cooking with beer

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December 30, 2011

A Tasty Twist on a Traditional New Year’s Day Feast

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For many people, New Year’s Day means braised pork and sauerkraut. I distinctly remember the smell of the roast and pungent cabbage permeating the house, enough to open the eyes of all of us who stayed up too late to watch the ball drop in the company of family or friends as counted down by Dick Clark. Honestly, I always hated the sauerkraut part. This was until I became a culinarian  (and consequently how to appreciate really awesome beer!) Little did I know in my younger years that it was possible to enhance the flavor of many things by exchanging water or broth for beer. I am here to offer a recipe for pork and sauerkraut that may just turn into a tradition for you:

Drunken Pork and Sauerkraut  (6-8 servings)

2 lb sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp caraway seeds

sachet (tied cheesecloth bag) of 5 juniper berries, 10 black peppercorns, and 2 bay leaves

salt and freshly ground black pepper

paprika

garlic powder

1/2 lb potatoes, cut in 1 1/2″ dice

one medium onion, sliced thin

8 oz kielbasa sausage, cut into 2-3″ chunks

3-4 lb boneless pork shoulder or pork butt roast

2 bottles each of a good dark ale (I’m using Gulden Draak this year)

  • Rub pork roast with paprika, garlic powder, sugar, salt and pepper.
  • Place sliced onions on the bottom of a 5 quart slow cooker.
  • mix sauerkraut with caraway seeds, sprinkle in some salt and pepper.
  • add sauerkraut mix to slow cooker. Tuck sachet of seasonings into the sauerkraut.
  • layer potatoes over sauerkraut.
  • place seasoned pork roast on top of potatoes in slow cooker. Arrange kielbasa pieces around pork.
  • check quality of your beer choice. Drink one bottle, add the other to the slow cooker.
  • cook on high, covered,  for 6-7 hours.
  • to serve: remove pork onto a large serving platter. Remove sachet of seasonings. Arrange sauerkraut. potatoes, and kielbasa around the pork.
  • Pour yourself a wonderful Belgian beer. You deserve a Happy New year!

 

September 30, 2011

Gent, The City of Stroppendragers and Gentse Waterzooi

Posted by Global Beer Network under beer and food, beer tour, cooking with beer | Tags: , |
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View of Gent from the ramparts of the Gravensteen.

Often overlooked by the tourist crowd, Gent is one of those cities you’ll kick yourself for not fitting in while you’re on a beer-cation in Belgium. Gent boasts well-preserved medieval architecture and enough history to fill a school textbook. I was pleased that we were going to spend some time here on the Global Beer Network tour, as my father has been filling my head with images of an enormous castle, bigger-than-life beers, and 5-star cuisine from a business trip that brought him here over a decade ago.

Gentse waterzooi van kip. YUM.

We started off our afternoon at the restaurant Chez Leontine where we dined on Gentse Waterzooi van kip, a regional stew made with carrots, leeks, onions, celery, chicken, and the best broth made with beer that I have ever tasted. We were all asking for more bread to get every last drop of the flavorful juices in the bowl! It was so good, I made it myself the day after we returned from Belgium.

Next, we were off to see the Gravensteen, or the Castle of the Counts. Philip of Alsace had this formidable castle rebuilt over the existing wooden structure in 1180.

Philip of Alsace built this fortress to show his constituents that he was the new sheriff in town.

Philip modeled the castle after a crusader’s fortress, like he encountered while participating in the second crusade. The castle continued to serve as the seat of the Counts of Flanders, until it was abandoned in the 14th century. After that, it was used as a courthouse, a prison, a mental institution, and a factory, until it fell into decay. Thankfully, it survived a scheduled demolition, and was restored to the present grandeur that we see today. There were many cool things too see in there, including old musical instruments, an old guillotine, torture devices (no dungeon would be complete without them!) and a replica trebuchet on the grounds by the cellar-kitchen.

We were then off for another adventure: the partaking of a beer in a wooden stand at Dulle Griet. This is an experience that all beer lovers should have, especially the ritual of relinquishing your left shoe before you get your beer!

The shoe goes into the basket...

The house rules are:   1) order your beer in the wooden stand 2) give up your left shoe to the bartender  3) bartender rings a bell and places your shoe in a wire basket suspended from the celing  4) you get your shoe back when you return the glass!  Lucky for our livers, our tour guide, Regnier de Muynck, ordered 3 beers between 12 beer geeks. Let’s say, that was definitely enough for all of us!  We also heard about the story of the Stroppendragers, and why the people of Gent are often referred to with this term. The word literally means “noose bearers”. In 1539, the nobles of Gent were obliged to parade in front of the Holy Roman emperor, Charles V, barefoot and with a noose wrapped around their necks as punishment for their revolt earlier that year.

My dad helping to consume the beer, in style.

This is just part one of many highlights of the tour I just returned from last week. I hope that these thoughts spur you into action to join us next year on the best beer tour in the world! Until next week…

 

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