Sorry... I didn't make a specific photo to go with this post, so I'll just re-use the photo of the beer I used in the recipe!

I was tasked with making some home-made hot dog chili on Saturday to be served at Tonya's mom's birthday lunch on Sunday. Don't ask me why, but Tonya's mom specifically requested hot dogs as her birthday meal. I love to make chili but I have never made a chili that was really suitable for hot dogs. Of course, I wanted to make something with beer as an ingredient, so I browsed around the internet for a while and found nothing worthwhile. I ended up combining several ideas I came across into a single recipe. All I can say is that the results were outstanding and I intend to make another batch of this large enough to freeze. While I was cooking this chili, I was tasting it as I went and loved the taste of it but I was afraid it wasn't going to go well on a hot dog. However, as the cooking process went and along with overnight aging in the fridge, this stuff turned out to be one of the most awesome hot dog toppings I have ever had, so here goes...

Man Cave Hot Dog Chili

Prepare this a day in advance!

12 oz of a beer of your choice (choices here will change the flavor of the chili)
1 lb ground beef (I used 93/7 but 90/10 would work well too)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup yellow mustard
3 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder

Place the ground beef in a dutch oven and mash it up completely.  Try to chop it up as finely as possible so no large clumps remain.  Just as the ground beef is almost brown, dump in 12 ounces of beer (I used Sierra Nevada Glissade) and bring to a slow boil.  Let the ground beef boil slowly in the beer for about 15-20 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients to the dutch oven and return to a slow boil, stirring regularly.  Allow the chili to reduce to a consistency that you like and then simmer covered for 30-45 minutes.  Allow the chili to cool and then place it in a container in the refrigerator overnight before serving (not required but a good idea.)  Otherwise serve immediately or freeze for future use. 

Thoughts:

This stuff will freeze and keep for a long time.  If you make this and like it, you might consider doubling or tripling the recipe and freezing the leftovers for future use.  I think this chili may also be good with a little cheese in it.  It could also become a meal on its own by adding some kidney beans or even black beans.  If you intend to make it into a meal of its own, you might want to chop a green pepper to add to the mix or even spice it up a little with some hot peppers. 

If you try this, let me know how you like it!

I was in a restaurant several years ago where I noticed that they were using beer bottle salt and pepper shakers on the tables. I decided to look around and see if I could find some caps like the ones they used to make some of my own.

I found these on ebay quite a while back and ordered 3 or 4 sets of them and finally got around to trying them out this weekend. They work pretty well. I went back to ebay to see if I could find more, but the red ones with the SOL logo on them were nowhere to be found. I thought these would make some interesting Christmas gifts for some of my beer friends so I went on a search to find some more caps. After some searching, I found some blue caps that are fairly inexpensive when purchased in quantity. I found some vendors on ebay who sell the blue corona caps for $15 for 50 and $30 for 100, so I might buy some more. If anyone would be interested in splitting an order of 100 with me, let me know and I'll order some more.

I also had this empty Absolut Vodka pint bottle on hand so I decided to turn it into a salt shaker as well just for kicks...

I used a 3/32" drill bit to put four holes in the cap. I originally started with 5/64" which was just a tad too small but the 3/32" holes work really well...  This bottle has a metal cap with a plastic lining on the inside.  Most pint liquor bottles are plastic, but they can be drilled out just as easily...

Thoughts?

We decided to make some onion rings tonight, so I obviously wanted to make a beer batter to go on them. Here's what went into the batter:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1 cup of beer (room temperature)
2 to 3 large onions sliced and separated into rings

This batter was pretty good overall. I think it needs a little something else to give it some added kick. Maybe a little more black pepper or possibly even some cayenne pepper. I think this batter would also be really great with a half cup or so of grated asiago or even parmesan cheese...

Give it a whirl sometime and let me know if you come up with something really great :)

I decided I wanted to make some more chili this afternoon, so I started thumbing through "The Ultimate Chili Cookbook" by W.C. Jameson to find a recipe that I thought sounded interesting. I came across a recipe called Bob's Drunken Chili that looked interesting to me mainly because the ingredients list didn't have a few items that I consider to be staples of a chili recipe. This recipe contains no tomatoes or tomato sauce, and chili powder is also not on the list. Here's the recipe which include a few modifications I made on my own:

Drunken Chili

2 tbsp olive oil
3 fresh poblano chiles, chopped and seeded
3 fresh anaheim chiles, chopped and seeded
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped and seeded
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs lean beef, cubed 1/4"
1 bottle of beer (I used Samuel Adams Boston Lager)
1 can beef broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a stock pot. Add peppers, onions, and garlic and saute over high heat until the onions start to clear. Add the beef and saute until brown. Add the beer and beef broth, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 30 minutes. Add cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper and stir. Simmer for an additional 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper to your requirements. I added a pinch of salt when I added the beer, and then added about a teaspoon with the rest of the dry ingredients...

The taste of this chili was excellent. I am a fan of the anaheim/poblano/jalapeno combination. This chili is not overly spicy and I can't call it HOT at all. It has the consistency of a stew and would probably serve very nicely over a bed of spanish rice.

I think this recipe has a lot of room for some modifications, so I might experiment with it more later... 

I got invited to participate in a local chili cook-off, so I wanted to whip up something that would hopefully be an outstanding chili recipe. Today (Tuesday 2/2/10) was rainy and ugly outside and I had nothing else on schedule, so I started cooking. Here's what went in...

Chili Con Cerveza

2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp canola oil
2 diced red bell peppers
1 minced jalapeno pepper
3 roasted, peeled, and chopped anaheim chiles
3 roasted, peeled, and chopped poblano chiles
2 diced yellow onions
1/4 cup of minced garlic
1 pound boneless chuck cut into 1/4" cubes
2 pounds of coarse grind ground beef (chili grind)
1 pound of bulk Italian sausage
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 tbsp chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup tomato paste
1 bottle (12oz) of your favorite beer
1 cup of chicken broth
2 15.5 oz cans of pinto beans (not drained)
2 15.5 oz cans of kidney beans (not drained)
1/4 cup of brown sugar

Add butter and canola oil to large stock pot on high heat. Add bell pepper, halapeno, roasted chiles, and onion and cook until caramelized - about 5 minutes or so. Add garlic and saute for an additional minute or so. Add chuck and stir until browned completely. Add ground beef and sausage and stir gently until browned - 7-9 more minutes. Add onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, and pepper and cook for one more minute while stirring. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste and stir for about 2 more minutes. Stir in the beer and chicken broth. Add beans and stir for 2 more minutes. Stir in brown sugar and let simmer with a cover on the pot for 2 to 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

If you haven't roasted and peeled peppers before, it's not too difficult. I sliced my peppers in half lengthwise and cleaned out the core and seeds. I put them face down on a cookie sheet and brushed the skin side with olive oil and put them under the broiler for 7-8 minutes until the skins turned nice and brown. After they have browned up nicely, take them out of the oven and let them cool a bit. Now the skins are easy to peel off and then you can chop the chiles.

After this chili had simmered for about two hours, I decided to just have a bowl for dinner, and it was delicious.  You can garnish this chili with any of the regulars... Shredded cheddar (or jack) and chopped green onions would be my favorite, but you could use whatever you like!  This chili is NOT a hot chili.  It's quite spicy, but not overpowering in the HEAT range.  If you want to heat it up, you should increase the amount of minced jalapeno peppers or replace the jalapenos with serrano or some other hotter peppers.  If you like the flavor of cayenne peppers, you can also increase the amount of cayenne pepper in the recipe to suit your taste. 

The following is a special guest post by The Great Tondini :)

Ah, Valentine’s Day……when the scramble to provide proof of your undying affection for your sweetie is on!  I usually make truffles (sampled liberally for quality control purposes), but this year (to celebrate my Sweetie’s re-entry to home brewing) I decided to do something with beer. 

My knowledge of beer is quite limited.  I recently learned the difference between ale and lager and that beer that has chocolate or mocha in the name does not actually taste like chocolate;  I know several German drinking songs (thank you Dr. Cosgrove!).  I’ve been reading this blog…..surely I can go pick out a six pack of taste bud-tangoing beer for my sweetie. 

Or not.  I went to two stores and there were just too many beers……

Thankfully, I saw several companies offering beer truffles.  I was intrigued.  Here’s my take:

Truffles ala Rogue

4 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
6 ounces chopped, semi-sweet chocolate
1 1/2 tablespoons Rogue Mocha Porter
6 ounces chopped, couverture chocolate
1/4 cup cocoa

Place heavy cream in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Bring to a gentle boil.  Turn of the heat and add 6 ounces chopped chocolate.  Swirl the pan:  DO NOT STIR.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Slowly add the Rogue Mocha Porter and gently whisk.  Transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  (This particular ganache will seem very thin at first, don’t panic.)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

After 45 minutes, the ganache will start to thicken.  Keep refrigerated for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

Form mixture into one inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet.

Chill until firm, about 15 minutes.

Melt the couverature chocolate and allow to cool slightly.

Place cocoa in a bowl.

Remove balls from refrigerator.  Using one hand, dip ball into melted chocolate.  Roll around in your hand, allowing excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl.  Place the truffle in the cocoa.  With your clean hand, cover with cocoa.  Repeat.

Place truffles back into refrigerator for 10 minutes to set.

Makes about 20 truffles.  You can store them for up to one week in an airtight container (I’m estimating….truffles never last that long at my house). 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I had another accident in the kitchen tonight that forced me to try something different. I was in the process of making another loaf of my beer bread when I knocked over my bottle of beer that I planned to use. I had nothing left but Guinness, and Guinness would not be my first choice of beers for bread.  So, I switched up the recipe and came up with this new loaf...

Guinness Bread

3 cups self rising flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons caraway seed
pinch of salt
1 bottle of Guinness Draught
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Add the Guinness and mix throughly.  Transfer the batter into a prepared loaf pan.  Drizzle 1/4 cup of melted butter over the top of the loaf and bake for 55-60 minutes. 

I was worried about this bread tasting too bitter, but its not bitter at all.  It's actually a very nice flavor and would be a perfect bread to serve with soups or chili. 

The saying goes.... Beer... It's not just for breakfast anymore. That doesn't mean that it can't be though....

Beer Waffles

3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1 12 oz beer of your choice (see notes)
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 pinch of sugar
1/4 cup oil

Beat the egg yolks and egg with the beer until completely mixed.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix completely.   Bake on a hot waffle iron until done. 

This recipe makes 5 full-sized waffles...

Notes:

As with any other recipe containing beer, the choice of beer will have an impact on the flavor of the food.  I used Lost Coast Brewery's Alleycat Amber in this recipe and it was delicious.  I do, however, wish I had a bottle of the Paulaner Hefeweizen on hand.  The sweeter beer would have been even better...

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (optional)
1 12 ounce bottle of beer (nee notes below)
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Add the beer and stir/mix completely until you have a thick batter.  Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan, and transfer the bread batter into the pan.  Spread the batter evenly in the pan.  Drizzle 1/4 cup of melted butter over the top of the batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove loaf from pan and let cool completely before storing.

Notes:

The beer you choose in this recipe will have a profound impact on the flavor of the bread.  I won't discourage experimenting with this recipe though.  I chose an amber ale (Alleycat Amber from The Lost Coast Brewery & Cafe) because I'm a fan of amber ales.  Beers such as IPAs, Stouts, and Porters will contribute a more bitter flavor.  Lighter beers such as wheat beers will contribute a milder flavor.  The beer choice will also appropriately change the color of the loaf.

If you want to put cheese in this bread, pick your favorite, shred it, and add a cup to the mixture.  In this recipe, I used normal sharp cheddar.  I plan to experiment more in the future with different beers and different cheeses as well.  I think this bread would also be excellent with monterey jack cheese...

My culinary skills must be getting rusty. I actually let this recipe boil over by accident and I'm gonna have fun cleaning it up off the stove top...

Guinness Barbecue Sauce

1 cup Molasses (don't substitute here... use molasses)
1/2 cup Mustard (yellow or whatever you want to use)
1 cup chili sauce
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup Guinness beer (or whatever beer you like if you can't handle Guinness)

Combine all the ingredients in a 2.5 quart saucepan. Mix it up really well to get the molasses disolved as much as possible. SLOWLY (see picture above) bring the mixture to a boil while stirring rather constantly. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool. If you aren't planning to use the sauce immediately, put it in a jar and refrigerate... Use this on anything that calls for barbecue sauce and enjoy a Guinness while you are making it...