Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same pot. Add the leeks, carrots, shallots, onion, fennel, and celery, and allow to caramelize lightly over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. When the vegetables have some color, add the beer (saving one last splash) and the chicken stock. Add the marjoram, and adjust the seasoning of the broth with salt and pepper to taste. Return the rabbit to the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to very low, and cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender to the touch.
When the rabbit is tender, remove the meat and set aside on a serving platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Add the mushrooms and ramps to the pot along with the last splash of fresh beer. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the liquid is reduced and ramps are tender. Then spoon over rabbit and serve.
Serves 4
SAMIR MOHAJER, CHEF/OWNER, THE CABBAGE PATCH
The farmers’ market rocks!” is Samir Mohajer’s credo. The tattooed, Iranian-born chef grew up in Santa Monica around some of the best farmers’ markets in the country. At an early age, he gained an appreciation for fresh, locally grown, seasonal food from shopping with his grandfather, and the cooking bug bit. In 1999, Samir graduated from Le Cordon Bleu and started pursuing his dream with a stint at the salad station at the locally renowned Axe restaurant in Venice, California. There he quickly worked his way up to chef de cuisine before heading on to the Little Door in Holly wood, making a name for himself as sous chef. In 2007, he became the executive chef at Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica, opening the restaurant to stellar reviews.
Samir is now the chef/owner of the Cabbage Patch in Beverly Hills. He concentrates on natural beef, wild-caught fish, sustainable methods, and locally grown organic produce—purchased straight from the farmers’ market, of course. One of the first beer dinners we hosted featured this amazing recipe for beer-braised short ribs with mushrooms and polenta. It’s a fantastic recipe that will stir your taste buds and melt in your mouth.
Belgian Beer-Braised Short Ribs with Wild Mushrooms and Soft Polenta
Samir says: Beer-braised ribs are a classic dish. Westmalle has a sweet maltiness that seeps into the meat and a subtle spice profile that complements the other spices in this recipe. The earthiness of the mushrooms is enhanced by the herbaceousness of the beer.
FOR THE SHORT RIBS
Four 1 ½- to 2-inch cut short ribs, bone on
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large carrots, cut into large dice
2 ribs celery, cut into large dice
2 large onions, cut into large dice
6 garlic cloves, smashed
Sachet: ½ bunch fresh thyme, ½ bunch Italian parsley, 4 bay
leaves, and 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, tied together in
cheesecloth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups Westmalle Dubbel, or another Abbey or Belgian-style Dubbel
Chicken stock to cover
FOR THE POLENTA
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water
2 ounces butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¾ cup medium-ground polenta
FOR THE MUSHROOMS
Butter, as needed
Olive oil, as needed
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound assorted wild mushrooms (chanterelle, shitake, oyster, black
trumpet), cut into medium dice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon roughly chopped Italian parsley
4 sprigs thyme, optional
Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese to taste, optional
THE SHORT RIBS
Preheat oven to 350°F. Season the short ribs liberally with salt and pepper. In a large braising pan, bring olive oil to the smoking point on high heat, and sear the short ribs on all sides until browned. Remove the ribs, and add the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic with the sachet of herbs. Sweat over medium heat until slightly caramelized. Add the tomato paste, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the beer, and return the ribs to the pan. Allow the beer to reduce by half over medium-high heat (15 to 20 minutes). Cover the ribs with chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, and place in the oven to braise for about 3 hours, until the meat begins to fall off the bone and the broth is reduced.
THE POLENTA
In a small stock pot, bring the milk, water, and butter to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and rain in the polenta while whisking rapidly for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn down heat to avoid burning, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the grit is cooked out and the polenta is creamy.
THE MUSHROOMS
In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt equal parts butter and olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the shallots and garlic, and sweat until translucent. Add the mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until slightly caramelized.
Add the parsley, and remove from heat.
To serve, divide the polenta among four plates, then place the short ribs on top, cover with the broth, and top with the mushrooms. Garnish with a sprig of thyme and a bit of shaved parmesan, if you like.
Serves 4
GOVIND ARMSTRONG, EXECUTIVE CHEF, AND JACOB WILDMAN, CHEF DE CUISINE, TABLE 8 AND 8 oZ. BURGER BAR
Now the executive chef and owner of Table 8 and 8 oz. Burger Bar, with restaurants in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City, Govind Armstrong knew what he wanted to do from an early age. Govind was raised in Costa Rica and in Los Angeles, and at age 13 he was already earning his chops working for the famed Wolfgang Puck at the original Spago. He has trained under the likes of Nancy Silverton at Campanile, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (of Ciudad and Border Grill fame) at City Restaurant, and Joachim Splichal at Patina and Pinot Hollywood before finally opening up his own highly successful restaurants.
Influenced by his travels around the world, Govind has developed a unique style, becoming one of the country’s brightest culinary stars and a purist in California cuisine. Featured as one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in 2004, Govind’s widespread media credits include Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, Gourmet, Wine Spectator, O: The Oprah Magazine, Iron Chef America, The Today Show, Top Chef, and Fine Living. Govind’s first cookbook was titled Small Bites, Big Nights, which Tyler Florence called “everything you’re looking for in a cookbook.”
We saw Govind’s commitment to quality as well as his sense of good simple understated food when Christina helped develop the beer list for the new 8 oz. Burger Bar on Melrose Avenue in Holly wood. One of the things that we love about Govind is his relaxed spirit and his willingness to bring some fun into the dining experience. He turns classics on their heads and seems to have a reverence for things old school, serving beers like Schlitz and Olympia in the can at his gastropub 8 oz. He and his chef de cuisine, Jacob Wildman, came up with this down-to-earth in style but lofty in flavor beer-can chili.
Two-Can Chili: Heirloom Bean and Beer Short Rib Chili
Govind says: There’s nothing better than a one-pot meal. This recipe is easy to make and can easily be adjusted for all tastes and preferences.
1 pound boneless short ribs, diced2
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
All-purpose flour, for dredging, plus a little extra for thickening
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 white onions, diced
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
5 tablespoons chili powder
4 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 cans Olympia beer
4 cups canned diced tomatoes with liquid
8 cups cooked heirloom beans3
Chicken stock, as needed
Season the meat with salt and pepper, and toss it in the flour. Dust off the excess flour, and brown t
he meat in the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.
Add the onions and garlic, and cook until translucent.
Add all of the herbs and spices and 2 tablespoons flour; stir until well incorporated, about 1 minute.
Add the beer, bring to a boil, and immediately reduce the heat to a simmer.
Add the tomatoes and beans, and simmer for 2 hours, incorporating some chicken stock along the way, a couple of cups at a time, until the chili reaches your desired consistency.
Serves 8 to 10
ZOE NATHAN, CHEF/CO-OWNER, HUCKLEBERRY CAFÉ AND BAKERY
Zoe Nathan is the chef/co-owner of Huckleberry Café and Bakery in Santa Monica. Huckleberry features hand-crafted breads, breakfast pastry, and dessert, as well as savory sandwiches, salads, rotisserie chicken, and deck-oven pizzas. Zoe is also co-owner of Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen, where she has been the pastry chef since August 2007. Zoe thinks of herself as more of a baker than a pastry chef; her desserts are rustic in style, with a focus on seasonal ingredients and traditional French technique. She was named one of the top 10 Best Food Related Things of 2008 by S. Irene Virbila in the Los Angeles Times, was a James Beard semifinalist in 2009 for Outstanding Pastry Chef, and has been featured in Food and Wine and numerous other publications. Zoe honed her craft at Tartine in San Francisco and as the opening baker at BLD in Los Angeles. She has also worked in the kitchens of such notable establishments as Joe’s in Los Angeles and Lupa in New York City.
Zoe has been a beer fan for years and is hooked on beer’s wide variety. She has created many beer-infused desserts, like Stout gelatos and sweet beer reduction drizzles. When she tasted the Allagash Curieux, a complex beer aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels, she amended her famous flourless chocolate cake recipe, which normally uses rum, to incorporate a reduction made from the beer. People line up around the block to get a taste of Zoe’s baking. Now you can make this at home and see what all the fuss is about.
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Allagash Curieux
Zoe says: I used to make this cake with rum, but when I tasted Allagash Curieux, I knew it would be an awesome addition. The Curieux has that wonderful bourbon flavor because of its barrel aging, and it goes so exquisitely with Valrhona chocolate. This combo proves that beer is just as elegant as any liquor in the culinary world.
1 cup Allagash Curieux
½ cup toasted walnut pieces
1 tablespoon Valrhona cocoa powder
5 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for topping
6 ounces butter
8 ounces Valrhona chocolate, 66% cocoa
6 egg yolks
¾ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon plus a hearty pinch salt
6 egg whites
BEER REDUCTION
Bring the Curieux to a boil in a small saucepan, reduce the heat, and simmer until the beer is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the reduction to use in the cake, and reserve the rest for a topping.
CAKE
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 10-inch round cake pan (the height doesn’t matter) with melted butter, and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Grind walnuts, cocoa powder, and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar in a food processor. Melt the butter, and pour it over the Valrhona chocolate to melt it. Set aside to cool.
Beat the egg yolks and brown sugar in a mixer on high for a full 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the beer reduction and ½ teaspoon of salt, and mix well.
Fold together the egg yolk mixture, the melted chocolate and butter, and the walnut mixture. Set aside.
In clean mixer bowl, whip the egg whites with a hearty pinch of salt. Slowly add the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar. Whip to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter; do not mix completely. Pour into the prepared pan. Top with plenty of granulated sugar to form a crust (about 3 tablespoons). Bake for about 55 minutes. When the top of the cake cracks along the entire surface, bake for 5 more minutes and remove from oven. Cool completely on a wire cake rack.
To serve, drizzle each slice with some of the reserved beer reduction.
Serves 8
ANN KIRK, PASTRY CHEF, LITTLE DOM’S AND DOMINICK’S
Ann Kirk’s fascination and passion for pastry began at an early age when she used to assist her mom in the kitchen, licking spatulas and otherwise getting in the way. She began her illustrious career as a lowly pastry cook under pastry chefs Kimberly Sklar and Roxana Jullapat at Suzanne Goin’s award-winning Lucques restaurant in Los Angeles. In 2004, Ann went on as a pastry chef in her own right to the well known La Terza restaurant in Los Angeles. Like many good chefs, Ann then took a sabbatical to Italy, studying every pastry along the way before returning to L.A. and working as the pastry chef in Chris Kidder’s Literati 2 kitchen. In 2007, Ann was offered the position of executive pastry chef for Little Dom’s (which was named one of the 10 best new restaurants in Los Angeles by Los Angeles magazine), Dominick’s, and the 101 Coffee Shop in Los Angeles.
It’s always good to have pastry chef friends. But it’s even better to have a pastry chef friend who is a beer aficionado. We’ve spent many a night with Ann discussing the nuance of beer X and how it would work so well with dessert Y and getting excited about how beer often really does pair better with chocolate than wine does. What’s more, Ann has a reputation among her coworkers for creating boozy desserts! Here’s one of our favorite boozy-beery desserts from her.
Oatmeal Stout Panna Cotta
Ann says: As a pastry chef with a sweet tooth, I’ve always been a big fan of every type of Stout, from vanilla to chocolate to oatmeal; and panna cotta is one of my favorite traditional Italian desserts. Together, they seem like a match made in heaven. Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout has a toasty flavor with notes of cocoa and coffee, which complements the panna cotta perfectly.
1½ teaspoons powdered gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
1¼ cups Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout
¾ cup whole milk
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
1 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise and pulp scraped
2⁄3 cup sugar
2⁄3 cup plus 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Dash of cinnamon
In a small stainless-steel or other heat-proof bowl, combine the gelatin and cold water, and set aside to soften.
Over medium heat, bring the Stout to a boil in a medium saucepan, and reduce the beer to ¾ cup. Keep an eye on the Stout because it will reduce quickly. Set aside.
In a medium pot, combine the milk, ¾ cup heavy whipping cream, vanilla bean pulp and pod, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, fill a small pot of water one-third full, and bring to a boil. Set the heat-proof bowl on top of the pot, and stir the gelatin until dissolved.
Note: This is a soft panna cotta, and unmolding is not recommended unless ½ teaspoon more gelatin is added.
Remove from the heat and whisk into hot cream mixture. Next, whisk in the Stout reduction, and then 2/3 cup crème fraîche.
Strain the panna cotta mixture into a pitcher, and pour into 6 serving glasses. Cover the tops with plastic wrap to avoid forming a skin. Chill until set, at least 6 hours.
In a clean bowl, whip together 1 cup heavy whipping cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons of crème fraîche. Whip to soft peaks.
When ready to serve, top each dessert with a dollop of the whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon. This is excellent served with a butter cookie or chocolate wafer.
Makes six ½-cup servings
So now you’re pairing beer with food on your own, elevating your dining experience, and creating new bold flavors and combinations. You are on the cutting edge of the beer world. How does it feel? You are on par with pioneer restaurant owners and chefs from all over the country. Isn’t dining more interesting? A whole new world, n’est pas? Take your pairing power to the people; next time you go out with friends, order a 750-mil
liliter bottle of beer for the table and give them something to talk about.
NINE
Brewing at Home
It is my design to die in the brew-house; let ale be placed to my mouth when I am expiring, that when the choirs of angels come, they may say, “Be God propitious to this drinker.”
—SAINT COLUMBANUS
Be the Beer
Homebrewing is not a new phenomenon. George Washington famously made note of his homebrew recipe. And both he and Thomas Jefferson had brewing operations under their roofs. Families have been homebrewing as far back as the dawn of beer itself. Women and men routinely made beer as part of their daily regimen. However, as taverns and commercial breweries took hold, beer was readily available at every pub, and homebrewing was not always necessary. In 1920 in America, the Eighteenth Amendment put the kibosh on breweries. Many had to shut their doors, and the variety of styles dwindled as the economy of brewing was siphoned. When Prohibition was repealed in 1933 (thank God!), breweries could reopen, but there were far fewer than before, and they had to rebuild a business that was hurt by the dry period. Sadly, when they repealed Prohibition, they forgot to legalize homebrewing. It was okay to make your own wine, but someone forgot to mention the word beer (George Washington must have rolled over in his grave a couple of times!). Enter Jimmy Carter. On October 14, 1979, he finally legalized homebrewing (it took only 46 years!) and became the favorite president of many a beer lover (October 14 is a holiday for most beer-geeks). Of course, people had been brewing tasty beer in secret up until that point, as a rebellion against the light lagers that dominated the beer scene. In the 1980s, they were finally able to brew without risk.
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