The first cheese was a Camembert. If you have never had any, this is a soft, creamy French cheese with a chalky rind, and is very similar to Brie. I usually pick up very gentle notes of mushroom in the taste, along with masses of creaminess. This cheese is very subtle and delicate in taste, and is a style I have only recently become a fan of.

The second cheese was a 3 year aged Australian Cheddar cheese. This is a very assertive cheese, pretty much the diametric opposite of the Camembert – if the Camembert whispers sweet nothings in your ear in French, this Cheddar comes up to you and yells “G’day, mate, time for a tinny!”.

As I expected, Gouden Carolus Tripel handled these radically different cheeses with utter aplomb. With the Camembert it brought out the creamy, lush, buttery richness without drowning out any of the subtlety. With the Cheddar it calmed the cheesey exuberance without becoming harsh or watery or leaving any nasty after-taste.

Combine this experience with the barleywine pairings I did previously, and it looks as though the days of the rotten grape being paired with cheese are numbered.

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Beerlicious articles by Stuart Carter, stuart@beerlicious.net is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Speaking as someone who’s spent years searching for the best technique to cook steak at home, I must say I think I’ve found it.  It goes without saying that you have to start with decent meat.  USDA Prime if you have money to burn, Choice if you don’t.  And of course the “well-marbled” cuts are most flavorful, which means you want some fat in there folks.  Rib eye is great for this.  It just so happens that Costco has Choice cuts of rib eye for a good price; that’s what I was cooking up tonight.

Eschew the sauces and overbearing seasonings.  You want to taste that cow flesh, not a marinade that would be just as good on cheap steak.  If you’re going to spend the money on a good cut of beef, don’t hide the flavor with sauces and whatnot.  Salt and pepper, that’s it.  If you’re all about the marinade, fine: buy cheap steak.

Obviously going with a grill is a good option, but there again you’re faced with hiding some of the meat’s natural flavor with the smokiness of the grill.  I went with the iron skillet on a gas stove, high heat.  I have no idea how you’d get through this without a massive amount of smoke in your house.  Deal with it.  I had about three rooms filled with smoke.  Smoke detector disabled, obviously.

I had a giant, fat cut of steak.  Nearly two inches thick.  So I cooked my steak about 15 minutes, 7+ minutes on each side.  This produces an INCREDIBLE charred, crispy crust that seals in the juices, while leaving the center a warm rare.  Red.  So juicy and so good.  This was the best steak I have ever cooked, period.

Because a good steak is such a rare treat for me, I went an unusual route with the pairing: two beers at the same time.  In one glass I had Terrapin’s Monk’s Revenge, in another glass I had North Coast’s Old No. 38 stout.  I wanted to experience two completely opposite beers with this masterpiece.

Monk’s Revenge is a first class example of a Belgian IPA.  A glorious new style that combines all the best of spicy/phenolic Belgian yeast character with the best hops on the planet: American hops.  Terrapin does a fantastic job of balancing the Belgian character with the IPA character.  Top notch.  And Old No. 38 is the best Irish dry stout you can buy in the U.S..  Guinness is such a bore up against North Coast’s work of art.

Although it will surely explode your brain, I have to tell you they were both earth-shatteringly good pairings.  Two opposite beers, yet both went perfectly with this awesome steak.  No weird off-flavors as I feared when combining the food with them.  Each made the meal even more enjoyable.

I love it when a plan comes together.

This time it was a homebrewed tripel.  A fine example of the style if I do say so myself.  Previously I’d tried two different IPAs with a big fail.  In contrast, I’ve had some success with pairing Belgian-style beers and Italian food.  I felt good about this one going in.

Bah!  This was a tiny bit better than the IPA pairings, but still not right.  I’m forelorn.

I guess my next attempt with something similar will be a malty Belgian.  Tripels are very light and spicy; maybe a little more raisin and plum from some dark candi sugar would bring this around.

Right now I’m just irked at three failed rounds with this one dish.  Criminy.