Irish Beer Barbecue Sauce for St Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick's Day with Guinness Irish Beer BBQ Sauce
Winter Survival Tip for Summer Grill Masters – Beer Mustard!
A Winter Survival Tip for Grill Masters Winter temps are dropping across the land and this probably causes outdoor cooking angst for those who consider themselves grill masters! Yes, some will trek to the grill or smoker no matter how deep the snow is or how cold the temperature may drop. This is especially true for die-hard tailgate fans watching NFL playoff football. But, for many others… it’s just to dang cold to fire up the charcoal or gas in order to grill a couple of burgers or steaks when you can cook inside or dine-out. So, what’s a grilling junkie to do? You can either go for it and invest in a heavier coat… or, try some new things in the kitchen that can be moved outside when the temperature rises! Even if it’s just one warm day in the middle of January or February. Here’s my suggestion for surviving the winter season – turn your attention to a dish you’ve always wanted to try but were afraid to do for a crowd. Chances are your outdoor cooking parties are limited so a first shot a new dish can be cooked, taste tested and perfected before you next official cookout party with guests. Take on a few quick and easy recipes that can be easily tweaked for both indoor and outdoor use. I like trying to perfect new sauces or rubs during the winter, so I can serve them up in the Spring and Summer months. Here’s a suggestion to get you started starting with a tasty mustard that would be perfect for hot dogs and brats broiled in the oven for the Big “Super” Game! Homemade Beer Mustard - A Fun and Easy Winter Survival Tip Making your own mustard is easier than you may think. It’s a simple four step process that requires added time for the finished mustard to rest. You need some mustard seeds and liquid. Most people use a combination of vinegar and water. Here's where you can begin to play with things. Beer can replace the water! Here's the four basic steps: They are the same if you are using water, beer, wine, etc. as your liquids. Step 1 – SOAK your mustard seeds with enough liquid to cover the in a covered, non-reactive bowl. Soak for 2-4 days in the fridge. Check every day or so and stir slightly. Step 2 – BLEND the soaked seeds in a blender or food processor. Short bursts produce a chunkier mustard. [...]
Bratwursts – Just in Time for Football Tailgates!
By Kent Whitaker Fall is coming which means more tailgates centered around football tailgates! And that means more and more people are going to toss bratwursts on the grill! And, at the same time – some people shy away from grilling brats because of the perceived mystique of the stuffed link! Have no fear – grilling Brats – aka Bratwursts – is as easy as grilling a batch of hotdogs. Here’s a couple of tips that you can use for serving up some perfect brats every you toss some on the grill. Beer Bath or Veggie Boil Yes, you can use a beer bath to add some bonus flavor to your brats. However, most brats are sealed in a casing which limits the transfer of juices. So, that beer bath may not add as much flavor as you think to your finished bratwursts. On the other hand, most people toss a whole bunch of veggies in with the beer. The veggies, most often onions and pepper slices, cook in the beer mixture, along with drippings from the bratwursts, and whatever added spices you toss in. Before serving up the bratwurst simply toss some of the bath boiled veggies onto the hot grates to add some grill marks. Serve those tasty slices of flavor on the finished bratwurst. Some people use a beer bath, some use a fruit juice bath, some use a light marinade bath, and some just toss the things on the grill and go for it. All the above are fine. Method for Bath Grilling a Bratwursts My personal preference for grilling bratwurst with a beer, or fruit juice, bath is to rotate the bratwurst from bath to grill grate and back. Then, finish off with a quick roll across the hot grates. I start the bath first in a foil pan. This gives a chance for the liquid to heat up. Then, place the bratwurst on the grill grates to add some marks before moving them to the bath. Toss your sliced veggies, if using any, into the bath as well. Let the bratwursts simmer a bit and then move them back to the grill, then back to the bath. Keep them warm in the hot bath until someone walks up with a plate and bun. Roll the bratwurst across the grates to let any excess bath burn off before placing on the bun. What’s up with the No Fork Rule? I’ve had several people question me over the years about why people say [...]
Healthy BBQ without Cancer
A mixture of smoke as well as direct flame contact with our foods boosts the cancer risk, combined with the kind of food we tend to prepare on the Barbie. As we continue to take pleasure in the summertime heat wave, thousands of folks are enjoying outdoors cooking on BBQ and exposing themselves to cancer. Then again while a lot of people worry just about a drop of rain spoiling their enjoyment, research workers raise a very much bigger worry: that consuming BBQ meat, fish or perhaps poultry could result in cancer. And so, how much should we worry? and how to get Healthy BBQ without Cancer In recent times, an increasing body of research has discovered cooking meat over a flame raises our subjection to cancer-causing carcinogens referred to as PAHs as well as HCAs. These could harm the DNA in our genes, likely resulting in skin, liver, tummy along with other forms of cancer. One particular research at Minnesota University, US, discovered that individuals who consumed well-done meat cooked at extremely high temperatures were 60% more prone to grow pancreatic cancer. Even though this risk also applies to some other high-heat cooking methods for instance frying and then grilling, PAHs as well as HCAs come from a combination of smoke and then direct flame touch with the meal, therefore barbecuing poses even more of a risk. The kind of meat we tend to consume at barbecues poses an issue, as well. A greater consumption of burgers is linked to a 79% increased danger of advanced prostate cancers. Prepared red meat, akin to ribs together with sausages, is associated with digestive cancers. The meat by itself is a danger still the issue is furthermore partly because of the chemicals employed to preserve these items. Jessica Kirby, of Cancer Research United Kingdom, states: There is certain evidence to recommend cooking beef at very high temperatures, like barbecuing, can cause chemical substances that might boost the risk of cancer. There are still sometimes questions regarding how much effect this has on people’s general cancer risk. There’s additionally strong proof connecting red and then processed beef to higher dangers of bowel cancer, therefore it’s recommended that you reduce the quantity you eat by choosing smaller portions or perhaps eat alternatives, such as some seafood like fish and then chicken. The accumulation of carcinogens occurs in one of three methods while we barbecue – by the surface of the meals getting infected by smoke, by means of the breakdown of [...]
Of Irish Beers and Green Beers
Ireland is known as the “Emerald Isle” but that is not because it is there that the green beer we traditionally have on Saint Patrick’s Day comes from. In fact, the customary practice of having green beer on Saint Patrick’s Day did not even originate from Ireland. More likely, this is a homegrown American tradition. In Ireland, the most widely-sold beer is Guinness, the popular brand name of an Irish dry stout brew. In every pub in Ireland, there are always multiple taps of Guinness. Worldwide, Guinness is also one of the most in demand brand. This brand of beer is very dark, almost black, and is known for its strong roast flavor which leaves a distinctive aftertaste. Aside from Guinness, there are other best selling brands of Irish beers like Smithwick’s, Ohara’s Celtic Stout, Porterhouse’s Oyster Stout, Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale, Murphy’s Irish Red, Murphy’s Irish Stout, Beamish Irish Stout, and Black Rock Irish Stout. They are all excellent beers but none of them come in green. But how did this tradition of having green-colored beer on Saint Patrick’s Day really started? One account has it that the practice was first popularized by Coleman’s Authentic Irish Pub in Tipperary Hill, Syracuse, New York, which has been holding an annual “Green Beer Day” to kick-off the Saint Patrick’s Day festivities in the area since the early 1960s. Another account has it that the practice originated much earlier. An article at the Ellensberg Daily Record, a circa 1914 newspaper based in Washington, said that “the Palace Cafe Saloon will feature green beer on St. Patrick’s Day.” According to the story, a certain Dr. Curtin, a coroner's physician, created the concoction by putting a drop of "wash blue" dye in an unspecified quantity of beer. Whatever the actual date of origin, the idea of having green beer on Saint Patrick’s Day caught on and became a nationwide fad. Eventually, the fad, instead of fading like most fads do, apparently took roots and evolved to become another American tradition. So how do you make green beer? It’s really easy. For a standard-sized beer mug, just put 4 to 6 drops of green liquid food coloring, then pour the beer. You could also try blue but you could end up with a bluish green beer rather than the perfect emerald green beer. For a big pitcher, use 20 to 25 drops. Enjoy as soon as done. Don’t stir as this could make the beer taste flat. If you are partial to [...]