Red Rye + Beef Soft Tacos with Garlic Avocado Cream and Roasted Asparagus Salsa

Who knew leftovers could look this good?

Look, I didn’t choose overly descriptive name.  This recipe came from Robin Miller on Food TV.  My wife has been doing Miller’s “Quick Fix Meals” this week, which included the earlier-reviewed beef brisket that has now been turned into a soft taco with garlic avocado cream and roasted asparagus salsa.  Really, there is not much more to describe in the dish apart from the title other than the sauce on the beef.  It turned out the sauce was the most forward flavor in the dish.  It was made using chili sauce, chili powder, and a can of green chile.  The result was tangy and bright…almost adobo-like.  Having been inspired by Stuart’s recent rye pairing for his “pickled” Filipino chicken, I cracked open a young red rye homebrew.  The beer really defies style categories as it is hopped like an American IPA but has Munich, Crystal, and Roasted Barley for a murky brown hue and boasts an impressive 30% rye!  Stylistically “Red Rye” is probably its closest commercial name. 

This may be the first “IPA” that I’ve really enjoyed paired with food.  I’ve had other hoppy beers that did well, but never an IPA.  The tang of the sauce and sour cream in the garlic avocado cream matched the tang from the rye wonderfully.  The hops added a nice floral element to an otherwise great dish and the little bit of meatiness in the leftover brisket caught malty undertones of the beer.  The balance of the starchy tortilla shell helped steady things and cleanse the palate as I went.  Not a bad combo.

Tags: Chili Sauce, homebrew, Red Rye, Taco