Beer at the Grocery Store - Its About Time

I have lived in New York, New Jersey, Kansas, Illinois, Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida and the United Kingdom. I have shopped on numerous occasions in many other states. With the possible exception of Pennsylvania there are few states with alcohol control laws as incomprehensible as those in the Garden State. One example is the manner in which New Jersey regulates microbreweries and brew pubs. The present laws prohibit having more than one brewery under common ownership. Consequently, the successful Triumph Brewery of Princeton had to locate its second brew-pub across the river in New Hope, Pennsylvania instead of Lambertville, New Brunswick or Red Bank. The laws for licensing for a micro-distillery are well nigh incomprehensible. Last but not least there is the whole morass of laws regarding the obtaining a permit to sell alcoholic beverages. One such component of these laws prohibits a person (or corporation which is a "legal" person for purposes of the law) from holding more than two permits statewide. In effect this allows only two stores in a Grocery chain to sell beer or wine. Grocers have sought to have this law overturned for decades. Their self interest aside such a change would benefit the consumer and the environment.

The present method of liquor distribution in our state involves chosen "distributors" who have "territories" and are the only ones that can legally buy from a Winery/Brewery/Distillery they then peddle their wares to retail outlets. This system limits the availability of some brands in some areas. Some distributors choose to flex their muscles and force retailers to sell certain brands at the expense of others. This can be done by various means such as by threatening to cut a retailers allocation of a brand that sells well if they do not buy a quota of slower selling brands. Other more subtle interference may involve product placement and in store promotions or declining to carry smaller producer's products without incentives. The current system limiting the number of outlets a permit holder can own reinforces the bargaining disparity between retailers and distributors by keeping retailers small. A chain of Grocery outlets could use its purchasing power to buy in bulk and pass the savings along - as happens outside the Garden State.

The distributors are not happy with this proposal, small surprise, they like the status quo, and they have enlisted the help of the retailers by warning of doom and gloom. The mom and pop liquor stores, the story goes, will be phased out if you allow the sale of beer and wine at grocery outlets. The analogy they point to is the alleged elimination of the mom and pop hardware stores where a Home Depot or Lowes has made an appearance. Now it does not take a rocket scientist to know that the level of service that a small local store can provide far exceeds what the Big Box stores have on offer. Successful local business owners have adapted emhasized personal service and are generally none the worse for appearance of their super-sized competition. Small liquor stores will continue to operate as they always have by providing exemplary personal service (including familiarity with their products and customers), readily accessible stock, short lines and wider varieties of brewed, fermented and distilled products. They can continue to special order products for their customers, deliver kegs and ice and differentiate themselves from a chain grocers at many turns. One thing the mom and pops may see is better service from their distributors who will continue to have a vested interest in having their retailers succeed.

As a consumer we will see lower prices, more convenience (less separate errands) and perhaps some more respectful treatment of beer. Beer being sold as a food accompaniment and not as an adornment for young lithe models. Imagine if you will someone selling beer without a cut-out of a bikini clad model. Beer and food pairings coming to the fore and included in store recommended recipes. Beer is, after all, just another food product why not treat it like one?

If you are wondering how this will work, just visit the Shop Rite in Middletown or our local whole Foods. Some Grocer's, like Trader Joe's, have their own craft beers bottled on their label. Imagine being able to swing by Costco and buy your ribs, veggies and salads as well as beer and wine in one stop. Less driving, less pollution less precious leisure time spent shopping.

Cooking With Beer - Beef Short Ribs

Beer is food. It is Water, Grain, Yeast and some type of flavoring, usually hop flowers (which also happen to be a natural preservative). Through the miracle of fermentation wherein the yeast feeds on the sugars in the grain and converts them to alcohol this mixture becomes beer. With aging beer develops body, flavor and effervessence. Like wine and other alcoholic beverages beer can fit the bill as an ingredient in many dishes. For example, one might consider using beer as the acid component in a marinade. Beer also stars in batters and breads and sauces - more on this in another column.

Let's start with the most basic use of beer in cooking - marinades - marinades impart flavor to food, increase some foods ability to retain moisture during cooking and also tenderize certain foods. Often the use of a marinade is a means of taking a relatively modest cut of meat and making it more attractive as a main course - think Corned Beef.

As with all ingredients care must be taken to use the correct type of beer for the marinade. A delicate or mildly flavored dish such as most seafood would be overpowered by a coffee stout, on the other hand coffee stout might just be perfect with beef short ribs or chili rubbed flank steak. Conversely using a delicate pilsner in a highly spiced recipe may be next to pointless as the beer will be - quite literally - lost in the sauce. Here is a recipe for short ribs based on one used for Bison ribs in Bon Appetit Magazine. I have substituted coffe stout for some of the coffee and water in the original recipe. I have also reduced some of the other sugars as well to offset the malty sweetness found in many stouts.

Coffee Stout-Marinated Short Ribs


Adapted From Bon Appétit (February 2008)

Servings: Makes 6 servings

Marinade:

4 cups water
1 -12 ounce bottle Coffee Stout or Coffee Porter (Try Founder's Breakfast Stout or Goose Island's Coffee Stout)
1/2 cup coarse kosher salt*
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

4 pounds Beef short ribs, cut between ribs to separate into individual servings and to increase the surface area for the marinade to penetrate and browning.

Short Ribs:

1/4 cup chopped bacon (about 1 1/2 ounces)
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped shallots
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small jalapeño chile, seeded, chopped
1 cup coffee stout
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup chili sauce (such as Heinz) or ketchup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Preparation

For marinade:

Stir 4 cups water, 1 bottle of stout, 1/2 cup kosher salt, and sugar in large bowl until salt and sugar dissolve. Add syrup and next 3 ingredients; stir. Add ribs. Place plate atop ribs to keep submerged. Cover and chill at least 4 to 6 hours. Drain ribs; discard marinade. DO AHEAD: Drained ribs can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

For short ribs:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Sauté bacon in heavy large wide ovenproof pot over medium heat until beginning to brown. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to plate. Increase heat to medium-high. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook ribs until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes per batch. Transfer to large plate. Add onions, shallots, garlic, and jalapeño to pot. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add coffee stout and broth; stir, scraping up browned bits. Add chili sauce and all remaining ingredients; bring to boil. Add bacon and ribs, cover, and transfer to oven. Braise until meat is tender, about 2 hours 15 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm in 325°F oven until heated through, about 20 minutes, before continuing.

Transfer ribs to plate; tent with foil to keep warm. Skim fat from surface of sauce. Boil sauce until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over ribs.

Pair with more coffee stout - or a dry stout such as Guiness which is lighter bodied but very roasty. Now some of you may be alarmed by the amount of Salt this recipe calls for. Remember this is for the marinade which is discarded. Also the salt serves a purpose here. Salt's role is to pull the other flavors of the marinade into the meat. It does this by someting akin to osmsis. Osmosis is the natural process of of a soluble seeking equilibrium by moving from an area with a higher concentration to one with a lower concentration. Salt will move from the marinadeinto the meat (pulling the beer, water and sugars and other flavors with it, at the same time it increases the salt content in the meat which increases the meats ability to retain moisture. The salt also breaks down the celluar structure of the beef. Much like brining a turkey this will ensure a moister more tender meat. If you intend to marinate for more than 4-6 hours you will probably want to dial back on the amount of salt you use. If you do not have Kosher Salt you can use table salt but use a bit less.

What can be better than braised short ribs and mashed potoes or polenta on a cold January day. Enjoy!

Waiter - There is Fruit in My Beer

Waiter there’s fruit in my beer…

Usually I do not like to adulterate my beer. I don’t usually care for lemon in my hefeweizen, nor do I generally care for orange in my Blue Moon or Hoegaarden (both Belgian Wit styled brews). I will however take lime in the “cheaper” Mexican beers (note “cheap” refers to quality, not price as Corona is not all that cheap). In fact, I feel no guilt whatsoever in adulterating these bland brews from south of the border. While it seems the lime is ubiquitous around the Bay Shore as an accompaniment to Mexican light lagers, what is less common is the addition of salt as a glass “rimmer” as one finds in Texas and the arid South West. Presumably the salt helps the drinker retain water to offset the diuretic effects of the alcohol. Over the years the concept of adding to the flavor of a beer (so called “beer cocktails”) got me thinking and experimenting. So here are some of my less zany combinations.

Lime and Beer - I like lots of lime flavor so I rub the edge of my glass with a lime wedge. I then rim the glass with a mix of salt and a little chili powder or smoked paprika. A gentle touch here may be appropriate. I then squeeze the lime wedge into the glass, pour in the beer (Corona/Modelo/Sol or Tecate) preferably from a can as clear bottles tend to be have skunky brews and enjoy. This combo is refreshing and easy. It also imparts big flavor to an otherwise bland brew. You can pack the ingredients to go for a day at the Beach.

In Kansas City, where we lived for a few years, folks sometimes drank “Red Beer” this is a mixture of light lager beer such as Bud/Miller/Coors (BMC) and tomato juice. To this combo I substituted V-8 and added fresh lime juice, a dash of Tabasco and a salt and black pepper rim. Why the name “Red Beer?” I am guessing it had something to do with the “Big Red” that are the one and only “Nebraska Cornhuskers.” As Kansas City is a barbecue town and barbecuing in 95 degree weather is hot work, a person partaking in the manly art of ‘cue’ needs to stay hydrated and somewhat sober. My version of Red Beer fits the bill nicely, its light bodied, boldly flavored and high in sodium and vitamins. You might try using Clamato and a cooked shrimp, as a garnish, for a “Bay Shore” twist.

Gin and beer - okay this is definitely one for the historically inclined. Imagine a night in the 1800’s. You are a sailor and your ship is docked in Hamburg after delivering a cargo of Baltic Fir. The local spirits are Korn, Steinhager Gin or Genever Gin and the beer of choice is a light pale German lager such as Hansa or Dortmund Pils. In Northern Europe Juniper is a common flavor in food and spirits, and in some countries’, such as Finland, Juniper and Spruce can be found in the beer as well… So try this, add a splash of your favorite Gin (I like Plymouth) to a light pilsner to add some floral notes to the nose and some spicy botanicals to the palate. Not for everyone, but it works for me. A gentle touch here is best, as with Gin, a little goes a long way… you can always add more. You can pair this with stinky cheese, onions, dark bread, smoked meats and pickled fish if you really want to be authentic. Brawling and debauchery are optional…

The Chelada or Michelada. This one comes from south of the Border and incorporates aspects of Beer and Lime and “Red Beer.” While everyone has their own preferences I tend to start by wetting the rim of a glass with lime and rimming it with a mix of chipotle powder or chili powder and kosher salt. Then into the glass I add the juice of half a lime, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, a splash of Tabasco (more or less to taste) and a splash of Maggi or Soy Sauce, you can top this of with 12 ounces of any Mexican Light Lager. If you want more flavors you can increase the quantities of lime juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco and Maggi as needed. Ice is optional. Garnish with a lime wedge.

You can premix the liquids and put them in a plastic bottle to add to your beer when you arrive at your destination. Mix up your rimmer in a shallow, wide mouthed, lidded plastic container as well. Some lime wedges, a well stocked picnic hamper, a cooler and it’s off you go.

Other possible beer pairings include Lemonade and lemon-lime soda im the UK this is called a “Shandy” and in Germany a “Radler” or “Cyclist”. You get the idea; your only limits are your imagination and you thirst.