What are you cooking with right now?

[Bobsy]

I`m still trying to finish up my last beer-related cooking adventure. I made a Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout Dark Chocolate Cheesecake.

Well, Lent didn't last long, now did it?

Hey! The alcohol cooked off!

[Belgian]

Lamb`s really gamey, so you`ll need something assertive to stand up to it.

It's important to trim away all the exterior fat before roasting lamb. The meat takes on a stong flavor from the fat if it is not well-trimmed.

The reason people mistakenly don't trim lamb fat is they don't want to waste money & they just assume "hey, more fat will make it more tender." It's not worth it!

[SteelbackGuy]

I`m still trying to finish up my last beer-related cooking adventure. I made a Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout Dark Chocolate Cheesecake.

Well, Lent didn't last long, now did it?

Hey! The alcohol cooked off!

That's actually not true Rob.
It never cooks off fully. Perhaps 90% of it or so, but there is always some left. I suspect you consumed a bit of alcohol that day.

Usually even after hours of cooking, you are left with 5-10% of the alcohol in the dish. Which is why it is never recommended that recovering alcoholics or people avoiding alcohol for religious reasons, cook with alcohol at all.

[Bobsy]

Hey! The alcohol cooked off!

That's actually not true Rob.
It never cooks off fully. Perhaps 90% of it or so, but there is always some left. I suspect you consumed a bit of alcohol that day.

Usually even after hours of cooking, you are left with 5-10% of the alcohol in the dish. Which is why it is never recommended that recovering alcoholics or people avoiding alcohol for religious for religious reasons, cook with alcohol at all.

That's quite interesting and a neat piece of info - most recipes refer to the alcohol cooking off, but I suppose what they mean is that the vast majority cooks off. I suppose my cheesecake probably does have a modicum of alcohol per slice, but 500 ml of stout between 10 servings and then cooked probably puts it pretty low even compared to a N/A beer.

The prospect of getting drunk on cheesecake appeals though... maybe I'll make the next batch with kahlua!

[Belgian]

Usually even after hours of cooking, you are left with 5-10% of the alcohol in the dish. Which is why it is never recommended that recovering alcoholics or people avoiding alcohol for religious for religious reasons, cook with alcohol at all.

Probably good advice. Though it's impossible to avoid ethanol entirely, since it occurs natually in some foods - a fresh ripe apple or pear might have about a dropperfull of alcohol in it. At least this is what people who 'don't like' acohol are told about medical preparations based in ethanol.

I get the feeling that cooking with red wine gives all the benefit of the wine, without getting drunk on your lunch break.

[El Pinguino]

Thanks for the lamb tips Belgian and Bobsy...we'll see what disastrous dish I can create tomorrow.

[Belgian]

You can braise that sucker with wine or beer, herbs like thyme (and/or rosemary or llavender) and probably the onion family with am emphasis on garlic (I imagine minced shallots and chopped large white onions are good too.)

[mjohnston]

That's actually not true Rob.
It never cooks off fully. Perhaps 90% of it or so, but there is always some left. I suspect you consumed a bit of alcohol that day.

Usually even after hours of cooking, you are left with 5-10% of the alcohol in the dish. Which is why it is never recommended that recovering alcoholics or people avoiding alcohol for religious reasons, cook with alcohol at all.

Correct, and what about bread? What about the fermentation that happens in your digestive tract? Generally the prohibition is against consuming alcohol intentionally for its "benefits", so a bit in some cooked dish doesn't really matter unless the person decides it does (on fairly arbitrary criteria).

[Belgian]

Correct, and what about bread? What about the fermentation that happens in your digestive tract?

Small tidbit, the psychological meaning of clearing the house of 'leavened bread' during Jewish passover is to symbolically cleanse oneself of inflated ego. I just like the apt symbolism...

[SteelbackGuy]

That's actually not true Rob.
It never cooks off fully. Perhaps 90% of it or so, but there is always some left. I suspect you consumed a bit of alcohol that day.

Usually even after hours of cooking, you are left with 5-10% of the alcohol in the dish. Which is why it is never recommended that recovering alcoholics or people avoiding alcohol for religious reasons, cook with alcohol at all.

Correct, and what about bread? What about the fermentation that happens in your digestive tract? Generally the prohibition is against consuming alcohol intentionally for its "benefits", so a bit in some cooked dish doesn't really matter unless the person decides it does (on fairly arbitrary criteria).

I'm talking about knowingly consuming alcohol. If it is in your cooking, you are still consuming it, and probably knowingly.

[toweringpine]

I'm enjoying some left over stew for lunch today. Made it on Tuesday in the crockpot and it tastes fantastic after a few days sitting. Floured and browned the beef and left it in the fridge overnight. In the morning I put it in the cockpot with the potatoes, celery, onions with some seasoning and a can of Wellington Dark Ale. Yum yum!

The ale was my wife's idea. After our recent evening at beerbistro enjoying a seven course beer pairing meal she has started thinking about cooking with beer. It was a great evening and it seems to be a gift that will keep on giving.

[Belgian]

I'm enjoying some left over stew for lunch today. Made it on Tuesday in the crockpot and it tastes fantastic after a few days sitting. Floured and browned the beef and left it in the fridge overnight. In the morning I put it in the cockpot with the potatoes, celery, onions with some seasoning and a can of Wellington Dark Ale. Yum yum!

The ale was my wife's idea. After our recent evening at beerbistro enjoying a seven course beer pairing meal she has started thinking about cooking with beer. It was a great evening and it seems to be a gift that will keep on giving.

That's like Carbonnade Flamande, more or less (except you'd brown the onions as well). I like my own beef stew a lot more than stews I've had at restaurants.

[Belgian]

Got some Coq au Vin going on the stove, and it smells fucking good. Wines in the pot are Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras (yeah southern Rhône) and a Wolf Blass Merlot, also nice. Dash of Solera sherry in there, all good stuff in the pot. I finished up an OD 16 while putting this chicken beast together...

Cooking stovetop with the Staub dutch oven, it barely needs any electricity to keep a simmer going for the hour of final cooking. ' It's just really freaky. These folks deserve a green energy trophy or something. Any you home brewers use cast iron brewing vessels because it retains heat like a bitch.

[Ukie]

Got some Coq au Vin going on the stove, and it smells fucking good. Wines in the pot are Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras (yeah southern Rhône) and a Wolf Blass Merlot, also nice. Dash of Solera sherry in there, all good stuff in the pot. I finished up an OD 16 while putting this chicken beast together...

Cooking stovetop with the Staub dutch oven, it barely needs any electricity to keep a simmer going for the hour of final cooking. ' It's just really freaky. These folks deserve a green energy trophy or something. Any you home brewers use cast iron brewing vessels because it retains heat like a bitch.

The cast iron stuff is nice. I just finished doing a pork stir fry with the pork marinated in amongst other things some Glutinous Rice Wine. Used my Creuset cast iron wok on a induction burner while glugging some Canonico Salento. Its Italian, its ruby red and peppery and cheap. When you cook wth Sambal Oelek chili paste anything else is wasted.

[sprague11]

Bacon wrapped chicken with Robert Simpson Confederate Ale - Let the chicken sit in the Beer for an hour or so before cooking, add salt, pepper and bacon, toss it in the oven and you're set! Halfway through cooking pour some beer on the meat.

During the summer we did Ribs that sat for 6 hours in a mix of Grand River Russian Gun, LTM Rauchbier and brown sugar. Seared them on the BBQ followed by a trip to the oven soaked in the marinade. Since it took 1/2 bottle of each you can enjoy the rest of the beer while waiting for the ribs to slow cook.