Has anyone here used beer in cooking?

My mother always made what she called “Beer Stew.” This is basically regular beef stew with a can of beer added at the time you first add the water. When I was a kid I disliked it, but now as an adult I think it is grand.

I use beer commonly in two different dishes, in Black Beans (which I then serve with rice) and in a dish that involves sauerkraut, onions, bacon and boneless pork ribs all baked together in a casserole. My husband loves this dish.

I have also heard of making Beer Bread but have never tried it.

I generally use whatever beer I have, Miller or Budweiser or Grolsch or Dos Equis. However, I can imagine that one of the very dark beers would give a completely different flavor than one of the American watery brews.

Yes, beer can be used in many cooking varieties and methods. If you like to enjoy the occassional bratwurst, a beer boiled bratwurst is delicious! And for this, a dark beer (akin to something like Guinness) really works well! Bon apetit!

@darwin That casserole sounds delicious!!!

I use beer/alcholol in many of dishes it depends what do you wish to make?

KrystaElyse, you should definitely try beer pancakes sometime!! Sounds so wrong, tastes so right! Make sure you don’t use too much beer though, as it’ll start to taste pretty bad!

I make beer batter for dipping onion rings mushrooms and other fryables. Cheap beer works fine. You pour your beer, add flour and beat it with a whisk until its the right consistency, and add some salt and pepper while you beat it.

Beer pancakes! Yes, please.

@buster Yes, beer battered onion rings!!! I totally forgot! Delicious!!

Beer’s great for cooking. It’s great on meats, especially when you’re barbecuing, it keeps the meat moist and adds an excellent flavour.

I make a particular pizza dough that uses beer, it’s an excellent addition to the recipe. It can give things a fuller flavour. Try it, you’ll like it.

I made some good mussels with beer.

I always make steaks in Guinness. It tastes freaking amazing.

I’ve used it in stew and chili. Also I make two types of beer cheese. You need to use a beer that’s got some body to it—Guiness, Harp, Killian’s, etc. and not a light beer, or one that’s too dark and smoky tasting. Many recipes call for flat beer, so you need to let it sit for a bit to get the carbonation out. Yummy. The alcohol content cooks out, and the flavor is yommy.

I find that if you use just the right blend of beers before you even begin cooking.. your dish will taste perfect regardless.

Beer in the bottom of a meat smoker makes for some great brisket.

We marinate tri tip with beer, soy sauce, and garlic. The beer keeps it so moist.

And I’m surprised beer butt chicken hasn’t been mentioned. That’s where you take a chicken and but an open, filled beer can on the grill and sit the chicken on its butt on the can and grill, chicken always comes out super moist.

Thread is making me hungry

Beer Can Chicken

www.outofthefryingpan.com/recipes/chicken.beer.butt.shtm

You can soak anything with absorbent properties in beer and then grill/broil/roast/fry it.

@All – Thanks guys. I never realized that beer could be used in such delicous dishes. I would never think to use beer for things like pancakes, steaks, pizza, or even seafood.

@forestGeek – I must try those beer pancakes now, they sound interesting!

Drunk chicken and drunk turkey my mama cooks that.

Beef Carbonade, a Belgian stew with dark beer is delicious. Recipe

We like having our bratwurst in a “hot tub”.

Grill your favorite brats until they are nice and brown. Don’t worry about cooking them thru, that part happens in the hot tub.

Pour three or four of you favorite beers into a 2 or 3 inch deep, disposable aluminum baking pan. Add sliced onion, bell peper, hot pepper, and garlic to the beer.

Throw your brats into the “tub”. To make it “hot” shove your coals to either side of the grill and place your tub where it won’t be over any direct heat. Close the grill lid and let it simmer there for at least an hour.

The smell alone is worth the trouble. Plus you’re outside with lots of time to drink yourself an appetite, under the guise of ‘tending the grill’.

I have! I made beer bread a couple weeks ago with Negro Modelo because I had a lot left over from a party, and I don’t like dark beers. It came out really well – it was moist, sweet, very dense. It did’nt taste like Negro Modelo, or even like beer at all (to my great delight). PM me if you want the recipe.

EDIT: Ooh, I almost forgot – Tequila marinated shrimp! That’s something delicious right there, I tell you what.

There’s beer batter for frying stuff, and I’ve heard of “Beer Butt Chicken” too. I’m not sure exactly how you do it, but I know it involves putting a beer can in the chicken’s butt, turning it upside down, and letting it soak in to the chicken (I think). Good question though!

Onion Rings!

@essieness – close, but you don’t want to turn an open can of beer upside down. you leave it that way right side up, and either grill or bake it. also see the answers of “maiasmom” and “boffin”.

Beer in the butt chicken involves standing chicken upright on an open can of beer. The beer steams the chicken from the inside of the cavity.

I used to make a marinade with beer, hot english mustard and honey. Great for marinading steak.

Yes! I made an lamb stew with a vanilla porter (by Breckenridge). The smell of the beer while it was cooking was amazing and I think the beer really complemented the lamb well.

Cheers!

I second the amazing beer can chicken! Amazing results! Also try to add beer to your pancake mix before making them. Makes them taste great and add crust to the edges…

Yep “Beer But Chicken” always a tasty way to use beer. I’ve used beer in stew, chili, bread, and my dad even showed us how you boil “tako” (octopus) in beer and it is so tender that way.

I must tell you all that my husband is appalled that we would consider doing anything else with beer except drink it!!

@Tantigirl – Aww, he’s missing out! :P

@Tantigirl: How about slug elimination?

I usually use a cheap beer for marinade. I agree with @timothykinney about flavorful beers. The flavors that are in the beer add to the overall flavor of the dish. But always use the “one for the cook” rule.

A good Stout Beer can add a nice chocolate overtone to a marinade for meats. When in doubt start with a small amount and add until you like the flavor.

@Blondesjon We always cook brats like that, except you said just to add onions/garlic/etc to the beer. It’s actually much better if you saute them in a little butter first & then add them – it adds so much more flavor!

Also, I made a beer cake for Fall Festival at my daughter’s school. I used Sam Adams Octoberfest (since it says it tastes of caramel, I thought it’d be good for cake). The recipe calls for a cup of beer, so I cooked down the rest of the bottle & poured it over the cake as a glaze. The cake turned out really moist & delicious, & the glaze tasted almost like honey.
Here’s the recipe I used: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Beer-Cake-I/Detail.aspx

Thanks, @Alyanna! I just saved the recipe. I’m thinking of making it with my guy’s homebrew! :)

@laureth Cool! Let me know how it turns out :)

Never… but received nice answers for the question, so thinking of trying all those ;)