Ale Street News Online

I have a modest background in brewing but, I have been working to develop recipes that use beer as an ingredient.
I think this could (and should) be a category unto itself.
If there is anyone out there who shares my interests please respond with some of your successes and actually, it would be good to discuss your failures to see if we can make them work.

Here is one that was very good:
IPA Marinated Venison Backstrap
Recipe by Mike Harris

Marinate bacon separately from loin in:
Pomegranate champagne vinegar reduction
India Pale Ale
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Garlic
Rosemary
Olive oil

Combine pomegranate vinegar reduction, beer, salt and pepper in two large zip top bag add loin in one, bacon in the other. Push out excess air and seal. Refrigerate overnight.
After marinating for 24 hours, crush garlic, chop rosemary, mix both with olive oil. Rub on backstrap. Layout bacon on plastic wrap and roll up loin. Brush exterior with more marinade and roll tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 225° F.
Unwrap loin and place on a baking sheet with V rack, insert temperature probe and roast until temperature reaches 135° F. Will take 45 minutes to one hour per pound. If necessary, increase temperature to 450° F. to glaze. Watch closely and don't burn the bacon! Remove from oven and allow the loin to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

For a sauce, combine:
Pan drippings
1/2 bottle IPA
1/4 cup shallots – finely minced
2 cups mushrooms – quartered
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup veal glace
1 tablespoon pomegranate vinegar reduction
Cold butter

Remove two tablespoons fat from the roasting pan. Drain the rest of the fat and deglaze the roasting pan with half bottle of IPA.
In a sauté pan, heat the two tablespoons fat and cook onions until slightly softened and add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are done.
Stir in a tablespoon flour until thoroughly mixed and the flour smell is gone and stir in the deglaze liquid along with the glace and marinade. Bring to a simmer and cook for about five minutes. If necessary, add a little beef broth to adjust the thickness of the sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings, remove from the heat and stir in the cold butter pats, a little at a time until the sauce has a nice sheen. The sauce may be lightly reheated but, do not boil.

I love to cook and make beer so the two combined is like heaven to me! I love just trying new things with beer and food, whether its boiling my brats in all beer or sauteing with ale and cider with veggies. Beer not only enhances the flavor of the food it also creats a new experience for those eating it!

Here's another one for ya...

1 cup warm water
4 Tbsp sugar
2 cups spent grain
1 pkg dry bakers yeast
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 to 3 1/2 cups bread flour

Combine sugar and yeast with warm water. Add salt, oil, spent grain, and 1 cup of the flour. Mix well. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough.

Knead well, cover, and let rise for several hours (until doubled). Punch down and shape into two loaves. Place on a greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise until doubled.

Bake at 425 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. and bake for 10 more minutes or until nicely browned.

There are times when we try an inexpensive, seasonal beer that seems to taste great--for the first half of the bottle. Then, it can get overwhelming by the time you reach the bottom.

With a 5-pack left of things like pumpkin, vanilla/bourbon, or other fruit/spice (cheap) beers that just weren't brewed to our liking--we had to come up with some way to use the beer without actually having to drink it or inflict it upon friends (in beverage form). So, here is an easy beer bread recipe.

Beer Bread
• 3 cups self-rising flour (All-Purpose works too)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 12 oz beer
• 2 tbl melted butter/margarine (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 (or experiment with 400 for high altitude). Butter/spray a loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and beer and mix well. Note: pour the beer slowly to minimize bubbles. The mixture should be sticky. Pour into the loaf pan and bake 50-55 minutes. Optional: at the last 3 minutes of baking, brush the top with butter and return to the oven. 4-6 servings.