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.

Like Guinness. Only better.

Frozen microwaved pizza.   But really heavy on the garlic, which can make anything good.

I really had no basis for choosing this pairing.  It was just a case of “I wonder how this will taste,” which is something I do quite a bit of.

Beamish is the same style as Guinness, but a bit more flavorful.  But still incredibly mild as stouts go.  I’ve had many a porter that was darker and bolder in flavor than Beamish (all the more so as compared to Guinness).  Which just serves to highlight how fuzzy the line is between porter and stout.  It’s very, very fuzzy.  But I digress.

So how was the pairing?  Meh.  Entirely pleasant, but neither the beer nor the food was enhanced by the pairing.  Very average, with no harsh flavors.

Good enough to crack one open if it’s convenient, but definitely don’t go out of your way to have this.

Of course not. The rich coffee flavour perfectly complements the chili and moderates the heat, without becoming harsh or unpleasant.

As for the brownies? Well… they are chocolate. See my earlier article

Seafood Gumbo with Olde Towne Amber
If you haven’t had gumbo, you haven’t lived. Get some now! This pairing just confirmed my already solidly set perception that Amber Ale is probably the most flexible beer style – the mellow sweetness and subtle hops balanced off the seafood richness and chili spice of the gumbo, without squashing any of the subtle flavours or developing any harsh or “off” notes. Simply delicious.

Spicy boiled shrimp on a fried green tomato with remoulade, with Good People Pale Ale
The briny sweetness of the shrimp found a perfect foil with the malt sweetness of the beer, while the spices and hops danced an exquisite tango of polite one-upmanship. Utterly brilliant pairing.

Trout a la Meuniere with buttered pasta, with Terrapin Golden Ale
The Golden Ale is my go-to beer for creatures that live in water. It has a gentle sweetness that never overwhelms the delicate taste of white fish, while also playing nice with shellfish in a non-spicy setting. The Golden also helps to cut the butter richness, refreshing the mouth and leaving you eager for the next bite.

Southern-Style strawberry shortcake, with Good People Coffee Oatmeal Stout
Stout is my go-to beer with dessert, especially the Good People coffee stout which has echoes of a really fine cup of coffee with rich cream. What more can you ask for with dessert?

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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.

The stout is warm and rich, with a dark coffee bitterness. How does it stand up to chocolate?

First up: Moser Roth 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate. Really not a good combo. It washes out the flavour of the beer, making it taste watery, and bringing out the bitterness in the chocolate.

Second: Moser Roth Orange Almond. Much better. Brings out a really rich creaminess in the beer.

Third: Terry’s Dark Chocolate Orange. Not sure about this one. There is a smooth richness there, and a subtle sweetness, but the orange flavour almost disappears.

Fourth: Cadbury’s Dairy Milk. Oh my. I think I heard an angelic chorus. Perfection. The beer takes some of the sweetness away from the chocolate; the chocolate-beer combination tastes like hot chocolate, with a rich velvet texture. Words fail me in describing how wonderful this combination is – but it wouldn’t surprise me if it brought about world peace.

One final note – please make sure you allow the beer to come to a “lightly chilled”, rather than “ice cold” temperature, or you may be disappointed

Some rights reserved:

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

How do these beers pair with chili? The regular stout is a very pleasant beer, and is an eminently suitable pairing. The Imperial Stout, with its coffee, caramel, chocolate, and dark fruits are a superbly rich complement to the taste of the chili. Quite simply, any Imperial Stout will leave a regular stout gasping like a grounded fish.

Despite the clear superiority of the Imperial Stout, you will not be unhappy with the results of pairing a chili with either beer.

Stout goes well with both chili and dessert. And it’s liquid bread. What more do I need to say

Twain’s has changed a lot since the last time I’d been there. It’s now less a pool hall and more a brewpub- much to my delight. The former brewer from Dogwood is now in charge, and I was rather happy with the offerings- which were paired with appetizers instead of mains, as we were mostly in the mood for lighter fare.

My brother and I both got flights. They included Heaven for Climate Golden Ale, Mad Happy Pale Ale, Thirty Days Belgian Black, and Three Lies Cocoa Stout (which had an interesting overtone of milk stout, though that is not its style). All were quite good, though the Golden was my least favourite. (I tend to favor hoppier and darker brews.) I found the Mad Happy went particularly well with the hummus and pita I’d ordered. The only weird element was the cucumber spears included in the dish- they didn’t seem to go terribly well with anything, including the hummus. I tried my father’s appetizer- deep fried green beans with horseradish mayo- and decided it was best with the Belgian Black. (I’d figured the Pale Ale would be best with the horseradish element.)

I ended my evening with Stone’s Oak Aged Arrogant Bastard, which Twain’s had on tap. I’d only had it from the bottle before- and found the tap version a bit milder; not quite as much bitterness, and not quite as pronounced an oak overtone.

I do recommend you stop by Twain’s and give their brews a try. They’re probably not totally on par with the world-class brews you can find at The Brick Store, but they’re not bad.  (I’m a fan of drinking locally- so when in Decatur, why not drink Decatur brews?) I’m sure I’ll return for more.

OLDE TOWNE DINNER, 24 JANUARY 2009

This dinner was arranged by the J Clyde to celebrate the welcome return of Olde Towne beers to Birmingham after a brewery fire caused a too-long absence.

Reception: Olde Towne Pilsner A Selection of Gourmet Cheeses

I am generally quite indifferent towards beers in the Pilsner/lager styles – I am not a huge fan of the style. The OT Pilsner is a persuasive offering, and paired very well with the mustard seed and porter infused cheeses: it brings out the richness of the cheese, while cleaning the palate afterwards. Nice.

First Course: OT Porter with Local Winter Vegetable Soup

A surprise pairing here. The soup was truly outstanding – rich, tasty, with nice chunky vegetables. The porter lent its richness to the stock, leaving a lingering caramel/coffee sweetness that successfully played off the flavour of the vegetables.

Second Course: OT Hefeweizen (wheat beer) with Spanish Potato Omelet

Hefeweizens are a hard style to do well: many brewmasters come out with a good, but not outstanding, hefeweizen. OT’s brewmaster should be proud of this beer: it is, quite simply, world class: one of the best hefeweizens I have ever had the pleasure of drinking. Subtle, delicately sweet, with a very gentle spice flavour at the back of the mouth. The combination with the omelet was astonishing: taking a sip of the beer with the omelet in my mouth produced a phenomenal blast of clove spices! Superb!

Third Course: OT Pale Ale with Pecan Chicken Salad on leaf lettuce

This is a contrasting pairing. The Pale Ale is in the English style, very balanced and eminently drinkable, with a gentle hop dominance. The pecan chicken salad is sweet and rich. The combination? Both shine out full force: the Pale Ale clenses the palate, allowing you to fully appreciate the salad, and the salad leaves a rich sweet nuttiness which the Pale Ale washes down. Dynamite combination.

Fourth Course: OT Amber with Local Venison tossed in a rich red sauce over farfalle pasta

The Amber Ale is a style I only came across after moving to the U.S. It rapidly became one of my favourite styles, due to its flexibility: it pairs with pizza, burgers, milder chilis and curries, most cheeses, and so on. It’s also just a good sipping beer! This pairing proves I am not so nuts for liking the style: there is enough malt sweetness there to balance the spicy red sauce and to play with the richness of the venison, while keeping enough hop bitterness to leave a clean taste in your mouth, ready for the next bite. If you have never had this style before, the OT Amber is a great introduction to it.

Fifth Course: OT Chocolate Stout with Classic Homemade Cheesecake

I am, as you may recall, Mr “Dark Beer And Cheesecake”. There is nothing I can usefully add to my previous article: porters/stouts and cheesecake are simply Da Bom. The OT Chocolate Stout is an interesting take on the style. While there is the expected hop bitterness, there is also a dark chocolate bitterness. This double whammy could have been overwhelming, but the cheesecake came to the rescue by providing dairy richness and sugar sweetness to offset the hop/chocolate combination. An odd combination, but still very tasty!

As you can see from above, a beer dinner is quite a serious time – and waistline! – investment, but well worth it. It allows you to explore beer and food, and try pairings that would not necessarily have occurred to you.

A truly outstanding pairing is cheesecake and a good porter or stout. Fuller’s London Porter has a subtle but unmistakable coffee taste. Rogue’s Shakespeare Stout is dark, intense, and works well with rich fruity cheesecakes.

A good surprise pairing is strawberry cheesecake and summer seasonal beers, like Blue Moon Honeymoon. This pairing is light and delicate and will appeal to a palate that does not appreciate the intensity of dark beer!

Guinness, despite being the name everyone recognises, is a bit lacking in flavour and so I would only suggest it as a pairing with a delicate tasting cheesecake. I generally advise people to avoid Guinness because of its weak taste – there are many better options to choose from, most of them from right here in the USA.

Introducing your friends and family to dark beer and cheesecake should open their minds to why you like craft beer. It may also win some of them over from pairing wine and food which can only be a good thing: wine and food simply do not offer the same level of complexity and precision that you can get from pairing beer – good craft beer – and food.