Firehouse Chicken Stew

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 yellow onions, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 poblano or Anaheim peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 6 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 10 garlic, chopped
• 6 large sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 2 12-ounce bottles brown ale, such as Newcastle
• 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 pound okra, stemmed, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 12 cups canned low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 28-ounce cans peeled whole tomatoes with their liquid, crushed
• 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, (about 6 ears)
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Hot sauce, for serving (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Add the chicken, and toss well to evenly coat. Heat 1/2 cup olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide 20-quart heavy-bottomed pot. Add half of the chicken, and brown, turning once, until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a large bowl. Add remaining 1/4 cup oil to the pot and brown remaining chicken; transfer to the bowl and set aside.

Add the onions, peppers, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot, and season well with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add ale and bring to a simmer, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add potatoes, okra, chicken stock, tomatoes and their liquid, corn, and red pepper flakes, and bring the mixture to a boil. Add reserved chicken, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until vegetables and chicken are tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining 1/2 cup flour together with the milk until smooth. Stir mixture into the stew and return to a simmer. Cook until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Reseason with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Serve with a dash of hot sauce, if desired.

Serves 24.

Thanks to Vox

Serin's Meat Mud

• 2 pounds of lean ground beef
• 1 lime
• 16 oz/500 g (ml?) Diced tomatoes (in a can cause I'm lazy)
• 16 oz/500 g (ml?) Tomato Sauce
• Two Green Bell Peppers
• A handful of button mushrooms
• A handful of shitake mushrooms
• A corona (or heffeweisen, but then substitute a lemon for the lime in order to balance the change in acidity)
• A Roma-Tomato's worth of not-red Onions
• Two or three cloves of garlic (up to you really)
• Large skillet
• Extra-virgin olive-oil.

Now. With the ingredients...

Into the skillet, pour enough olive oil to cover about a third to a half of the bottom.

Heat skillet at medium heat.

Chop onion (smaller than pencil eraser sized chunks)

Dice garlic (Finer the better)

Slice lime wedges, (widest about half inch at the skin)

Roll oil around skillet to coat bottom.

Add onions

Open beer

Stir onions

Add lime wedge to beer.

Stir onions

Enjoy beer.

Repeat previous two steps until onions are brown/burnt/tiny

Add garlic.

Agitate to let the garlic brown.

When the garlic gets a hint past golden brown, apply meat.

Brown the meat. Stir occasionally while prepping vegetables. Use the spatula to chop up the meat to ensure all the meat is consistently brown

Open cans of tomato bits
Chop mushrooms and bellpeppers into bits. Try to keep all the pieces around the half-inch size.

When the meat gets to a nice even brown, push it all to one side and drain the fat with a spoon. (There'll be a tiny bit left, but that's okay)

Return pan to stove and add tomato goop. Stir.

When the mixture starts bubbling again, add vegetables.

Let the mass simmer for about 10 minutes.

Season to taste, starting as soon as the meat is browned. I tend to use about 3 spoons worth of montreal steak spice mix, added gradually, and then I add red pepper flakes and black pepper as I see fit. The tomato sauce tends to carry enough salt by itself. This last batch, I also added parsley.

The whole process, end to end, takes about 30 minutes or so. The result is a very heavy meatsauce. I used the spatula to slice out chunks that just spread over the spaghetti noodles under it's own weight, like a blob of mud.

Thanks to Stir Fry Kitty

Bacon and Cheddar Beer Bread

• 3 cups sifted White Lily self-rising flour
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 envelopes Goya ham flavoring
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar
• 1/2 cup cooked real bacon pieces
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle beer

In food processor fitted with the chopping blade, first 4 ingredients Add butter. Process in pulses until it resembles meal. Stir in cheese and bacon. Package airtight and store in the refrigerator. Give along with a bottle of beer and baking instructions.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-inch bread pan. Empty contents of package into a mixing bowl. Make a well in center of ingredients. Pour beer into well. Stir by hand just until ingredients are blended. Spread batter evenly in bread pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from
oven and place on cooling rack for 5 minutes. Remove bread from pan. Bread slices cleaner and neater if allowed to cool before slicing. Makes 1 loaf.

Thanks to Peggy at Cajun Cooking Recipes

Kraut Burgers (Runzas)

• 1 pound fresh ground meat [turkey or ground beef chuck] *
• 1 small white onion [chopped]
• 1/2 cup beer
• Black Pepper
• 1/2 head of green cabbage [coarsely chopped]
• 1 lb. frozen bread dough [thawed]
• 1/4 cup melted butter

• 350 degrees oven temperature
• two cookie sheets [greased or sprayed with non-stick PAM]

First, you brown your meat and chopped onion. I used ground turkey. [*my grandmother and mother used leftover shaved beef roast] Once the ground meat is browned thoroughly, I add one half cup of beer! [The alcohol cooks out of it, and gives a really 'special' flavor!

Add chopped cabbage and 1/2 cup beer

Add black pepper and stir to coat meat, cabbage and onion

Reduce heat, and cover....allowing mixture to cook more thoroughly and cabbage and onion to become soft, translucent--

When cabbage is limp, then remove from heat to cool.

In the meantime, divide the 1 lb bread loaf [thawed] into eight 'biscuit' sized balls

...with your hands, flatten each 'biscuit' to about 4 inches in diameter. Add about 1/2 cup of meat [USING A SLOTTED SPOON SO JUICES CAN DRAIN], onion and cabbage mixture and fold dough over the mixture. Pinch dough to secure tightly.
[Note: if your mixture is too hot, the dough will split from the heat and make it very difficult to fold without breaking open!]

Place your meat pockets -- the runzas on the prepared cookie sheets, allowing room for rising, cooking dough--- Bake until nicely browned. Baste finished runza [kraut burgers] with melted butter...giving them a beautiful finish.

Serve hot! I love 'em with yellow mustard dipping sauce. Dill pickle slices.

Thanks to Hootin' Anni

Green Onion Beer Bread

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/4 oz active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 12 oz bottle beer (we used Smithwicks)
• 1 bunch onions

optional add ins:

• 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
• red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400. Oil or spray a baking sheet. In a large bowl, stir together salt, pepper, paprika, cheese (if using), green onion, yeast and flour. Add the beer and stir until a dough forms. Shape into a round loaf and place on the greased baking sheet. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until the loaf is slightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Thanks to Rachel

Spring Shepard’s Pie with Tempeh, Asparagus, Sweet Peas and Beer

• 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• splash of milk/cream/soymilk
• 3 Tbsp butter/margarine
• 2 cups grated parmesan cheese, completely optional
• 1 8oz block tempeh cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 bottle of beer*
• (2) veggie bullion cubes
• olive oil
• 3 leeks, well washed and sliced
• 1 bunch of asparagus, sliced diagonally into 1 inch pieces
• 2 cups frozen sweet peas
• 1 bag fresh spinach
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp parsley flakes, optional
• salt and pepper

*try a nice flavorful ale or wheat beer. I think it would work less well with a dark stout or porter or anything too light like a lager, but it’s casserole and your call.

Start by making your mash potatoes. Make them whatever way you like them but in case you don’t have a favorite way, here’s an easy one: throw your potato chunks into boiling salted water and cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until they are soft through the middle.
Drain the potatoes well and add the milk, butter, salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher or electric beaters. Right before the potatoes go on to top the casserole, stir in 1/2 the cheese if you’re using it.

While your potatoes are cooking, start simmering the tempeh. Heat the bottle of beer in a small saucepan until almost simmering. Add the tempeh and 2 bullion cubes. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until there is a cup or so of beer left unabsorbed.

In a large skillet/wok, quickly sauté the leek until wilted and then add the asparagus for about 2 minutes, or until just starting to heat. Add the bag of spinach and cook, stirring well from the bottom, until wilted. Add the tempeh and simmering liquid, lemon zest, parsley flakes and taste to adjust salt/pepper levels. Stir in frozen peas.

Dump out the veggies and tempeh into a greased 9″ x 13″ casserole. Cover the casserole with a layer of mashed potatoes - plop spoonfuls down all around the casserole and spread. Brush the mash potatoes with a thin coat of olive oil and top with the other 1/2 of grated cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is starting to get golden and you see a little bubbling around the side.

Thanks to vanessipes.com

Sam Adams Chocolate Cream Stout Cake

Yield: 6 Servings

• 4 TB butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup Samuel Adams Cream Stout
• 4 TB cocoa powder
• Optional
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate sauce

Butter an 8-inch cake pan with 2 tablespoons of the butter and pre-heat the over to 350 degrees F.

Cream the remaining butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Gradually beat in the egg and the egg yolk.

Sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder into a separate bowl.

Stir the Samuel Adams Cream Stout into the cocoa.

Alternately fold the flour and beer mixture into the butter and sugar mixture.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until firm to the touch.

Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning the cake onto a wire rack.

Leave the cake to completely cool before slicing.

If you like, serve with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

Thanks to Steve

Bob’s Chili Con Carne

Bob’s Chili Con Carne with Habanero and Beans
version 10

Makes around six bowls of chili.

In addition to the usual kitchen hardware you will need:

• a crockpot, slow cooker or simmering element. A regular stove boiler element is generally too hot.

You will need the following ingredients:

• 800 mg of lean (but not extra lean) ground beef (about 28 ounces)
• 800 ml of crushed tomatoes (about 28 fl oz.)
• 540 ml tin of mixed beans (20 fl oz.) If you are in Canada, you won’t go wrong with the Unico version of this. In a pinch, a tin of kidney beans will do
• 1 medium sized onion (I like red, but any onion will do)
• 3 tbsp of bacon fat recovered from salt-reduced bacon
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (or half a bulb of very finely chopped garlic)
• 3 tbsp of New Mexican chilli powder (regular American style works OK too)
• 1 tbsp (or so) of dry oregano. I’ve never measured out oregano in my life, prefering instead to throw it in by the pinch. But this is around the amount I’m using
• 1 tsp cayenne powder
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper. About eight full grinds of the pepper mill ought to do it
• 2 big habanero peppers. Scotch bonnets can be used instead for their heat, but won’t impart the flavour we’re after.
• 125 ml of water (about 1/2 of a cup)

Now I know what you are thinking, “¿dos habaneros? ¿está él loco?“* Keep reading and you’ll find out how we control the heat from the habanero.

Traditional chili recipes call for suet, but the bacon fat adds a most interesting flavour. Besides, you’ll get to eat a bunch of bacon sometime before this — ain’t nothing wrong with that! Bacon fat will keep for months in the fridge, so don’t feel as if you have to cook it the night before. The easiest way to get it is to cook a quarter kilo of bacon in a frypan until it is brown, not black, then pour off the excess fat into a ramekin. Cover the ramekin and put it in the fridge. Any chunks will settle to the bottom, leaving clean white bacon fat at the top. Use only the top two thirds of the fat — chuck the rest. It is important to use salt-reduced bacon, not just because it’s better for you, but to control the amount of salt. Crushed tomatoes have salt, the beans have salt, and the beef has salt. Add to this some regular bacon fat, and you will have a chili that tends to be too salty. You can add more salt if you like, but you can never take salt away, so we err on the side of caution here.

This recipe should fill your average crockpot maybe three quarters of the way up. Set your slow cooker to “Auto” or your stove to low. Chili has to be carefully simmered or it will burn and taste funny. If you see little bubbles at the sides of the pot (slow cooker) or a few in the middle every second (stove top), this is good. If the top is vigorously bubbling like a young pasta sauce — too hot. Cook the beef and put it, along with any fat it yields, into the slow cooker along with the bacon fat, and the tomatoes. Chop up the onion and throw it in there too. Most brands of crushed tomatoes don’t have enough water in them so add some or all of the water until the chili thins out to the consistency of a smoother pasta sauce — thick enough to draw a shape in, but not thick enough to form big mounds. What I like to do is add the water to the empty can of tomatoes and swish it about to get leftover tomato off the sides. Stir all of it up well and then leave it alone for about an hour or so. This will bring it up to temperature and melt the bacon fat.

Now throw in the rest of the ingredients except for the habaneros and the beans. Stew for around 4-5 hours, stirring once an hour, or whenever you feel like it. Get the stirring done fast so as to not lose too much heat.

I imagine you are wondering about the habanero… so tasty… but so hot! How do we control the heat? If we chopped them up fine and threw them in at the beginning, we would extract all of the capsaicin from them and the chili would be too hot for most. So we’re not going to do that. Instead, we are going to use the pepper itself as a kind of bouquet garnee. About halfway through that 4 to 5 hours, take the habaneros and cut through them twice, about three quarters of the way up along their length, leaving the top intact. This allows flavour to flow out of the pepper, but leaves them big enough to find later. Drop them in. Getting flavour from a habanero this way takes at least an hour, so on the next stir, break out your spoon and give your chili a taste. There should be a delightful floral-like smell and a slight fruit flavour as well as some heat. If it is hot enough for you, fish out the habaneros, gently shake the chili off of them, and throw them away. If you are like me and like lots of heat, leave them in until the end. If one of your habaneros is missing a quarter, don’t freak out, all you have to do is get most of it out to control the heat.

In the last hour or so, drain and stir in the beans. Tinned beans are already soaked and slightly mushy, so all you have to do is get them in there to absorb some flavour. Don’t drain the beans completely, in fact, adding a a tablespoon or so of the bean juice is often not a bad idea, as the slow cooker may have lost too much moisture over the last few hours. Nearing the end of the cooking we are expecting the chili to get stiffer, but no too stiff. When hot you should be able to pull a decent rounded spoonful from your bowl, but not ice cream sized chunks.

And that’s it. Spoon it into a bowl and enjoy!

Thanks to cobolhacker

Raisin Beer Sauce

Combine in a saucepan:
1/4 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt

Stir in:
1 cup beer
1/4 cup raisins, cut in halves

Put in a cheesecloth bag and hang it in the cooking sauce from the edge of the pan:
8 whole cloves
1 two-inch stick cinnamon

Cook and stir for about 10 minutes. Add:
1 tablespoon butter

Remove the spices. Serve the sauce very hot. Good with hot or cold ham or smoked tongue.

Yield: About 1-1/2 cups

Thanks to CrazyBone

Chef Leo’s Prime Rib Roast

• 3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
• 1/3 cup orange marmalade
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• 1 cup beer
• 1 (8 pound) prime rib roast
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Mix together the ginger, marmalade, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, hot sauce, and mustard. Stir in the beer. Prick holes all over the roast with a 2 pronged fork. Pour marinade over roast. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, basting at least twice. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place roast on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour about 1 cup of marinade into the roasting pan, and discard remaining marinade. Pour olive oil over roast, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Insert a roasting thermometer into the middle of the roast, making sure that the thermometer does not touch any bone. Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil, and seal edges tightly around pan. Cook roast for 1 hour in the preheated oven. After the first hour, remove the aluminum foil. Baste, reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), and continue roasting for 1 more hour. The thermometer reading should be at least 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for medium-rare, and 170 degrees F (76 degrees C) for well done. Remove roasting pan from oven, place aluminum foil over roast, and let rest for about 30 minutes before slicing.

Thanks to Chef Fatboy

Beer-braised Chicken Stew with Fava Beans and Peas

• 2 tablespoons anise seeds
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsley chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads (I omitted this as those are expensive, and it still tastes and smells good)
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure olive oil
• 8 skinless chicken thighs
• Salt
• 1 cup shelled fava beans
• 1/2 cup fresh peas
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound button mushrooms halved
• 8 scallions thinly sliced
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• One 12-ounce bottle belgian beer
• 1/2 cup heavy cream.
• 1/4 cup coarsley chopped flat parsley.

In a small skillet, toast the anise seeds over moderate heat, shaking the skillet until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let the seeds cool slightly, and then crush with the side of a knife.

In a mini food processor, combine the seeds, garlic, saffron (if using), paprika, anc cayenne. Add the lemon juice and puree. Transfer to a large, shallow bowl and stir in 1/2 cup olive oil.. Ad dthe chicken thighs and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

While the chicken is marinating, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add salt and the fava beans, and cook for one minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fava beans to a small bowl and cool slightly. Add the peas to the boiling water and cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the peas. Peel the fava beans and add to the peas.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron casserole. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade, scraping off the excess. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper and cook over moderatley high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes.

Wipe out the casserole, add the butter and heat until melted. Add the mushrooms, sliced scallions, and cook over moderate heat sirring occasionally, until any liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are browned, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the beer, and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the casserole.

Return the chicken thighs to the casserole and season wth salt and black pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Add the cream, fava beans, and peas, increase the heat to moderate, and cook uncovered until the sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.

Chili a la olio

• 3 tablespoons oil
• ½ pound sirloin, cubed (I buy stir-fry beef then cut the strips into small cubes with kitchen scissors)
• 2 tablespoons McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning
• ¾ box button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• ¾ box cremini mushrooms (aka baby portobello), coarsely chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped (use some of the leafy tops, too)
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic (6 if they’re small), finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, finely chopped (you can remove
• some/all of the seeds if you prefer milder chili)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 bottle beer (any lager)
• 1 16-ounce can black beans (don’t drain)
• 1 16-ounce can crushed tomatoes (don’t drain)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

Garnish (optional):

• ½ cup mild yellow cheese (Gouda is a good choice), grated
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped

Heat a large, deep skillet over high heat.

Add 2 tablespoons oil, the meat, and the grill seasoning.

Sear the meat for 2-3 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and push meat to one side.

On the “clean” side of the skillet, add another tablespoon of oil, then the mushrooms. When the mushrooms begin to brown and shrink (about 2-3 minutes), stir them once quickly then push them off to the side with the meat.

Add the remaining vegetables (onion, celery, red pepper, and garlic) to the clean side of the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, then mix the meat, mushrooms, and vegetables together.

Add the Worcestershire, chipotle, and cumin. Stir quickly to mix, then add the beer.

Stir/scrape the bottom of the skillet well to deglaze. Simmer until the beer has reduced by half (about 2 minutes).

Taste, and if you want it spicier, you can add a little more (¼ teaspoon or so) adobo sauce from the can of peppers.

Add the beans, tomatoes, beef stock, and thyme and simmer for 10 minutes.

This dish only takes about 30 minutes to make.

Thanks to Lee at Olio

Beer Cheese Soup, Ghetto Gourmet Style

312 Beer Cheese Soup w/ Brie, Chorizo and Manchego

• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 2 fennel bulbs, chopped
• 2 cups of thinly sliced celery
• 6 pack of 312 Beer (2 bottles for the soup and the other 4 for you!)
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon of ground coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper
• 4 tablespoons of flour
• 1 pound of cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 pound of brie cheese, sliced (leave the rind on)
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 8 cups water or stock
• Mexican-style chorizo, cooked and drained very well (or Soyrizo)
• Shredded manchego cheese

Heat oil and butter in a large stock pot. Add the onion, celery, fennel, cumin, coriander and crushed red pepper. Sautee on medium heat and stir frequently until everything is caramelized, which should take about 10-15 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 2 more minutes while stirring constantly. Add the beer! Stir and scrape the bottom of the stockpot to deglaze the pan (all that stuck-on stuff is really flavorful and you want in the soup, not stuck to the pan). Add the water/stock and bring everything to a light boil. Add the cheddar and brie cheese and stir to combine. Lower the heat to a low simmer and cover the pot. Cook the soup for one to two hours on low heat and stir occasionally to blend the melted cheese into the broth.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a bit of chorizo and shredded manchego cheese.

Thanks to Gaper's Block

Beer Can Chicken

• 1 plump chicken without giblets
• 1 can of beer
• 2 heaped tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 heaped teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder (I like powdered chipotles for this, but you can use cayenne pepper)
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 heaped tablespoons soft dark brown sugar

Snip through any strings holding the chicken's legs neatly together, and spread them out. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and rub them all over the chicken, then add a tablespoon of the rub to the cavity of the chicken and smear it around a bit with the back of a spoon. Leave for the flavours to penetrate for two hours at room temperature. Meanwhile, open the beer can, pour half of the beer out and drink it. (This is a fun recipe.) Use a metal skewer or a nail and hammer to make a few more holes in the top of the half-full beer can.

Put a tablespoon of the remaining rub in the can with the beer. It will froth and bubble, so add your rub carefully. After the two hours are up, rub and remaining spice mix onto the chicken and push the bird carefully, bottom (that's the end with the legs) first, onto the upright beer can, as in the picture. Roast the whole apparatus at 180° C (350° F) for 1 hour and 30 minutes, remove the bird carefully from the can without spilling any beer, and rest for ten minutes before serving. (If you are a lucky person with a large and easily controlled barbecue, try cooking the chicken in there over some flavorful wood - it'll be delicious.)

Don't be tempted to use the hot beer as a sauce. It'll taste bitter and revolting, so just pour it down the sink. Let the chicken's natural juices (there will be plenty, and they'll come out of the bird as it rests) act as a gravy. This is a great dish with a salad and a pilaf or cous cous. Serve with a couple of nicely chilled cans of whatever beer you used in the cooking.

Thanks to Gastronomy Domine

Golden Ale Flapjacks

How about beer for breakfast? Adding a Golden Ale to pan cakes creates a light fluffy texture. The ingredients are as follows:

• 1 1/2 cup sifted flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 egg · 2/3 cup Devil Mt. Golden Ale
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp. melted butter

First mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Next add the milk, beer and eggs. Using a mixer at medium speed beat the batter until it has light, frothy cream consistency. Add the melted butter last. Cook over medium heat in a lightly greased pan or hot griddle. Makes 18 average sized pancakes.

Thanks to Mitch

BBQ Shrimp Pie

• 4 4-5 inch tart shells
• Sweet Potato Filling: 2 lb. sweet potatoes (roasted and peeled)
• 2 oranges (zested and juiced)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• pinch of ground cloves
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 16 jumbo shrimp-about 2 lbs-(peeled in center, leave head and tail intact)
• 2 tsp. seafood seasoning
• 1 tsp. finely chopped rosemary
• 1 tbsp.finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
• 4-6 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup of beer
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup of seafood stock

Brown small amount of butter in skillet, add pepper, rosemary, and shrimp. Add seasoning and garlic, saute over high heat until shrimp are pink. Add Worcestershire, beer and stock. Bring to a boil and allow liquid to reduce. Finish sauce by emulsifying butter into it.

To serve: Fill tart shells with warm sweet potato mixture, arrange shrimp on top and then pour sauce over and around the pie. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Serves 4

Thanks to Sarah's Kitchen

Deep Fried Bacon Cheese and Beer Dog

• 1 hot dog
• 1 slice of thick-cut bacon
• 1 can of spray cheese
• 1 can beer (It doesn’t matter what kind, but we recommend something dark. Corona probably isn’t a good idea)
• 1 cup flour
• Oil for frying

This one is a little work-intensive, so be ready to buckle down. First take the center out of the hot dog with an apple corer, if you have access to one. If not, just cut out the middle with a knife.

Fill the cavity with the spray cheese and use the hot dog you removed from the middle as a cap to keep the cheese in.

Wrap the bacon around the hot dog.

Deep-fry for two to four minutes or until bacon is cooked.

Dab them dry with a paper towel (so the batter will stick). Mix the beer with the flour until it reaches a thick, but lump-free consistency. Dip the dogs in the batter, coating the dog completely.

Deep-fry on high heat for two to three minutes or until brown and deadly.
DANGER: Don’t fry them too long or all of the cheese will explode out into the oil.

Many thanks to mesablue at moralauthority.wordpress.com

Red Beer Chili

• 1 kg braising steak, cut into 4cm chunks
• 1 bottle of beer
• 4 ancho chillies, stemmed and deseeded
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions roughly chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 400g tins whole, peeled plum tomatoes
• 75 ml cider vinegar
• 60 g brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Spanish paprika (preferably pimenton)
• 1 tbsp mild chilli powder
• 3 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 400 g tin kidney, borlotti or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Put the beef in a medium bowl, pour the beer over and leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid and pat the beef dry with kitchen paper.

Toast the chillies for 30 seconds in a dry saute pan then pour boiling water over and soak for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain and put in a food processor with the beer. Puree until fine and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the meat and sear in batches until evenly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil and saute the onions and garlic for five minutes. Put the meat back in the pan and pour the chilli mixture over.
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Puree the tomatoes in the food processor and add to the pan. Add the cider vinegar, brown sugar, paprika, chilli powder and cumin and season.

Cook partially covered with a lid, for one hour over low heat or until the meat is very tender. Add the beans in the last five minutes of cooking to warm through. Serve in small bowls with a choice of accompaniments: cooked rice, chopped red onion, coriander crackers.

Serves 4-6

Thanks to Gazette & Herald

Famous Beer Bread

• 12 cups (or 4) Gold Medal self-rising flour
• 1 cup (or 1/3) granulated sugar
• 72 ounces (or 24) beer
• 1/2 cup (or 1/6) melted butter

Combine dry ingredients. Add beer to the consistency of a thick batter. Spray four bread pans (10x5x3) with non-stick pan coating. Fill bread pans three-quarters full. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick. Remove from pans, brush lightly with butter. Let cool and wrap.

Thanks to Mary Ellen Psaltis