My first thought when I unwrapped that Chimay on Christmas morning was that I was one lucky guy to have Mrs. Snob. Who's wife buys them beer for Christmas?!? MINE!!!
Frankly it's been so long since I've had Chimay that I'm a little surprised that it has lasted this long. Today Junior wanted ribs for dinner, so I decided to braise them with Chimay. I know what you're thinking - "How can you waste a perfectly good Chimay on ribs?" (Unless you're thinking "What's Chimay?" in which case you should check here and here before you read any further.) Trust me, though, this was no waste of the beer.
Let's start with the beer. Chimay Red is a Belgian Trappist ale, which, with a mere 7% alcohol, is the weakest of the beers brewed by the Cistercian Trappist monks at the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Scourmont. Don't worry, it's plenty strong to knock you on your butt. Especially when bought in the standard 750ml bottle. This is one of the most highly regarded beers that you'll ever come across. Having said that, there are plenty of people who truly hate it.
I started the braising at about 11am with the oven on low heat (about 225 degF) and let it bubble away for about 5 1/2 hours turning them a couple times to be sure that all of the ribs had a chance to bathe in the Chimay. After they were tender almost to the point of falling off the bone, I finished them on the grill with a sauce made of ketchup (I know it's pedestrian, but it works just fine), olive oil, vinegar, brown sugar, chipotle pepper and adobo seasoning. I served the ribs with thick fingerling potato slices cooked in a covered saute pan with olive oil, sea salt, adobo seasoning and paprika.
Mrs. Snob says these are the best ribs she's ever tasted and I have to agree. The sauce is sweet and spicy and underneath the meat is saturated with the Chimay flavors. The meat was so tender we had to eat it with a fork (I wouldn't want to say it was too tender, but it was a challenge to grill without having it just fall to pieces.
Nom Nom Nom
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Hooray Beer!
No kidding. This may be the best beer slogan of all time.
King of Beers - Crap!
Tastes Great/Less Filling - Pshaw! (Oh man, look what you made me say.)
Hooray Beer! - Yes! Yes! YES!!!
Whether its making an ugly man look beautiful or getting some one's car keys by borrowing his pants, "Hooray Beer!" never fails to make the point that we should celebrate beer in all its glory. Check it out on YouTube
"Hooray Beer!", naturally, is the awesome ad campaign from Red Stripe Beer.
What I like, though, is regardless of whether they are booing the creepy foot doctor or the big headed friend, they are glorifying beer. And beer is what it's all about.
Hooray Beer!
King of Beers - Crap!
Tastes Great/Less Filling - Pshaw! (Oh man, look what you made me say.)
Hooray Beer! - Yes! Yes! YES!!!
Whether its making an ugly man look beautiful or getting some one's car keys by borrowing his pants, "Hooray Beer!" never fails to make the point that we should celebrate beer in all its glory. Check it out on YouTube
"Hooray Beer!", naturally, is the awesome ad campaign from Red Stripe Beer.
What I like, though, is regardless of whether they are booing the creepy foot doctor or the big headed friend, they are glorifying beer. And beer is what it's all about.
Hooray Beer!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Wunder Wonder
Go for the beer.
Wunder Brewing is an old-time San Francisco brewing name. The original Wunder Brewing Company operated from 1896 until it was bought out in 1909.
The new Wunder Brewing Company was brought back to life by four friends - a brewer, a lawyer, a paralegal and a chef. Sounds like a dream team.
Mrs. Snob and I have been to Wunder Brewing three times so far.
The first time was for beer and desert. The beer was mighty tasty, but we had to do without the desert as the kitchen was closed. Instead, we got the freaky Japanese science fiction.
The second time was for dinner. I went British classic with the Fish & Chips and a porter. The porter was awesome, but the fish was mushy and fishy tasting. Beefy beef and cheesy cheese are good things, but fishy fish is just nasty.
Our third venture into Wunder Brewing was for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Let me say here that walking into Wunder Brewing on a Sunday afternoon, your are immediately confronted with four large TVs pumping out the NFL's finest with various fans packed shoulder to shoulder at the bar. The testosterone overload of football and beer, however, is immediately doused when you open the Brunch Menu to find quiche and some hamburger thing with bacon and egg on top. Some might call it a balance, but, really, who comes into a bar to watch football, drink beer and eat quiche? Even in San Francisco that's stretching the limits of tolerance.
Yelp has not been very kind to Wunder Brewing. In truth, Yelp can be pretty rough on new restaurants because the experienced Yelpers in San Francisco have pretty high expectations. Newly opened locales that haven't quite gotten it together are panned mercilessly and the early reviews of Wunder were almost universally poor.
Me, I'll stick with the beer. And the garlic fries. And, if you get served the bad Japanese science fiction instead of the Apple Crisp, have another beer.
Cheers!
Wunder Brewing is an old-time San Francisco brewing name. The original Wunder Brewing Company operated from 1896 until it was bought out in 1909.
The new Wunder Brewing Company was brought back to life by four friends - a brewer, a lawyer, a paralegal and a chef. Sounds like a dream team.
Mrs. Snob and I have been to Wunder Brewing three times so far.
The first time was for beer and desert. The beer was mighty tasty, but we had to do without the desert as the kitchen was closed. Instead, we got the freaky Japanese science fiction.
The second time was for dinner. I went British classic with the Fish & Chips and a porter. The porter was awesome, but the fish was mushy and fishy tasting. Beefy beef and cheesy cheese are good things, but fishy fish is just nasty.
Our third venture into Wunder Brewing was for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Let me say here that walking into Wunder Brewing on a Sunday afternoon, your are immediately confronted with four large TVs pumping out the NFL's finest with various fans packed shoulder to shoulder at the bar. The testosterone overload of football and beer, however, is immediately doused when you open the Brunch Menu to find quiche and some hamburger thing with bacon and egg on top. Some might call it a balance, but, really, who comes into a bar to watch football, drink beer and eat quiche? Even in San Francisco that's stretching the limits of tolerance.
Yelp has not been very kind to Wunder Brewing. In truth, Yelp can be pretty rough on new restaurants because the experienced Yelpers in San Francisco have pretty high expectations. Newly opened locales that haven't quite gotten it together are panned mercilessly and the early reviews of Wunder were almost universally poor.
Me, I'll stick with the beer. And the garlic fries. And, if you get served the bad Japanese science fiction instead of the Apple Crisp, have another beer.
Cheers!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
What's Cooking: Porter Braised Baby Back Ribs
Cooking with beer is one of life's great pleasures. Ok, maybe not as great as actually drinking beer, but it is another way to bring beer into your life and enjoy the special flavors that only beer can provide.
The beer for this dish was Black Martin Porter from Ballast Point Brewing Company in San Diego, CA. I've never tasted this beer, but I'm sure it will come up in the future. I got it on my last trip to the City Beer Store. Four bucks for a 650ml (22oz) bottle.
Since this is my first cooking post, I'll provide my warning here: I don't measure much when I'm cooking. Especially with spices, I tend to grab whatever strikes my fancy. You'll see measures like "a little bit" or "lots" much more often than 1 T or 2 Cups. The only exception is pie crust - I measure very carefully for pie crust (not the filling, mind you - just the crust).
Even for me, however, this dish took ridiculously little measuring. Put you ribs into a braising pan and pour in a bottle of porter. Place the covered braising pan into a 325 degree oven for about 6 hours. Finish the ribs on the grill with your choice of barbecue sauce and serve. Can it really be that simple?
Yes it can. Ok, the grilling part wasn't all that simple due to the fact that the braised ribs were falling-off-the-bone tender. I had to slide my tongs lengthwise under the ribs to turn them and they still fell apart.
How did they taste, already? I've never tasted the Black Marlin Porter and I neglected one of the cardinal rules of cooking with beer: cook with only half your beer so that you can enjoy the other half while the food is cooking. The ribs, however, were delicious. The porter provided a nice deep dark flavor and the hops carried through at the finish. The smokiness of the porter is a good match to the ribs and the intensity of the flavors stand up well during the long braising period.
Eat up!
The beer for this dish was Black Martin Porter from Ballast Point Brewing Company in San Diego, CA. I've never tasted this beer, but I'm sure it will come up in the future. I got it on my last trip to the City Beer Store. Four bucks for a 650ml (22oz) bottle.
Since this is my first cooking post, I'll provide my warning here: I don't measure much when I'm cooking. Especially with spices, I tend to grab whatever strikes my fancy. You'll see measures like "a little bit" or "lots" much more often than 1 T or 2 Cups. The only exception is pie crust - I measure very carefully for pie crust (not the filling, mind you - just the crust).
Even for me, however, this dish took ridiculously little measuring. Put you ribs into a braising pan and pour in a bottle of porter. Place the covered braising pan into a 325 degree oven for about 6 hours. Finish the ribs on the grill with your choice of barbecue sauce and serve. Can it really be that simple?
Yes it can. Ok, the grilling part wasn't all that simple due to the fact that the braised ribs were falling-off-the-bone tender. I had to slide my tongs lengthwise under the ribs to turn them and they still fell apart.
How did they taste, already? I've never tasted the Black Marlin Porter and I neglected one of the cardinal rules of cooking with beer: cook with only half your beer so that you can enjoy the other half while the food is cooking. The ribs, however, were delicious. The porter provided a nice deep dark flavor and the hops carried through at the finish. The smokiness of the porter is a good match to the ribs and the intensity of the flavors stand up well during the long braising period.
Eat up!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Tasting: Alaskan Brewing 2007 Smoked Porter
Brewed by Alaskan Brewing Co. of Juneau Alaska.
The Pour
Now that is a seriously dark beer. Almost black hole black, except for just a hint of dark brown around the edges. Even the pleantiful head is a nice dark caramel color.
The Taste
OK. The label does say "SMOKED porter", so it's natural to expect, well, smoke. And in that respect it delivers in spades. Each sip of this beer floods your mouth with a hearty smoke flavor that grabs your taste buds and wrestles them into submission. Once your taste buds are begin to arouse from the pummelling of the smoke, the hops arrive for the knockout. This is not your rich malty porter. No, with this Alaskan brew, you get washed in smoke and rinsed in hops. It makes for a pleasant long-lasting taste combination.
Thoughts
Really now. Who can think with all these flavors battling for dominance? Not me.
Bottoms Up!
The Pour
Now that is a seriously dark beer. Almost black hole black, except for just a hint of dark brown around the edges. Even the pleantiful head is a nice dark caramel color.
The Taste
OK. The label does say "SMOKED porter", so it's natural to expect, well, smoke. And in that respect it delivers in spades. Each sip of this beer floods your mouth with a hearty smoke flavor that grabs your taste buds and wrestles them into submission. Once your taste buds are begin to arouse from the pummelling of the smoke, the hops arrive for the knockout. This is not your rich malty porter. No, with this Alaskan brew, you get washed in smoke and rinsed in hops. It makes for a pleasant long-lasting taste combination.
Thoughts
Really now. Who can think with all these flavors battling for dominance? Not me.
Bottoms Up!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Tasting: Allagash Dubbel Reserve
Allagash Dubbel Reserve is brewed by Allagash Brewing in Portland Maine.
The Pour
"Pour slowing into a wide mouthed glass" is what it says on the side of the bottle. Belgian Ales are notoriously eager to produce copious head with only the slightest excess pour. This is a cork-topped 750ml bottle that pops like champagne when you - carefully - twist the cork. I took my time pouring the Allagash into my wide mouthed glass and was rewarded by a nice, but not excessive amount of head. The color is a lovely deep reddish brown.
The Taste
Oh, yeah. Now that's beer. Nice strong hoppy taste. Lots of yeast - there's a nice layer of yeasties at the bottom of the bottle. And malt. Let's not forget malt. Seven malts, they say. I'll take their word for it - all I can say is it's delicious.
Thoughts
All beer should be this good. There is a pretty dedicated Belgian-style brewing trend in the US. What makes a beer Belgian-styled? It's the yeast. Belgian yeast is different than that used for other beers and it imparts a distinctive taste unlike anything else. Oak barrel conditioning and traditional malts help, but it's the yeast that makes it Belgian.
In Belgium, brewing is a tradition with many recipes unchanged for hundreds of years. In the US, Belgian-style ales are undergoing amazing experimentation. Enjoy the ride.
Cheers!
The Pour
"Pour slowing into a wide mouthed glass" is what it says on the side of the bottle. Belgian Ales are notoriously eager to produce copious head with only the slightest excess pour. This is a cork-topped 750ml bottle that pops like champagne when you - carefully - twist the cork. I took my time pouring the Allagash into my wide mouthed glass and was rewarded by a nice, but not excessive amount of head. The color is a lovely deep reddish brown.
The Taste
Oh, yeah. Now that's beer. Nice strong hoppy taste. Lots of yeast - there's a nice layer of yeasties at the bottom of the bottle. And malt. Let's not forget malt. Seven malts, they say. I'll take their word for it - all I can say is it's delicious.
Thoughts
All beer should be this good. There is a pretty dedicated Belgian-style brewing trend in the US. What makes a beer Belgian-styled? It's the yeast. Belgian yeast is different than that used for other beers and it imparts a distinctive taste unlike anything else. Oak barrel conditioning and traditional malts help, but it's the yeast that makes it Belgian.
In Belgium, brewing is a tradition with many recipes unchanged for hundreds of years. In the US, Belgian-style ales are undergoing amazing experimentation. Enjoy the ride.
Cheers!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Tasting: New Belgium Brewing Fat Tire Amber Ale
Fat Tire Amber Ale is brewed by New Belgium Brewing of Fort Collins, Co.
The Pour
Fat Tire is New Belgium's signature amber ale inspired by the Jeff Lebesch's bicycle tour of Belgium. The beer produces and eager head and if you have a steady hand, you can make is stand well above the rim of your glass. The color is the slightly rusty golden color of ... amber. (what?)
The Taste
I'll admit up front that Fat Tire is one of my favorite beers for hanging out with a brew. Plus they sell it in cases at Costco.
What I like about Fat Tire is the clean smooth flavor with just a bit of hoppiness. All in all a really good beer that goes well with a variety of foods and hockey.
Thoughts
Yummy. Sip ... sip ... yum. Uh oh. I'm out of beer. But, thanks to Costco, I have another chilling in the 'fridge. Now, where did I put that bottle opener?
Beer me!
The Pour
Fat Tire is New Belgium's signature amber ale inspired by the Jeff Lebesch's bicycle tour of Belgium. The beer produces and eager head and if you have a steady hand, you can make is stand well above the rim of your glass. The color is the slightly rusty golden color of ... amber. (what?)
The Taste
I'll admit up front that Fat Tire is one of my favorite beers for hanging out with a brew. Plus they sell it in cases at Costco.
What I like about Fat Tire is the clean smooth flavor with just a bit of hoppiness. All in all a really good beer that goes well with a variety of foods and hockey.
Thoughts
Yummy. Sip ... sip ... yum. Uh oh. I'm out of beer. But, thanks to Costco, I have another chilling in the 'fridge. Now, where did I put that bottle opener?
Beer me!
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