Beer Girl Cooks

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Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette

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Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette – Southside Weiss is from Charlotte’s own Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette

 

It wasn’t my intent to post beer steamed mussels today.   I actually had other plans.

 

Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette

 

And I have a confession.  NC Craft Beer Month totally came at me unexpectedly even though I signed up to for not one, but two cooking with beer events at local restaurants?  Seriously?  How did I get so far behind?

 

Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette

 

The only excuse I have is that I signed up for these day drinking and cooking educational events months in advance, so things get lost and confused.  I know that must come as a great surprise.

 

Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette

 

So this weekend I went to a really cool cooking with beer event at Upstream here in Charlotte.  It’s the second event I attended at Upstream and it’s totally fun and really full of food and booze educational. Lisa and I went to a similar event at the Mimosa Grill last weekend.  There may or may not have been beer involved at 11:00 am.

I know we’ve done mussels in beer on this here website before, but this one is different with some of the ingredients and they are steamed in a skillet rather than covered in a Dutch oven.

 

Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette

 

So let’s talk mussels.  The first thing you have to do is remove the weird hairy beards.  Look up there.  It’s that nasty looking hairy creepy business.  It has to go.

 

Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette

 

I want that in my dish – said no one ever.  Now, I’m keeping things real here.  I do not like to touch things that are disgusting, so I either wear gloves or use a paper towel and grab that thing and pull it out. It’s easy.  Just unpleasant.  Sorry.

 

Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette

 

Now, Ina told me about this part.  Put some cold water and baking soda in a large bowl.  Full disclosure: I do not measure this business.  I dump a bunch of baking soda into a bowl and add water.  I then swirl it around and toss in the mussels.  Ina tells me that it will make any residual sand fall out.  Just be sure to scoop out the mussels with a mesh device and don’t pour everything into a colander because all that sand you just removed will be poured back on top.

 

Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette

 

I’m pretty sure you know how to char a baguette.

 

Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette

 

If you’re new to this game, there are instructions in the recipe below.

 

Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette

 

Trust me.  YOU CAN DO IT!  It’s supposed to be charred, so that dark color is not only ok, but encouraged!  You may or may not have to deal with your smoke detector.  I’m not admitting anything. I’m just sayn’ you’ve been warned.

 

Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette

 

Have a fantastic week, y’all!

 

Mussels Steamed in Beer
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Southside Weiss Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds mussels
  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • Water
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 lemons sliced 1/2 inch thick
  • 2 shallots minced
  • 6-8 garlic cloves minced
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Southside Weiss a Belgian would be a good substitute
  • Thyme fresh, several sprigs
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Parsley for finishing and garnish

For the Toasted Baguette

  • Baguette 6-8 slices about 1/2 inch thick
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Clean (scrub with a brush) and remove beards from mussels (Use a paper towel or fingers to grab the bread and pull off)
  2. Add baking soda to a bowl of enough water to cover mussels, stir to dissolve
  3. Add mussels to baking soda/water mixture, and set aside for 30 minutes - according to the interwebs this will remove any sand from the mussels
  4. Using a spider or slotted spoon, scoop mussels from baking soda mixture to a colander - don't pour the mussels into the colander becasue the sand you just removed will come with them
  5. Heat a skillet or grill pan until hot
  6. While skillet is heating, drizzle sliced baguette with olive oil and sprinkle sightly with salt and pepper
  7. Char bread on each side in the skillet or grill pan, a couple of minutes on each side, or until color desired
  8. Set aside and/or keep warm in oven on low while the mussels cook
  9. Using a 12 inch skillet, heat olive and canola oils on medium heat
  10. Add lemons, and roast a couple of minutes on each side
  11. Add shallots and cook until almost translucent, 1-2 minutes
  12. Add garlic and cook until both garlic and shallots are soft, about another minute
  13. Transfer mussels to the pan with the garlic and shallots
  14. Cook while stirring 1-2 minutes
  15. Add beer, butter, and thyme
  16. Cook until all open, stirring frequently, rotating from the top to the bottom
  17. Finish with chopped parsley and another drizzle of lemon, if desired

Adapted from Upstream

 

Mussels Steamed in Beer

Pork Loin Roulade with Mustard Pale Ale Sauce

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Pork Loin Roulade with Mustard Pale Ale Sauce

Pork Loin Roulade with Mustard Pale Ale Sauce-1

 

Well, good morning, sunshine!  I totally want to start out this day with a huge THANK YOU to all my wonderful friends for the Happy Birthday wishes!  It was a great birthday with some vacation days thrown in and a party with friends and family Saturday night.  We had a fun evening with corned beef done 4 different ways! Woot!

 

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There was one mishap that landed me on my backside on our tile floors resulting in many injuries and bruises, but luckily no trips to the hospital.

 

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Y’all know that I have 4 huge dogs, right?  3 boxers and a pit bull.  Well, Holly decided to guzzle a bunch of water then barf it up on my tile floor.

 

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She certainly looks sorry, doesn’t she?  What a face….

What happened was I heard them barking like someone was at the door and I was totally expecting packages – because BIRTHDAY!  I came walking up the hallway, stepped in a pile of dog puke, my feet went out from under me, arms and legs everywhere – all in slow motion, of course.  I landed on my bum and my arm with one of my legs going forward and one going backward.  I gotta be honest here, I haven’t done the splits since way before my last 29th birthday.  It wasn’t pretty.  There may have also been some scared dogs running and words yelled that would make a sailor cringe.

 

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There’s nothing like slipping on and landing in a pile of dog puke to get your birthday weekend started on the right note.

I know I’ve said this before, and I’m sayin’ it again.  What in tarnation does this ridiculous story have to do with a pork loin roulade with mustard pale ale sauce?  Not a dang thing.  Have a fantastic weekend, y’all!

P.S. There’s still time to enter the giveaway, so scroll down and get your entry in to win $500 of HelloFresh meals!

P.S.S. It’s that time again for me that I’m exhausted and need a dang vacation, so I’m going to be as much internet free as possible with no posts or social media to recharge my batteries for the next week or two.  I’ll be back to my normal (or not so normal of a person) self posting, commenting, Tweeting, Pinning, Facebooking  and otherwise interacting with all of you soon.

 

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Here is a list of all my awesome friends participating in the giveaway.  Scroll down to enter and good luck!

Win $500 Worth of Delicious HelloFresh Meals!

Giveaway Courtesy of HelloFresh and Arousing Appetites

Pork Loin Roulade with Mustard Pale Ale Sauce

 

People’s Porter Shepherd’s Pie + Giveaway

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People’s Porter (Foothills Brewing) Shepherd’s Pie

People's Porter Shepherd's Pie

 

I’m feeling frisky this week, y’all!  It’s my birthday month and we’re giving stuff away! Woot!  So, I’m coming at you with an additional post to remind you to wish me a happy birthday enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day holiday and to enter the giveaway for some free food from HelloFresh!  If you’re not familiar with these fine folks, you can find them here.

 

People's Porter Shepherd's Pie

 

We (and again, I mean me and IDK why????) have stepped things up a bit and in the spirit of my birthday and the upcoming holiday, I took the traditional Shepherd’s Pie and, well….. duh!  I added beer! Because why not?  If you want a family friendly version either substitute the beer for beef stock or go with this recipe where I made Shepherd’s Pie and lamented about how the only thing I wished I did different was to add beer.  So I put it in a glass.  What can you do?  I went with the People’s Porter from North Carolina’s own Foothills Brewing because if it’s a beer you want to drink in a glass, it’s a beer you want to cook with.  And I do love their beer any way I can get it!

BTW – this is not a sponsored post and I have not received any compensation from Foothills or anyone else.  I just love good craft beer.

 

People's Porter Shepherd's Pie

 

Anyways, I’m having a birthday and I hope you win a gift!  I’ve teamed up with a bunch of super cool bloggers who know what it’s like to need a break and have someone else put together a meal for you. Who doesn’t need a break now and then?  Scroll down to see the widget to enter and be sure to check out some of the other websites!  Good luck!

 

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Win $500 Worth of Delicious HelloFresh Meals!

Giveaway Courtesy of HelloFresh and Arousing Appetites

People's Porter Shepherd's Pie

Lazy Bird Brown Ale Coq au Vin

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I know!  I know!  Coq au Vin is made with wine, but if I had called this dish Coq au Lazy Bird Brown Ale it wouldn’t have made any sense to anyone!  Jimminy, that doesn’t even make any sense to me!

 

Lazy Bird Brown Ale Coq au Vin

 

More on that craziness inspiration later.  More importantly, how was your weekend?  Did you get some time to relax?  Did you do anything fun?

 

Lazy Bird Brown Ale Coq au Vin

 

We stayed in most of the weekend, but did venture out Saturday for a bit to get some groceries and run some errands.  Not all that exciting, but we had a quiet Sunday at home and as always, y’all will be relieved to know that I’m finally caught up on General Hospital.  BTW – have you seen Making a Murderer?  Or listened to the Serial podcast?  Jeeze.  #imsodisturbed.  No spoilers here.

 

Lazy Bird Brown Ale Coq au Vin

 

Anyhoo – this chicken.  It was actually Chris’s idea.  Birdsong Brewing here in Charlotte had a cookbook/recipe competition back in the fall (I think?) and Chris suggested making a Coq au Vin style dish only using their Lazy Bird (get it? hehe) Brown Ale instead of wine.  Done. And Done.

 

Lazy Bird Brown Ale Coq au Vin

 

Only I totally forgot about the competition and missed the deadline, so you won’t be seeing this recipe in Birdsong’s cookbook.  Ooops.

 

Lazy Bird Brown Ale Coq au Vin

 

Caq au Vin is a dish that takes some time.  We spent last week focusing on easy weeknight meals, but now we’re back to cooking with beer and dishes that take a while are important too.  Besides, it’s Monday.  Let’s start this week out right with some beer!

 

 

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Note:  We served this over mashed potatoes

 

 

 

Lazy Bird Brown Ale Coq au Vin

Smoked Gouda, Fontina, American Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Coco Loco Caramelized Onions

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Hi friends!  How is your week going so far?  Are you still digging your way out of the snow?  Are you over snow and cold weather and ready for some comfort food?

 

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I know I am.  And I’ve got the cure for what ails ya.  I’m not sure that there is a better comfort food than a big, melty, bacon-y, buter-y, grilled cheese. This one is a bit over the top with a combination of smoked gouda, fontina, and american cheeses.  We also felt the need to throw in some bacon.

BTW – I have zero idea why in tarnation I have decided that I am a we.  Just roll with it.  And don’t judge me.

 

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Oh.  And remember Crostini?  The Coco Loco Caramelized Onions make the perfect finishing touch to this over the top grilled cheese.

 

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I joke you not.  I think we had these grilled cheese sammies at least 3 times in one week.  And now that the Super Bowl is right around the corner, we’re all thinking about some football appetizers and finger food.  #KeepPounding #PanthersNation

 

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You could totally quarter these into triangles or smaller square pieces and your friends can grab one with one hand to keep the other free to Dab with Cam, Luke, Greg, and the boys with all the touchdowns we hope to make!

 

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Until next time friends!

And just because we are super excited here in the Sweet Carolinas

 

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P.S. Make some tomato soup the way your mama taught ya.  If you need some ideas here is one and another one

Smoked Gouda, Fontina, and American Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Coco Loco Porter Caramelized Onions

Mother Earth Weeping Willow Wit Steamed Mussels

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It’s official.  Cam, Luke, Greg, and the rest of the Cardiac Cats are totally trying to kill me.  That game, y’all!  I just can’t take it!  It was a super stressful second half, but thankfully we’re moving on to the next game and we’ll be hosting the Angry Birds here again in Panther Nation for another home field advantage.  I hope I survive.

 

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Because it’s Monday.  Because I had several cardiac arrests, a blood pressure emergency, and a head explosion yesterday, we’re starting out this week with beer.

As if I need a reason.

 

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We actually have beer-steamed mussels a lot.  They’re cheap, fast, easy and delicious.  Seriously, a pound at the Publix is usually only about $4.50.

 

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Add beer?  Yes, please!  Mother Earth Brewing is located in Kinston, North Carolina and makes some great craft beer.  How can you not love a brewery that brews beer with sustainable practices and whose motto is Peace, Love & Beer?!?!  I know, right?  These are clearly my kind of people.

 

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Any-hoo, I normally like to include the actual beer bottle or can in some in the photos with food I cook with the beer, but I didn’t this time because this was dinner and no one wants to eat cold and grainy mussels. Bottom line?  The Weeping Willow Wit bottle had already made it to the recycling bin and I wasn’t going back to get it or dinner would be cold.  At least I think Mother Earth Brewing would be proud that I recycled their bottle. 🙂

 

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Any-hoo again.  I tend to get distracted and digress.  These mussels are garlicky and delicious with the floral notes from the Belgian-style Weeping Willow Wit.  If you don’t have Mother Earth where you are, just use your favorite Belgian – a tripel would be awesome.

 

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You could serve them as an appetizer, toss them over pasta with some parmesan (which is what we did and don’t judge me for mixing cheese and fish – I give it an A-OK if it’s parm and pasta is involved), or just hoard them all to yourself with a big piece of crusty bread.

 

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Until next time friends.  In the words of the cool peeps at Mother Earth Brewing, I wish you Peace, Love & Beer.

 

I also wish you a $700 Amazon gift card, so don’t forget to enter the giveaway!!!! (CLOSED)

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Mother Earth Weeping Willow Wit Steamed Mussels

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 1 12 ounce bottle Mother Earth Weeping Willow Wit Belgian-Style Wit Beer
  • 1.5 pounds mussels
  • 1/4 cup chopped basil for garnish optional
  • 1/2 pound angel hair pasta prepared and optional
  • Parmesan to taste, optional

Instructions

  1. Combine 1/4 cup flour with a large bowl of water - enough to cover mussels by a couple of inches
  2. Add mussels and soak for 20 - 30 minutes
  3. Scoop mussels out of flour water with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander, discard flour water
  4. Scrub mussels and remove the weird hairy beard things by using a towel to grab and pull it off, discard any that don't stay closed
  5. Melt butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven on medium heat, add garlic, and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes
  6. Transfer mussels from bowl to Dutch oven
  7. Add beer, cover, and cook on medium low until mussels open, 8-10 minutes, discard any that don't open
  8. Serve over pasta garnished with parmesan and basil if using

Mother Earth Weeping Willow Wit Steamed Mussels

GIVEAWAY + Poutine with Repurposed Sweet Josie Brown Ale Braised Short Ribs

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Surprise!  We have an extra early post this week with a super fantastic giveaway of a $700 Amazon gift card! Woot!  And we don’t like the word “leftovers” in our house because that’s just dang boring and pitiful.  Whenever we have something extra, we try to find a way to repurpose it into an entirely new dish.

 

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We braised these short ribs last week in some delicious Sweet Josie Brown Ale.  Notice that there are only two in the pan?  Well, we started with four and two of them were our dinner.  It happens a lot around here.  Either we, meaning I, make something (usually for dinner) and either Chris has to wait until I take a bunch of pictures before he can eat or we eat some and I take pictures later.  Either way, he has adjusted used to asking (most of the time) if he can eat something from the fridge before actually consuming it then watching my head explode and spin like the exorcist when I see my masterpiece has landed in his belly. #bloggerproblems

 

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I digress.  So here we were with two beer braised short ribs in the fridge and me with a moral objection to just reheating leftovers.  What to do?

 

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Y’all, I don’t know what in tarnation made me think of some Canadian French fry gravy business, but apparently I had an epiphany when I was impaired with adult beverages intellectually contemplating the outcome of the short ribs.  I know.  Shocked me too.  I’m totally sure it comes as a huge surprise to you that Chris regularly makes me the butt of all jokes fun of me, but he said he could see my brain blow and drip from the ceiling as a result.

 

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I’ve recovered.

 

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And don’t be hatin’ because I totally know that the traditional poutine has cheese curd, but I couldn’t find any so I used mozzarella.  Of course, yesterday when I stopped at the Publix, wasn’t there a big ole bag of cheddar cheese curds in the specialty cheese cooler.  It wasn’t there last week. #pinkyswear

 

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Ok.  By now y’all are probably over hearing me ramble about cheese, Chris, and all things my life and want me to get to the best part about this post – THE GIVEAWAY!

 

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I’ll get there.  Eventually.

 

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Just kidding.  I’ve totally teamed up with some really awesome blogger friends to bring you the after Christmas gift of a $700 Amazon gift card giveaway!  One lucky winner will get to shop ’til you drop to beat the after holiday winter blues.  Use the Rafflecopter below to enter.  Good luck, y’all!

 

 

Update: We had unexpected family issues that prevented me from posting Thursday.  I’m planning to be back again on Monday with my regular schedule.

 

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GIVEAWAY + Poutine with Repourposed Sweet Josie Brown Ale Braised Short Ribs

Ingredients

  • 2 prepared/cooked and hot shredded beef short ribs
  • 4 ounces mozzarella or cheese curds
  • Brown gravy - see notes
  • 4 small potatoes peeled,cut into matchsticks and dried
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus more for finishing
  • Parsley for garnish optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450
  2. Toss potato matchsticks with olive oil, salt, and garlic powder then arrange on a parchment lined baking dish
  3. Bake for 25-35 minutes, stirring or turning ever 10 minutes
  4. Arrange fries in a bowl, top with shredded short ribs, cover in gravy, and top with cheese
  5. Garnish with parsley if using
  6. Serve immediately

French Fry recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker

 

Note:  I used the leftover liquid from the Sweet Josie Brown Ale Beer Braised Short Ribs Pot Roast and thickened it with a slurry for the gravy.  I had about 1/2 cup of liquid and made the slurry with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/3 cup water and slowly poured it into the beef liquid on high heat a little at a time.  Feel free to use your own favorite brown gravy.  It will still be delicious!

 

Here’s the giveaway! (CLOSED)facebookad

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Here are my super cool friends who have brought you this giveaway.  Be sure to check out their fantastic websites!

Poutine with Repurposed Sweet Josie Brown Ale Chuck Short Ribs

Sweet Josie Brown Ale Beer Braised Chuck Short Ribs Pot Roast

by 36 Comments

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How’s the first real week of 2016 going for y’all?  I gotta be honest here.  I have no idea what in tarnation is going on, but mine has been brutal!  I just can’t catch a break.  Do you ever have those days or week where everyone wants a piece of you and there just isn’t any left to go around?

 

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Yeah, me too.  So, we’re on the homestretch into the weekend and I’m not messing around.  There are no salads here today – although I will include some vegetables – just because…

 

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We’re only one week into the new year, but I’m busting out the beer.  Sometimes ya just have to do what blows your dress up.  And to borrow a phrase from the Beach Boys and my friend Chey – Help Me Rhonda!  These Sweet Josie Brown Ale Braised Chuck Short Ribs are just what the doctor ordered.  They are cooked forever low and slow and just fall off the bone and melt in your mouth.

 

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If you aren’t familiar with Sweet Josie Brown, it’s a brown ale made here in North Carolina at Lonerider Brewery.  It’s totally my jam and I highly recommend it.  If you can’t find it in your area, just use your favorite brown ale and I’m sure it will be fantastic!

 

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Have a great weekend, friends!

 

P.S.  We totally piled this on top of some roasted garlic and goat cheese mashed potatoes.

 

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Sweet Josie Brown Beer Braised Chuck Short Ribs Pot Roast

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 3/4 pounds of chuck short ribs
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 can Loanrider Sweet Josie Brown Ale or other brown ale of choice
  • Few sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 4 carrots
  • 2 onions

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 225
  2. Heat skillet over medium to medium-high heat and melt butter and olive oil together
  3. Liberally salt and pepper short ribs
  4. Sear each side of each rib (I had 4 and did 2 at a time) on all sides - do this in batches so they sear and caramelize rather than steam
  5. Set each batch aside - I did it in two batches
  6. When all meat is removed, add the tomato paste and whisk for a minute or so until melted
  7. Add flour and whisk for another minute
  8. Return meat to pan and add beer and thyme
  9. Cover and transfer to oven for 3 and a half hours
  10. Add carrots and onions and return to oven for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Pimento Cheese, Beer Battered Onion Ring, and Fried Green Tomato Burger

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There ain’t nothin’ skinny about this burger, y’all.  Sometimes you just have to have a big nasty redneck this ain’t yo mama’s southern burger.

 

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Here in the south the typical local burger includes some version of chili, slaw, and mustard.  I find that disgusting unappealing.

 

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I want my burger with homemade pimento cheese, fried green tomatoes, and beer battered onion rings.  Especially in time to kick off the weekend!  Woot!  I also think it’s fair to say that your dad will probably love a big nasty redneck burger for Father’s Day – I know mine would!

 

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As an afterthought, you know what I wish I had done to this burger to take it up another nasty level?

 

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I really wish I  had dropped a big ole runny fried egg on top of that burger.  You should totally do it!

 

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Chris put a fist on top of my masterpiece and smashed his down in order to eat it. 🙂  Whaaaa? Happy Friday, y’all!

 

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Burger

Ingredients

For the Beer Battered Onion Rings and Fried Green Tomatoes

  • 1 vidalia or other sweet onion sliced about 1/4 inch thick and separated from each other into rings
  • 1 green tomato 1/4 inch slices
  • 1 cups buttermilk
  • 2 cups cake flour divided
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup beer - I used Stone Brewery Smoked Porter
  • canola oil for frying several cups
  • 2 cups Panko bread crumbs

For the Pimento Cheese

  • 8 ounces extra sharp white cheddar shredded
  • 4 ounces orange sharp cheddar shredded
  • 1/2 cup mayonaise
  • 1/4 cup jarred pimentos

For the Burgers

  • 1 package of ground chuck mine was 1.4 pounds and made 5 burgers
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
  • Salt and pepper according to taste
  • 1 fresh jalapeno pepper sliced, optional
  • Hamburger buns I used onion rolls

Instructions

  1. Combine 1 cup cake flour, egg, paprika, cayenne, and salt in a bowl
  2. Whisk in beer (batter will be somewhat lumpy), set aside for 30 minutes
  3. Combine all the pimento cheese ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined, set aside
  4. Prepare the burgers by combining all ingredients in a bowl and form into patties - I made 5 burgers about 1/2 inch thick, press an indentation into the middle of each one
  5. Cover burgers with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed
  6. Preheat oven to 200
  7. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and set aside
  8. Pour canola oil into a heavy pan (I used a cast iron enamel coated Dutch oven) enough to be at least 3 inches deep
  9. Heat oil to 350 degrees preferably using a deep fry thermometer
  10. in separate bowls put remaining cup cake flour, panko, and buttermilk
  11. Take individual rings, dip into buttermilk, then beer batter, then flour, then beer batter, then panko
  12. Carefully drop into heated oil a few at a time until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes, then flip for another 1-2 minutes until both sides are golden brown
  13. Remove onions from oil with a wire spider/skimmer, set on prepared rack on baking sheet
  14. Keep warm in oven until ready to assemble burgers
  15. Repeat the same process with the tomatoes
  16. Heat cast iron skillet or grill over medium high
  17. Fry or grill burgers 3-4 minutes each side, depending how big they are and desired final temperature
  18. About 1 minute before removing from pan/grill, top each burger with prepared pimento cheese so it begins to melt
  19. Arrange buns on platter, add 1 pimento topped burger per bun, top with 1 fried green tomato, 1 or 2 onion rings, drop jalapeno slices in the center of the onion ring (if using), cover with bun top
  20. Serve with additional onion rings

Onion ring recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma.  I added the panko or a thicker and crispier outer layer in the spirit of fried chicken.

Note: There were only two of us, so 1 onion was enough for burgers and a side of onion rings – double onion ring recipe if you need more

Note:  I think we all know that I’m a weenie and I do not touch jalapeno peppers or anything else spicy with a 10 foot pole, so those did not exist on my burger.  Chris liked them though.  I almost fried those too, but he said he was glad I didn’t.

Note: You could totally add bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, fried egg, or any other accoutrements to this burger.  Do whatever blows your dress up.  I’ll still respect you in the morning.

 

Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a Williams-Sonoma gift card!

Belgian Tripel Beer Marinated Stuffed Pork Loin with Plum Sauce

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Yep.  Beer everywhere.

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Since the home improvements continue, my bed is in the dining room, and my dresser is in the living room, it seemed appropriate to drown my problems in beer.

 

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Who is with me?

 

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Come on ride this train.

 

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I marinated a pork loin in beer.  I put beer in the stuffing.

 

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I even made a plum sauce with…

 

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You guessed it.  Beer.  A Belgian Tripel actually – one of our home brews.  Chris made this one the same day I brewed an Irish Red that we later infused with Jameson’s.  Because that’s the way we roll.

 

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I may have even poured some in a glass for personal consumption.  Because that’s the way I roll.

 

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Hey wait!  Who drank my beer?

 

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Phew…that’s better.

Home improvement without home brew is unacceptable.

 

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So I put it everywhere.

 

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And stuffed a pork loin.

 

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While my tile floors are being installed.

 

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And I’m doing my best to hang on to my sanity.

 

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Could you kindly pass me a beer?

 

Print

Belgian Tripel Beer Marinated Stuffed Pork Loin with Plum Sauce

Ingredients

For the Pork Loin

  • 1.5 pound pork loin
  • 1 1/2 cups Belgian Tripel Beer I used my own home brew, but any craft Belgian would be fine - see notes
  • salt and pepper

For the Sausage Stuffing

  • 1 stick of butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound mild sausage
  • 1 onion diced
  • 7-9 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 celery stalks diced
  • 4 mushrooms diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon sage
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup Belgian Tripel Beer
  • 4 cups bread crumbs I used Pepperidge Farm white bread seasoned
  • 1/2 cup parsley chopped

For the Belgian Tripel Plum Sauce

  • 4 plums quartered and pits removed
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 clementines zest and juice
  • 1 cup Belgian Tripel Beer

Other

  • Plastic Wrap
  • Kitchen Twine
  • Meat Hammer

Instructions

  1. Combine the pork loin and 1 1/2 cups of Belgian Tripel beer in a zip top bag or other container to marinate at least 2 hours or overnight
  2. Preheat oven to 350
  3. In a nonstick or cast iron skillet melt the butter with olive oil
  4. Add sausage and break into pieces with a wooden spoon
  5. Add mushrooms, onions, celery, and garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, sage, salt and pepper. Cook until sausage is brown and vegetables are translucent - about 10 minutes
  6. Add 1 cup of Belgian Tripel Beer, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes, let cool slightly
  7. Pour breadcrumbs into a large mixing bowl, pour cooled sausage mixture into breadcrumbs, add parsley, and stir until combined and all the breadcrumbs are wet
  8. Lay overlapping pieces of plastic wrap on counter, remove pork loin RESERVING BEER MARINADE and lay the pork on the plastic, butterfly by slicing longways without cutting all the way through, lay flat, cover with another 2 pieces of overlapping plastic wrap, and pound with a meat hammer until it's about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick
  9. Remove plastic, generously salt and pepper the pork loin, spoon on about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of stuffing and press it into the pork across the long side
  10. Roll up the pork jelly roll style with the stuffing inside and tie with a few pieces of kitchen twine
  11. Place on a meat rack in a roasting pan and roast for about 45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 155 - 160
  12. Let pork rest after removing from oven for at least 15 minutes
  13. While the pork is roasting make sauce.
  14. Combine reserved Belgian Tripel Beer marinade (1 1/2 cups), plums, and brown sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, add clementine juice and zest, and simmer until thick (about 30 minutes)
  15. Add to a food processor or blender and puree until fairly smooth
  16. To serve, spoon sauce onto a platter, slice pork loin, and arrange on top of the sauce. Serve additional sauce on the side