Cooking with Beer!

Beer isn’t just for drinking—it can also be a star ingredient in your kitchen! Cooking with beer adds depth, flavor, and richness to a variety of dishes.  Medieval cooks would use beer to flavor soups, stews, and porridges, as well as for baking bread. The beer’s yeast contributed to leavening, while its malts and hops provided flavor.  The tradition of beer-based sauces and beer-braised meats became particularly popular in medieval German and Belgian cooking. This period likely laid the foundation for many of the beer-infused recipes we enjoy today.

Whether you're using it to braise meats, add moisture to baked goods, or enhance sauces, beer brings backbone, colour and a unique sauciness your cooking.  Read on for some tips and tricks to cooking with beer!

 

Why Cook with Beer?

Beer is packed with flavours that can transform ordinary recipes. Its ingredients—barley, hops, yeast, and water—bring complex notes ranging from sweet and malty to bitter and hoppy. When used in cooking, beer enhances flavours in ways that water or stock simply can't. Here are a few benefits of cooking with beer:

1. Depth of Flavor: The malts and hops add rich, roasted, and sometimes caramelized notes.
2. Tenderizing Effect: The enzymes in beer help tenderize meats, making it ideal for braises and marinades.
3. Natural Leavening: Beer can add lightness to breads, pancakes, and batters thanks to its carbonation.
4. Versatility: You can use beer in everything from savory stews to sweet desserts.

Choosing the Right Beer for Cooking

Just like pairing wine with food, the type of beer you cook with should complement the dish you're making. Here’s a quick guide to help you choose the right beer:

• Light Beers (Lagers, Pilsners, Pale Ales): These have mild, crisp flavors and work well in lighter dishes like seafood, chicken, or in batters for frying. They can also be used to steam mussels or clams for a delicate, flavorful broth.

• Amber Ales & Brown Ales: These beers have richer, malt-forward profiles, making them ideal for soups, stews, and hearty braises. They add sweetness and depth to dishes like chili, pot roast, or baked beans.

• Stouts & Porters: These dark beers are full of roasted, chocolatey, and coffee-like flavors, perfect for slow-cooking meats or adding complexity to desserts like brownies or chocolate cake. They’re also great in rich sauces or gravies.

• Wheat Beers & Saisons: With fruity and spicy notes, these beers are great for enhancing fresh and fruity recipes like citrus-glazed chicken, fish dishes, or even adding to dressings for a pop of flavor.

• IPAs (India Pale Ales): Known for their intense hoppy bitterness, IPAs can add bold flavors to dishes like spicy curries or BBQ sauces. Use IPA's sparingly, as their bitterness can easily overwhelm more delicate dishes.

5 Easy Ways to Cook with Beer

1. Beer Marinades: Beer’s acidity and natural enzymes make it a great tenderizer for meats. Try marinating steak, chicken, or pork in beer with herbs, garlic, and spices. The result? Juicy, flavorful meat with a subtle beer-infused depth.

   Example: Marinate a pork shoulder in a mix of dark beer, garlic, cumin, and paprika overnight, then slow-cook it for juicy pulled pork with a rich, malty flavor.

2. Beer in Braising & Stews: Swapping stock or water for beer in a stew or braised dish enhances the overall flavor. The alcohol in beer evaporates as the dish cooks, leaving behind a robust, savory taste.

   Example: Use a rich stout in your next beef stew or braised beef, or braise short ribs in a malty brown ale for fall-apart tender meat with a slight sweetness.

3. Beer in Batters: Beer batter is the secret to light, crispy fried foods. The carbonation in beer makes the batter fluffy and crunchy, while the beer's flavour adds colour to fried fish, onion rings, or even tempura vegetables.

   Example: Mix equal parts flour and beer (a light lager or pale ale works best) to create a simple, foolproof beer batter for fish and chips.

4. Beer in Baking: Beer can add moisture and flavor to baked goods, from breads to cakes. It also helps breads rise, thanks to the yeast and carbonation in the beer, making it an excellent addition to quick bread recipes.

   Example: Try a chocolate stout cake for a rich, moist dessert, or use a wheat beer in your cornbread for a light, airy texture with a hint of malt.

5. Beer in Sauces & Gravies: Beer can add an extra dimension to sauces, from BBQ sauce to gravy. It deepens the flavour and adds a slight bitterness or sweetness, depending on the beer style you use.

   Example: Simmer bratwurst in beer before grilling, then reduce the beer into a flavorful sauce to drizzle over the top. Or add beer to your homemade BBQ sauce for a smoky, malty twist.

Tips for Cooking with Beer

• Go easy on the hops: While hops add bitterness and aroma to beer, they can sometimes overpower your dish. Use hoppy beers like IPAs sparingly in cooking, and opt for maltier, less bitter beers for better balance.

• Cook out the alcohol: As a general rule, most of the alcohol in beer will cook off, especially in dishes that simmer for long periods. This leaves behind the beer’s flavour without the booze.

• Balance flavours: Like any ingredient, beer should enhance—not dominate—a dish. Be mindful of the flavor profile of the beer you're using and balance it with other ingredients like herbs, spices, and acidity (such as vinegar or citrus).

Get Creative in the Kitchen with Beer!

Cooking with beer is all about experimentation. Start with some of the ideas and recipes above, and don’t be afraid to try new things. Whether you're adding a splash to sauces or braising meats, beer can bring an exciting twist to your meals. Cheers to your next beer-infused culinary adventure! 🍻👩‍🍳

Get Cooking with beer and make our Bone-in Pork Chops with Beer-Brown Sugar Glaze!