BEER BITES FOR THE BIG GAME
Take game day grub from typical to extraordinary with recipes from the cookbook Beer Bites: Tasty Recipes and Perfect Pairings for Brew Lovers by Christian DeBenedetti and Andrea Slonecker (Chronicle Books, 2015).
Wow your friends with upgrades on two classic football food hits: quesadillas and sliders. Present these recipes with pride on our own bambu serving trays, cork fabric bowls, and specialty bamboo cutting boards, which reflect the perfect mix of casual yet stylish for an afternoon appetizer spread.
- Large and Small Serving Trays
- Artisan Droplet Cutting Board
- Arch Bread Board
- 'Adjust-A-Bowl' Cork Fabric Bowls
And our Veneerware disposable plates come in a variety of sizes for easy, environmentally friendly, cleanup after the game. Go team!
RECIPE: Kimchi Quesadillas with American Pale Lager
The next generation of American beer food has arrived. Inspired by the Kogi Korean BBQ taco truck in L.A., these ultra-savory snacks demand a clean, cooling beer that will stand up to the heat and spice of the kimchi without washing out completely. Since the invention—and global domination—of pilsner and other pale and golden lagers in the 1840s, the overarching family of pale lagers has become an international standard. But the surprising thing is how many variations within this “international lager” category there are. Seek out a craft-brewed version of the style, such as American Darling by the Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project, out of Boston; Anchor California Lager; or Full Sail Session Lager. Serve very cold, with gusto.
Beers to look for:
Makes 4 quesadillas; serves 4 to 6
- Four 8-in/20-cm flour tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups/130 g shredded Mexican-style four-cheese blend
- 2 cups/270 g cabbage kimchi, drained and chopped
- 1 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
- 4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- Handful of fresh cilantro sprigs, thin stems and leaves only
Place the tortillas on a work surface. Cover half of each tortilla with the cheese mixture and then the kimchi, dividing them evenly. Fold the empty half of each tortilla over the fillings.
Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium heat. Add 2 tsp of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Put 2 of the quesadillas in the pan and cook, turning once, until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are nicely toasted, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked quesadillas to a cutting board. Add the remaining 1 tsp oil to the pan and repeat to cook the 2 remaining quesadillas.
Cut the quesadillas into wedges and arrange them on a platter or individual plates. Sprinkle with the green onions, mound the cilantro sprigs in the center, and serve immediately.
RECIPE: Gougère Sliders with Dry Irish Stout
Sure, gougères, the airy, Burgundian cheese puffs typically washed down with wine, are a treat by themselves. And sliders may be the ultimate beer snack, whatever their bun. But for this elegant riff, we signed that pillowy puff to jam with a juicy, mini ground-beef patty. The resulting decadent duet is delicious and a perfect beer-tasting nosh. And for the brew to go with these special sliders, Dry Irish Stout—the style that Guinness made into a global powerhouse—is just the ticket.
Beers to look for:
Makes 12 sliders; serves 4 to 6
Gougères
- Unsalted butter for greasing
- 1/4 cup/60 ml milk, plus more for brushing
- 1/4 cup/60 ml water
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- Pinch of freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup/60 g all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 oz/85 g Gruyère cheese, shredded
Pickled Shallots
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup/180 ml red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Mini Beef Patties
- 1 1/2 lb/680 g ground beef
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- Dash of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
Dijon mustard, finely shredded iceberg lettuce, and mayonnaise for serving
To make the Gougères: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400°F/200˚C. Lightly grease 2 rimmed baking sheets with butter.
Combine the milk, water, butter, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and, using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour. Return the pan to the stove top and reduce the heat to medium. Beat the dough vigorously with the spoon until it is smooth and glossy and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and beat in 1 of the eggs. When the first egg is completely incorporated, add the second egg, along with about half of the cheese. Stir vigorously to combine.
Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 1 1/2 in/4 cm apart. Brush the tops lightly with milk and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake until puffy and golden brown, about 25 minutes, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back in the oven halfway through.
To make the Pickled Shallots: Put the shallots in a small bowl. Add the vinegar, sugar, and salt and stir to mix well. Set aside at room temperature to marinate until pickled, about 30 minutes.
To make the beef patties: In a large bowl, combine the beef, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce and stir gently to combine; do not overmix. Form the mixture into 12 small patties, again being careful not to handle too much. Heat the oil in a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, just until it begins to smoke. Add half of the burger patties and cook, turning once, until browned and crusty on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat to fry the remaining patties.
To assemble the sliders, cut the gougères in half horizontally and spread the bottoms with mustard. Position the burger patties over the mustard and top each with a big pinch of lettuce and some pickled shallots. Spread the top halves lightly with mayonnaise and place over the sliders. Serve immediately.
About the Authors:
Christian DeBenedetti is founder of Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery in Newberg, OR, in production now and opening to the public in the Spring of 2016. His award-winning first book The Great American Ale Trail (Running Press, 2011) comes out in an expanded and revised edition in May, 2016. wolvesandpeople.com
Andrea Slonecker is a cookbook author, food stylist, culinary instructor, and recipe editor for Kinfolk magazine. Her other books include The Picnic (Artisan), Eggs On Top, and Pretzel Making At Home (both Chronicle). andreaslonecker.com
NFL photo by Adrian Curiel on Unsplash
