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“Beer batter is something that’s super common,” says Su. And unlike wine, the carbonation in the beer can make it a valuable ingredient for certain types of dishes, particularly when it comes to deep-frying. Keep in mind that as the beer is cooked, most, if not all, of the alcohol will burn off. “Try a small amount before adding it to a recipe.” “The key is using your palate and working with the harmony of flavors,” says Su. A little honey and malt vinegar will offset the bitterness of the reduced beer, and grated Parmesan and soy sauce will add a touch of umami to your glaze. But try cooking - particularly heating and reducing beer - and the flavors will concentrate and even evolve over time.įor stout and mustard chicken wings, complement a robust stout reduction with whole grain mustard and chopped garlic, along with minced thyme. Add beer toward the end of a recipe, and the notes will largely remain true to the beer’s original character. The flavors are naturally suited to grilled meats, hearty stews and rich desserts.ĭepending on how the beer is used in a recipe, the flavors can change as you cook with them. Take a complex stout beer - rich and dark, this beer is thick and creamy, redolent with molasses, coffee and roasted barley notes. Other beers run the gamut from fruity and sharp to yeasty and malty. “It’s mild,” says Su, “and lends great flavor.” The Belgian-style wheat beer is not too terribly hoppy or bitter, perfect with fish. Su uses Eagle Rock Brewery’s Manifesto beer in a light batter for the restaurant’s deep-fried cod sandwich, topped with a pickled jalapeño slaw and tangy malt vinegar aioli. Wheat beers - often called “white,” “wit” or “weiss” - tend to be a little more mellow, with crisp, fruity notes that can pair well with everything from fish to grilled red meats. You know what you’re getting.”įirst, consider the type of beer you want to use and what style would best complement a dish. With commercial beers, you can also trust that the flavor is consistent. In fact, for a lot of cooking, commercial brews are ideal, simply because the price point is better than for more limited craft offerings. “Craft beers have a lot of personality, but there’s a lot you can do with regular commercial brews too,” says Jerry Su, chef at Eagle Rock Brewery Public House, the restaurant outlet for one of Los Angeles’ most popular craft breweries. More than just a novelty ingredient, beer adds an extra dimension and depth to a dish, lending notes ranging from roasted barley to sweet fruit, chocolate to molasses. (After all, we do it with wine all the time.) You can add beer to almost anything, from chili to shrimp boils, bread and cakes to queso. It’s one thing to pair beer with food, especially for holidays or events like this weekend’s 50th Super Bowl - where you’ll probably be serving or drinking a lot of it - but beer is also pretty fun to cook with.