beer :)

Beer Battered Veggies http://beeradvocate.com/cookbook/recipe/4

I really like putting beer in my scrambled eggs (pre-scramble) instead of adding milk or water. Seriously! It makes them fluffy and delicious.

Beef & Beer Stew 2 1/2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cubed 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 carrots, sliced 2 ribs celery, sliced 2 medium potatoes, cubed 16 ounces beer 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon oregano 2 tablespoons tomato paste 3 tablespoons melted butter 1/3 cup flour Place all ingredients, except butter and flour in Crockpot; mix well. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Mix melted butter with flour; add to the stew. Taste and adjust seasonings. Turn to high and cook until thickened, about 15 to 20 minute

Belgian Beef Stew 4 pounds boneless stew meat, such as chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 3 large onions (about 2 pounds), thinly sliced 2 bottles (12 ounces each) Belgian beer 2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme 2 bay leaves 1-1/2 tablespoons red currant jelly (or brown sugar) 1 tablespoon cider or red wine vinegar 1. Season the beef cubes with the salt and pepper and dredge with the flour. Shake off any excess. 2. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large heavy skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the beef cubes and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Work in batches so as not to crowd the beef cubes, or they will steam instead of sauté. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, if necessary. Transfer the beef cubes to a heavy Dutch oven. 3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the onions and cook stirring occasionally, until browned, about 15 minutes. If necessary, raise the heat toward the end of the cooking time. It is important to brown the meat and the onions evenly to give the stew its deep brown color. The trick is to stir the onions just enough to avoid burning the but not so often as to interrupt the browning process. Combine the onions with the meat in the Dutch oven. 4. Deglaze the skillet with the beer, scraping with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits, and bring to a boil. Pour the beer over the meant. Add the thyme and bay leaves. 5. Simmer, covered, over low heat until the meat is very tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Before serving, stir in the red currant jelly and vinegar; simmer for 5 minutes. This sweet-and-sour combination will give this hearty stew its sprigs and bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve. Note: If this recipe looks like it will make too much for you, go ahead and prepare it anyway, for the stew freezes beautifully. Then you have an instant dinner awaiting your pleasure. _______________________________________- Chicken Braised in Beer 1 roasting chicken (3 to 3-1/2 pounds), cut into serving pieces, rinsed and patted dry Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus additional if needed 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 to 5 Belgian endives, cored and halved 4 teaspoons sugar Juice of 1/2 lemon Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 tablespoons finely minced shallots 1/4 cup Belgian beer, such as Duvel or any dark ale 1/2 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, for garnish 1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Coat with flour and shake off any excess. 2. Heat the butter and oil in a large heavy Dutch oven and brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Watch your pot carefully and take care not to burn the butter or the sauce will be bitter. Transfer the chicken pieces to a platter and set aside. 3. Sprinkle the endives with the sugar, add half the lemon juice, and season with salt, peppers, and nutmeg. sauté the endives in the chicken drippings over fairly high heat so that the endives are quickly browned and caramelized on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes. You might have to add a little extra butter to the drippings. 4. Add the shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add the beer and arrange the chicken pieces over the vegetables. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. 5. Add the creme fraiche and bring to a quick boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. The cooking pieces. The meat should be tender. 6. Check the seasoning and add the remaining lemon juice. Remove the chicken and endives to a warmed platter. 7. Skim as much fat as possible from the sauce and boil over high heat until reduced by about one-third, about 2 minutes. Pour some of the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle generously with freshly chopped parsley. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.

One one of the best ways to cook chicken on the grill is called beer-in-the-butt chicken. First make up a dry rub for the chicken. There are a million ways to do it, I like to mix thyme, ancho and chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt, marjoram, rosemary, cumin, and paprika, and grind it a little in a mortar or spice grinder. You need about 2/3 of a cup total. I take a whole chicken dry it with a paper towl and rub it lightly with olive oil. Cut the top off a can of beer with a can opener, drink or dispose of 1/3 of the beer, and put 1/4 of the rub in the can. Rub the rest of the rub on the chicken. Put the chicken upright on the beer can so that the can is nearly all the way inside the body cavity. Sit the bird on the BBQ grill, either balanced on his legs and the can, or find some other way to prop it up securly (you can buy commercial holders). Cook the chicken on INDIRECT heat, with the lid down on the grill, and the inside temperature around 350 degrees. If the heat is all around the chicken, you can just let it cook, but if the heat is on one side of the chicken, you need to spin it every 30 minutes. It takes between 2 and 3 hours for a 5 pound chicken, depending on temperature.