Cooking with Stout
I’m looking to make a chicken stew for a festive occasion. The recipe calls for a stout beer but I’ve never been much of a beer drinker. Could anyone recommend a good stout for cooking?
I realize there’s the obvious choice of Guinness. I would prefer something a little more local. American, northeast would be preferable. However, if there is a strong recommendation for something else, I'll happily take it. I just thought it was worth checking first. Thx Much!
By the1arianna
on Jun 1, 2009 12:22 AM
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I'd make it for the family before the festive occasion, just to make sure you like it. One time i watched Martha Stewart make a pork butt braised with guiness stout and various root vegetables. Anyway, I had never cooked with Stout prior to that point, love to drink it and the dish looked great on TV. But when i made the dish at home, it was just too bitter. I really doubt using a different stout would of made much of a difference.
don't get me wrong, I enjoy the bitterness when drinking stouts as well as hoppier beers, but I guess as the stout reduced, the predominate flavor that was left was bitterness.
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There's a big difference between using the stout as-is, and reducing it. If the stew recipe doesn't call for the stout to be reduced, then I don't think the bitterness will be such a factor.
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I think if the recipe is going to cook for a while, such as in a braise, it's naturally going to reduce, isn't it?
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This is a stew, not a braise. That means the stout will be very diluted.
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I'd just use Guinness. It's A) delicious and B) fairly neutral tasting as far as stouts go (no extreme chocolate/coffee notes).
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I'm curious about the stout/chicken combo. I have used stouts with lamb and pork sausage, gamier meat, but would think maybe a lager, ale or even pilsner might be a better bet? I tend to use those when cooking lean, lighter meats like chicken or turkey.
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Agree, I use chicken with my lamb stew, pork stew and beef stew. Chicken I find over powering in flavor. A larger would be much better and any good lager locally when reduced should work well. I use a good local quality and I would think much better than the stout. That is too much to me ... BUT I haven't tried it. I have made a stew with a mix of chicken and sausage and used a larger, but a bit milder than Guiness, but just me. Lots of options. I like a bit lighter with just chicken, but use what it is close to home.
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I make this stew a couple of times a year w/ whatever random beers I dig up out of the fridge (usually left behind by house guests). I decided to apply to enter the stew in a beer cooking contest (The Brooklyn Beer Experiment) and without thinking about it named the dish “Chicken Stout Stew” now I feel somewhat obligated to use a stout and rather silly. If I remember right, the Sierra Nevada and Negro Modelo batches we’re particularly good.
Oh, and it’s not reduced much. It’s hearty but not heavy, lots of veggies and some wild rice.
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I would use Guinness. There is a huge difference between Irish Stout and Imperial Stout, and most of the local breweries in the Northeast are much closer to the Imperial style. Guinness has a much lighter flavor than any stout I've had from the Northeast, or really anywhere in the US. If Sierra Nevada and Negra Modelo have worked for you in the past, you probably don't want a heavier stout than Guinness.
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Not sure how it would cook but if you want a local stout for a "Brooklyn Beer Experiment" contest then I would think the Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout would be the logical choice although its a fairly intense and sweet Russian Imperial so Im not sure how that would taste if you cook with it. Maybe let it go flat and water it down a lot to reduce its heft. Or do a "black and black" with the Brooklyn and a Guinness.
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That's a really hot beer. Super-high fusel alcohol content. Nearly undrinkable, IMO. Needs some serious aging.
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Not really- I have only gotten 'hot' or unbalanced samples of the BBCS about a third of the time, dating back to the original release. It can happen, though I'd be hesitant to call it a defining characteristic.
Still, I wouldn't recommend it to the OP. I betcha the recipe is designed with Guinness Extra Stout (the bottled version) in mind, but I'd be inclined to go with something a little more rounded and less bitter myself. Keeping it local to the Northeast I'd say that Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout would be an ideal choice.
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It is a pretty extreme brew no doubt which is why I suggested cutting it with Guinness or water even. But considering the name of the contest it seems to be begging for the use of a Brooklyn Brewery beer. And do they make any other stouts?
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When cooking with beer that has noticeable hop character I never use more that a 1/4 cup of beer per the serving size of the receipe. So if the recipe serves 6 I'll use no more than 1.5 cups of beer. If the recipe calls for more beer all substitute with broth or water. Anymore and the bitterness is too strong to me.
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I use Guinness when making stews and marinades. Many of the American Micro stouts just overpower everything else in stews and the like. The mega and extreme stouts may be really nice sipping on a winter's day, but Guinness still seems to work best for cooking. Can't beat it for beef and kidney pie (or, beef and mushroom if you can't abide by the kidney).
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Thanks guys!!! I appreciate the lively debate and input=)
Brooklyn Brewery is one of the sponsors, as well as Smuttynose. I believe BB only has the 1 stout which I hesitate to use due to my lack of familiarity and the “black chocolate” character – sounds intense. I think Smuttynose’s is the Imperial Stout.
One cool thing about this cooking competition is that there are NO rules. So, I was thinking I could use some stout, as well as some other lighter beers for balance.
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Just use straight Brooklyn Brown Ale - if you are going to use a "lighter" stout and cut it with lighter beers for balance anyway.
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Great suggestion.
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In case anybody was wondering, my stew was not a winner at the Brooklyn Beer Experiment:( However, I made a fantastic batch of stew. I’m fact, my best yet!
To all the foodies out there that helped me with the stout situation, I thank you! I wasn’t sure what you guys meant by “bitter” but it made me weary of using the stout to start things off. So instead, I started the cooking process with Brooklyn Brewery Summer Ale, and finished off the cooking with some Negra Modelo. I let the stew sit for about 24 hours. Then after reheating it for the contest and before serving, I added the stout – Guinness that is.
Since the stew was being kept warm in a chafing dish for several hours, there was some reducing taking place on it’s own. I finally figured out what you guys meant about that “bitterness” Half way through the event I had several adjustments to make - it was an easy fix w/ a lighter beer and a bit of honey, which a neighboring chef happened to have on hand. I’m SO glad I didn’t start out w/ a stout! I’ll post the actual recipe, but it’s a bit tuff as I never measure anything.
Anyhow, you all helped me perfect one of my favorite dishes – big ups!!! As well as to that neighboring chef, who was making a beer cocktail w/ a honey and salt rim – so good! I partially blame JJ Proville for the lack of enthusiasm for my stew (jk). We were sharing a table and his half had these amazing little pulled pork sliders!!! They were so good that the guy had groupies. I still can’t believe he didn’t win either. On the bright side, the competition was fierce, bordering on overwhelming. And I feel privileged to have been able to share in all it's drunken glory.
Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brooklynfoodexperiment/sets/72157619596489694/show/
Blogs:
http://carnivoreheartsherbivore.wordp...
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