Beer is good. Food is good. According to that logic structure, this means beer-infused food is also good. In the spirit of North Texas Beer Week and the Dallas Cowboys sporting the best record in all of football, here are a few of my favorite recipes for football Sunday:
Short Ribs Braised in Bockslider
They’re even better prepared a day ahead, so you aren’t in the kitchen when your team is in the red zone.
Start to finish: 3 1/2 hours
Servings: 6
- 5 lbs beef short ribs, cut into 3-inch pieces
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 large yellow onions, sliced thickly into rings
- 4 carrots, cut in half-inch slices
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 can of Martin House Brewing Company’s Bockslider Texas Bock Beer
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pat the ribs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the ribs in sections, browning on all sides. Remove each batch and drain briefly on paper towels before placing in a large Dutch oven.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until lightly browned, around 7-10 minutes. Add carrots and sauté 2-3 minutes longer. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute longer. Add tomatoes, beer, and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Raise heat to high and simmer for 1 minute to allow the flavors to combine. Pour the tomato sauce mixture over the short ribs and stir to combine.
Bake, covered, until the meat is fork tender, 2 1/4-3 hours, turning the ribs every 45 minutes during cooking. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Transfer to a serving platter, spoon the sauce over the meat, and serve with mashed potatoes and a thick, crusty bread.
Note: Dish may be made a day ahead for it to develop even more intense flavors.
Black Beans with Salsa Verde Ale
This will punch up your black beans for an easy dip.
Start to finish: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
- 4 strips of thick cut bacon, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
- 2 cans black beans, drained
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp Tajin Clásico seasoning
- 1 can of Martin House Brewing Company’s Salsa Verde Hatch Chile and Tomatillo Ale
- Salt and pepper
- Cotija cheese and chopped scallions (garnish)
In a small pot, add the diced bacon and cook until crumbled. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to drain on paper towels. In the same pot over medium-low heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the bacon fat for 1-2 minutes until softened.
Add the beans, Mexican oregano, cumin, Tajin seasoning, salt and pepper, followed by the beer, and stir well. Cover and cook on medium-low for 12-15 minutes. Beans should still have some liquid when they are done, as they thicken up while they rest. Remove the garlic cloves, garnish with crumbled Cotija cheese and scallions and serve as a side dish or with tortilla chips for dipping.
Ugly Pug-Infused Queso Fundido
This treat will put that Day-Glo Velveeta dip into timeout.
Start to finish: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 medium white onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
- 3 oz Rahr & Sons Brewing Company’s Ugly Pug black lager
- 8 oz Asadero cheese or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the jalapeño, onion, and tomato to the pan. Sauté the vegetables and lightly brown the onion, around 7-8 minutes. Add the Ugly Pug and stir until the beer is fully absorbed into the vegetable mixture. Turn heat to medium-low and sprinkle in the cheese in sections, constantly stirring slowly until just melted. Place mixture into a warmed bowl and serve immediately with tortillas and chips.
