipotle Beer Cheese Sauce

Ingredients
  

For the pork:

  • 1 tbs kosher salt
  • 2 tbs brown sugar
  • 1 tbs onion powder
  • 1 tbs chili powder
  • 1 tbs ground cumin
  • 1 tbs black pepper
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp dry mustard powder
  • 4 lb Pork butt also called pork shoulder
  • 6 cloves of garlic peeled
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 cups 2, 12ounce bottles stout or smoked porter
  • 24 slider buns

For the cheese sauce:

  • 2 tbs unsalted butter melted
  • 2 tbs flour
  • 2 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 cup beer wheat beer, blonde ale, pale ale, pilsner
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar do not use pre shredded
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 chipotle chilies in adobo
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl stir together the salt, brown sugar onion powder, chili powder, cumin, pepper, smoked paprika and mustard powder together until combined, set aside.
  • Take out your pork and stab 6, 2-inch deep holes fairly evenly spaced through the meat. Push a clove of garlic into each hole until no longer visible.
  • Rub the entire surface of the meat with the spice mixture, using it all.
  • In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil until very hot. Sear all surfaces of the meat, even the sides, until browned. The entire process will probably take about 10-15 minutes. Pour the beer over the meat, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 3 hours, turning the meat over about every 30 minutes, until the meat is tender and falling apart.
  • Once the meat is tender remove from heat, use two forks to shred into pieces while still in the pot (or remove, shred and return to pot). Return to the pot to heat and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot and discard the liquid.
  • Add all cheese sauce ingredients to a blender or food processor. Process on high until very well blended, about 5-8 minutes.
  • Transfer contents to a saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk rapidly and continuously until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Fill slider buns with pork, top with cheese sauce, serve warm.

 

Stout Brined Crispy Chili Brown Sugar Pork Belly

Stout Brined Crispy Chili Brown Sugar Pork Belly P

Pork belly is a bit of a trade secret. It’s rich, delicious, and if you can get your hands on it, fairly cheap. It’s like shallots and Maldon salt, these little touches that turn a home-cooked meal into something that rivals a commercial kitchen. Pork belly is a favorite among chefs, and it’s easy to see why.

This gorgeous, fatty, melt-in-your-mouth cut of the pig is actually bacon, before it’s baconed. It’s hard to come by, but not impossible. Don’t plan to just pick this up at Safeway, you’ll have to call around to local butcher shops.

Stout Brined Crispy Chili Brown Sugar Pork Belly_The great news is, once you find it, it’ll probably be less than $4 a pound. One thing to keep in mind is how differently the meat and the fat need to be cooked. The meat itself needs the slow and low treatment or it’ll dry out, a good brine will help with this as well.

The fat, on the other hand, needs an intensely high heat. Finishing these little bites of meat candy on a hot grill is also a great idea. Adding some sugar to the skin will help with a beautifully caramelized crackle.

It’s also perfect with beer. Fancy, slow-cooked bacon was just made for a beautiful, balanced IPA, one with extra hops but a strong malt backbone. Beer and pig, it’s hard to go wrong.

Stout Brined Crispy Chili Brown Sugar Pork Belly 2

Stout Brined Crispy Chili Brown Sugar Pork Belly

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup very hot water
  • 3 tbs kosher salt
  • 1 tbs white sugar
  • 1 tbs whole cloves
  • 1 tbs whole allspice berries
  • 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
  • 24 ounces stout
  • 4.5 lbs pork belly
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 3 tbs rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 tsp red chili sauce such as Sriracha

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl or baking dish stir together the hot water, salt and sugar until the salt and sugar has dissolved.
  • Add the cloves, allspice and peppercorns. Stir in the beer, test to make sure the brine is cold (if not, chill until cooled).
  • Add the pork belly, cover and chill for 12 to 24 hours.
  • Remove from the brine (reserve brine), rinse the pork belly well.
  • Place a wire rack over a baking sheet (alternately, a baking pan will work), pour about 1 cup of the brine in the baking sheet making sure the wire rack is not submerged.
  • Place the pork belly on the rack, bake at 275 until pork is fork tender, about 4 hours.
  • Remove the pork from the oven, raise the oven temperature to 500.
  • Stir together the brown sugar, vinegar, chili flakes, and chili sauce.
  • Brush the pork belly with the sugar mixture.
  • Roast for ten minutes, re-brush with sugar mixture, roast again until pork is golden brown and the top is crispy.

 

Beer Braised Pulled Pork Sandwiches with IPA Jalapeno Slaw + $350 Giveaway

Beer Braised Pulled Pork Sandwiches with IPA Jalapeno Slaw 2

I’ll cook anywhere if you ask me to. A dorm kitchen, a camp stove, a closet with a griddle. Just make sure that I have a few things on hand. One of the items that I’ll always request, if you ask me to cook outside my comfort zone, is an enamel cast iron pot. These things are beast. If you treat them right, they’ll do the same right back. You’ll have this beautiful shiny pot for so long, your grandkids will fight over it once you’re gone. When I wrote my first cookbook, The Craft Beer Cookbook. I wrote it with recipes that I want you make for the rest of your life, because these are recipes that I want to make for the rest of my life. I used a cast iron pan, a Dutch (or French) oven, lots of beer (clearly) and ingredients that I love.

It’s the end of a long and difficult year for me, and as a way to celebrate the year, as well as my birthday, I’m giving you a gift. I’m giving you THREE of my favorite things. First, my book, The Craft Beer Cookbook. One of my proudest accomplishements. I’ll be shipping it to you myself and I’ll scribble whatever you want in it. You want me to profess my undying love for you? I’ll do it. Of course, because you’re the best.

Second, the amazing people at Le Creuset have agreed to send you one of my favorite cooking implements ever: the 5 1/2 qt French Oven. In red, which is my personal favorite color. This is a staple in my kitchen, a must for anyone who loves to cook.

Third, beer. Of your choice. BevMo is giving you a $50 gift card to grab the beer of your choice for general drinking purposes or perhaps to try your hand at cooking with beer. Or possibly both. If you’d like some recommendations for which beers to spend this windfall on, I’d be happy to provide those to you as an addendum to the prize. But really, there is no way to lose when you have yourself some money to spend at BevMo.

To enter, use the Raffle copter fields below (it may take a second to load), Like us all on Facebook, follow us on twitter, tell your friends about this and let me know what you make in your new pot, with your new beer and your scribbled on cookbook. And feel free to invite me over, even if you’re just cooking on a camp stove. I’m down for that.

The $350 Beeroness giveaway: with @LeCreuset and @BevMo

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(this post includes affiliate links)

Beer Braised Pulled Pork Sandwiches with IPA Jalapeno Slaw

Ingredients
  

For the Pork:

  • 3 lb pork shoulder
  • 6 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 tbs kosher or sea salt
  • 2 tbs brown sugar
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 24 ounces stout beer
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 12 French roll sandwich buns

For the IPA Jalapeno Slaw:

  • 1 large jalapeno stem and seeds removed, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
  • 2 cups purple cabbage thinly sliced
  • 2 cups green cabbage thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup IPA
  • 1 tbs lemon juice
  • 1 tbs sugar
  • ¼ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven 300.
  • Using a paring knife, create 6, 2-inch deep holes fairly evenly spaced through the meat. Push a peeled clove of garlic into each hole until no longer visible.
  • Sprinkle the pork evenly with salt.
  • In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar, pepper, paprika, chili powder, and onion powder. Rub the spiced all over the surface of the pork.
  • In a large oven safe pot or Dutch oven (with an oven safe lid) heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Sear the meat on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
  • Add the beer and broth, bring to a simmer.
  • Cover and place in the oven. Turn the meat over every 30-45 minutes. If the pot begins to dry out, add extra broth or hot water. Allow to cook until meat is falling apart, about 3 to 4 hours.
  • Remove from oven, shred using two forks while still in the pot. Allow to sit in the pan juices for ten minutes while you prepare the jalapeno slaw. Remove meat from pan juices, draining off most of the liquid prior to serving.
  • To make the slaw, combine all the jalapeno slaw ingredients in a bowl, toss to coat. Fill each sandwich bun with pork topped with slaw.

Recipe from The Craft Beer Cookbook

Beer Braised Pulled Pork Sandwiches with IPA Jalapeno Slaw_

Chili Coconut Porter Braised Pork Ribs

 

Chili Coconut Porter Braised Pork Ribs

Forget for a second that you’ve ever had coconut. Forget about those terrible candy bars when you were a kid, and the off putting taste of processed coconut flavor. Forget about bad rum and the smell of spring break sunscreen. Try and cleanse your historical culinary palate of any negative coconut memories, because it’s good side far exceeds the trash that can be done in it’s name.

We need a coconut re-do in America. It’s a flavor that spent our youths being bastardized into a Fisher-Price version of what it was capable of. It took years for me to understand how much power and beauty is in the true taste of a real coconut. Thai food had a hand in brining me to terms with the authenticity of coconut, but it’s been surprising application of this flavor that have made me fall in love with it.

Coconut in beer is a great example of the power of coconut. Done right, a beautiful coconut porter is something that won’t just make you fall in love with coconut, it’ll make you fall in love with beer. It’s beautifully balance, bold enough to stand up to some chili ribs, and with the perfect touch of toasted coconut. The only problem is how hard it is to find a great version. But don’t stop looking, try every coconut porter you can get your hands on until you find one you fall in love with, it’ll be worth the search.

 

 

Chili Coconut Porter Braised Pork Ribs

 

 

Chili Coconut Porter Braised Pork Ribs

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb country style pork ribs
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tbs oil
  • 1 shallot chopped
  • 2 tbs samal oelek
  • 3 tbs soy sauce
  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 12 ounces coconut porter

Instructions
 

  • Sprinkle the ribs on all sides with salt and pepper.
  • Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven until very hot but not smoking. Sear the ribs on all sides until browned, remove from pot.
  • Lower the heat, add the shallots, cook until softened. Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine.
  • Add the ribs back into the pot, lower heat to maintain a low simmer.
  • Cook until ribs are fork tender, about 2 to 3 hours (cooking time will depend on size of ribs).
  • Remove ribs from the pot. Bring the braising liquid to a boil, stir frequently until thickened.
  • Drizzle sauce over ribs before serving.

 

Chili Coconut Porter Braised Pork Ribs

Beer Braised Pork Ribs Tacos with IPA Pickled Jicama

Beer Braised Pork Ribs Tacos with IPA Pickled Jicama_

We need to talk for a second about the anatomy of a taco.

It’s pretty simple when you break it down: homemade tortilla, a flavorful protein, and an acid, that’s all. When you make something so simple, you need to make each building block well. Which will start with that tortilla. If there are just a few things that you make from scratch this year, tortillas should absolutely be one of them. Three simple ingredients and five minutes and you’ll never look back. Besides, those cardboard disks labeled "Corn Tortillas" they sell at the grocery store are best used for sanding the paint of walls.

For the protein, you can use anything from your favorite meat, to a beer battered avocado, it’s your call. But if you’re feeding a diverse crowd of eaters, tacos are the way to go. Tortillas are gluten free, and east to stuff full of veggies, so you have two big food limitations covered.

Acid is important when you’re trying to balance a rich meat. Salsa is obviously the go-to, but I’m adding in some pickled jicama to mix things up.

In my world, cilantro is a must on tacos, it balances heat really well. And if you’re going to add cheese, back away from the grated cheddar. Grab a more traditional cheese like my current cheese obsession: cotija. It’s salty and crumbly and approved by Mexican grandmas for use on your tacos. That’s an important endorsement in my world.

Beer Braised Pork Ribs Tacos with IPA Pickled Jicama 2

My homemade tortilla recipe, do it. DO IT.

Beer Braised Pork Ribs Tacos with IPA Pickled Jicama

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbs canola oil
  • 1 cup chopped white onions
  • 2 lbs pork country style ribs
  • 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 12 ounces stout
  • 3 garlic cloves smashed
  • 1 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbs salt
  • 1 tbs white sugar
  • ¼ cup ice water
  • ½ cup IPA beer
  • 1 cup jicama peeled and cut into match stick sized strips
  • 1 cup fresh corn kernels
  • 2 wt oz cotija cheese
  • 1 avocado diced
  • ½ cup cilantro chopped
  • Tortillas for serving homemade corn tortillas recommended

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl stir together the spice rub (onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne pepper and brown sugar).
  • Sprinkle the pork ribs on all sides with the spice mixture.
  • Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven until hot but not smoking. Add the pork, sear on all sides until browned. Add the onions, tomatoes stout and smashed garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, add lid at a vent.
  • Simmer, turning ribs occasionally until fork tender, 3 to 4 hours.
  • While the pork is cooking make the pickled jicama. In a pot over medium high heat add the vinegar, salt and sugar, cook just until the sugar and salt has dissolved, remove from heat. Stir in the beer and ice water, allow mixture to cool. Add the jicama to a bowl, pour pickling liquid over, cover and chill for at least 2 hours, drain.
  • Once pork is fork tender, turn off heat. Using two forks, shred meat and remove bones. Allow shredded pork to sit in the simmering liquid for ten minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain.
  • Fill the tacos with pork, top with pickled jicama, corn, cotija, avocado and cilantro.

Beer Braised Pork Ribs Tacos with IPA Pickled Jicama 3

Stout Braised Pulled Pork Chili

Stout Pulled Pork Chili

If you want to watch a culinary sports crowd get rilled up, ask what the "right way to make chili" really is. Just meat? Beans? No beans? Pork, vegetables, beef? Tomatoes? Because if you do it "wrong" you might was well be at  Morton’s and ask for ketchup with your steak. Or waltz yourself in the kitchen of a southern Grandma and boss her biscuit making ways around: you might get yourself punched.

I happen to be a bit more of a wandering chili Gypsy, the only requirement that I see necessary is a kick of heat. Some days I want beans, some days I want to pack it full of pork, chipotle stout, hold the beans and top it with pork rinds.

Regardless of your "right" way to make chili, I hope your take away from this recipe is that the braising liquid, what is left after a pork shoulder simmers in beer for 4 hours, is the perfect liquid to use in chili. It’s packed with flavor, beer, broth, spices, and meaty goodness. Don’t wash it down the drain, strain it and save it for making soup and chili. Even freezing it if you have to.

It’s like a free secret ingredient, even if you still have to fight with your brother in law about why you want to add beans.

Stout Pulled Pork Chili 2

Stout Braised Pulled Pork Chili

Ingredients
  

For the Pork

  • 1 tbs brown sugar
  • 1 tbs salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2.5-3 lb pork butt pork shoulder
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 24 ounces stout beer or porter
  • 2 cups beef stock

For the Chili

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 red onion diced
  • 1 red pepper diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 14.5 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 14.5 ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes
  • 3-4 chipotle peppers in adobo minced
  • 2 tsp adobo sauce from chipotle can

Garnish:

  • 1 cup sharp cheddar shredded
  • ½ cup cilantro chopped
  • ½ cup red onion chopped
  • 1 large tomato chopped

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.
  • Sprinkle pork on all sides with spice mixture.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven until hot but not smoking. Sear pork on all sides until browned.
  • Pour the beer and beef stock over the pork.. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Add a lid at a vent and allow to cook until pork is very tender and shreds easily, about 4 hours. Remove from the pot, shred using two forks, return to the pot and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove meat from the pot with a slotted spoon to drain off excess moisture (reserve braising liquid).
  • In a separate pot heat 2 tbs olive oil, cook the onions and red pepper until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Add 1 ½ cups of the pork braising liquid, black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Serve topped with cheddar, cilantro, red onion, tomatoes and pulled pork.

Stout Pulled Pork Chili 3

 

Mediterranean Beer Braised Pork Burgers

Beer Braised Pork Burgers2

We could never manage to get ourselves through an entire conversation about cooking with beer without talking about meat. Sure, the magical leavening powers of beer give bread that awesome texture, and after making a chocolate stout cake none of my cakes will ever be sober again, but meat is where it all begins.

There is no hard data on the inception of beer cooking, but my educated guess leans me towards meat. Not just for the incedible meat tenderizing properties of beer, but also due to the fact that it’s a mild preservative, important in those pre-Frigidare days of trying to feed a crowd. These days, meat and beer just seem to have found a seamless connection, a perfect marriage that leads to the birth of outstanding crowd pleasing meals. This union is due in no small part to the fact that beer gives meat an amazingly tender texture while infusing it with a little bit of that beer flavor we all know and love.

So, what beer with what meat, you ask? Great question. Here are my recommendations:

Beef: Imperial Stout

Pork: Smoked Porter

Chicken & Turkey: Brown Ale

Fish: White Ale

 In my history of beer cooking, those are the pairings that have proven the most successful. Also, don’t forget to save some of that beer for drinking.

Beer Braised Pork Burgers

For this recipe I used my Homemade Beer Burger Buns, which was a fantastic idea.

Mediterranean Beer Braised Pork Burgers

Ingredients
  

For the Meat:

  • 1 tbs brown sugar
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 3 lbs country style pork ribs
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 14.5 wt. oz. stewed tomatoes
  • 12 oz smoked porter
  • 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 white onion chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic chopped

For the topping:

  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbs dill chopped
  • ½ cup red onion very thinly sliced
  • 1 English cucumber dices
  • 1 cup firm tomatoes chopped
  • 8 Homemade Beer Burger Buns

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and cumin.
  • Sprinkle pork on all sides with spice mixture.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven until hot but not smoking. Sear pork on all sides, working in batches in necessary.
  • Pour the stewed tomatoes and beer over the pork. Add the Worcestershire, onions and garlic. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Add a lid at a vent and allow to cook until pork is very tender and falling off the bone, about 4 hours. Shred using two forks, removing the bones from the pot. Remove meat from the pot with a slotted spoon to drain off excess moisture.
  • To make the sauce, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, dill and red onion. Chill until ready to serve.
  • Split the burger buns and fill with pork, top with cucumber, tomatoes and yogurt sauce.

Beer Braised Pork Burgers3

The Perfect Breaded Pork Chops with Merlot Onion Cherry Jam

How to make The Perfect Breaded Pork Chop, with Merlot Cherry Onion JamI’m going to be honest with you, I’m not a huge fan of pork chops. That being said, if I’m going to eat a pork chop, it better be a damn good pork chop or I’d rather just have take out. Over the years I’ve figured it out, mostly after receiving an unsolicited shipment of a gigantic box of high quality pork chops that I needed to figure out how to use.

The elements of the Perfect Pork Chop include: breading that stays on, juicy not dry, and a perfect golden brown on the outside, with a perfectly cooked inside. It took me a while, a few dry chops, and several hours spend google educating myself, but I figured it out, and it’s not that difficult.

First, temperature is key. Not just cooking temperature, but pre-cooking temperature. Most people, rightfully freaked out by raw meat, start cooking meat right out of the fridge. Cold, just out of the fridge, meat is probably about 35 degrees. Throw that in a pan and the outside gets up to temperature considerably faster than the center, forcing you to either serve meat with a raw center or a burnt outside.

Second, is that stupid breading that always slips off. It took me a while (I can be stubborn), but both of these issues are solved with the same step. Bread the pork chops (this also seals in the juices) and let them sit for about 20 minutes at room temperature. This brings the temperature of the center of the meat up helping the entire chop to cook evenly, and it helps the breading to set, allowing it to stay on. Don’t freak out about raw meat sitting on the counter for 20 minutes. Think about the day you bought those chops, picking them up at the meat counter, putting them in your cart, checking out, driving home, and then finally putting them in your fridge, I bet that took longer than 20 minutes. I grew up on a farm, that "drive into town," used to take us about an hour. It’s fine. I also highly recommend this for steaks, and I even read a vintage fried chicken recipe that called for two hours of room temperature counter sittin'. I was too chicken to try it (pun fully intended).

Also, buy a meat thermometer. Seriously. Right now, buy one. You can pick one up at the grocery store for about $10, and if that saves you one overcooked dinner, it just payed for itself. The recommendation for whole pork (not ground) was just lowered to 145 by the USDA, I usually cook it until just before this (about 140) because it will rise about 5 degrees once you remove it from the pan. Knowing the exact right moment to take the chops off the heat will be the difference between dry, average tasting pork chops and amazing, juicy pork chops.

Ok, and lets talk about this merlot cherry onion jam situation. I love homemade savory jams right now, and clearly I like to add booze to my food. I want to make this jam again for burgers, or maybe to stuff in a pork loin. or maybe I’ll just make these pork chops again.

This turned out amazing! I hope you love it as much as I do.

How to make The Perfect Breaded Pork Chop, with Merlot Cherry Onion Jam

The Perfect Breaded Pork Chops with Merlot Onion Cherry Jam

Ingredients

For the Jam:

  • 2 tbs butter
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 white onion, sliced
  • 2/3 cup merlot
  • ½ cup died cherries
  • ¼ cup vinegar
  • 1 tbs brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper

For the Pork Chops

  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 cups Italian bread crumbs
  • 4 boneless pork loin chops, 1 inch thick
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 tbs vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until just starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes (make sure the heat isn’t too high or the onions will burn). Add the wine, cherries, vinegar and brown sugar, salt and pepper bring to a strong simmer and cook until the wine has mostly cooked off, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, puree until mostly smooth, leaving some texture (can be made up to one week ahead of time, heat prior to serving).
  2. In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk.
  3. In a separate bowl, add the breadcrumbs.
  4. Salt and pepper the pork chops on all sides. On at a time dip into the egg mixture, allow to drain slightly before transfering to the breadcrumbs. Turn and press until the pork chop is well coated.
  5. Set on a sheet of wax paper, or on a plate, and allow to come to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
  6. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat until hot but not smoking.
  7. Working in batches of two (don’t crowd the pan or the pork chops won’t cook evenly) add the pork chops and cook until the underside is browned, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook until the internal temperature is just 145F.
  8. Plate the pork chops, top with the onion cherry merlot jam.

How to make The Perfect Breaded Pork Chop, with Merlot Cherry Onion Jam

Hawaiian IPA Pineapple Pulled Pork Sliders

 Hawaiian IPA Pineapple Pulled Pork Sliders, made in a slow cooker

 I finally made friends with my slow cooker again. It took awhile, we haven’t been on speaking terms since that guy ruined several attempts at vegetarian chili earlier in the year. But he likes meat, that slow cooker, and so do I. I think this is the common ground that we’ll share. Slow and low is the best way to cook pork shoulder, making it a perfect slow cooker job. Although I loved the way this turned out, I do still vastly prefer my Le Creuset Dutch Oven, although that guy is much higher maintenance, he can’t be left alone like Slow Cooker can.

Speaking of IPA’s, I’ve been on the hunt for Schlafly’s American IPA, out of Missouri. I’m incredibly fortunate to live on the West Coat of these United States, a hot bed of fantastic IPA’s. I really don’t ever need to wander far to find incredible beer, but sometimes I just want to see what the rest of the USA has to offer. I’ve heard great things about this special release IPA and I want to get one in my pint glasses. If you can sneak me one, let me know, I’ll be forever grateful.

Hawaiian IPA Pineapple Pulled Pork Sliders, made in a slow cooker

Hawaiian IPA Pulled Pork Sliders

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cloves of garlic rough chopped
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 tsp sriracha
  • 2 tbs brown sugar
  • 2 cup chopped pineapple
  • 3.5 lb pork shoulder
  • salt and pepper
  • 12 ounces IPA
  • 24 Hawaiian rolls split

Yield: 24 sliders

    Instructions
     

    • In a food processor or blender add the garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, sriracha, brown sugar and pineapple. Process until well combined.
    • Place the pork shoulder inside a slow cooker, salt and pepper all sides liberally.
    • Pour the pineapple mixture and the IPA beer over the pork.
    • Cook on low for 8 hours.
    • Using two forks, shred while still in the slow cooker, discarding any large pieces of fat.
    • Allow to marinate in the juices for about ten minutes, drain well. Serve inside split Hawaiian rolls.

    Hawaiian IPA Pineapple Pulled Pork Sliders, made in a slow cooker