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pumpkin ale

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Ale Short Ribs Sliders

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Slow Cooker Pumpkin Ale  Short Ribs Sliders topped with Beer Caramelized Onion Horseradish Sauce are perfect for a party or watching football!

Slow Cooker Beer Braised Short Rib Sliders with Beer Caramelized Onion Horseradish Sauce

Hello October.

Slow Cooker Beer Braised Short Rib Sliders with Beer Caramelized Onion Horseradish Sauce

I get really excited this time of year.  The leaves are starting to turn, the air is crisp enough at night to sit outside with a fire going in the pit, we can escape the sweltering southern heat and sip on all the pumpkin beer I can get my hands on.

We normally brew our own pumpkin beer in the fall and I have to say that we have mastered the recipe.  Think pumpkin pie rather than pumpkin spice and that should give you an idea of my preference of pumpkin beer flavor.  We haven’t got to it yet this year, but I’m having a good time sampling everything that’s out there.  Two of my go-to favorite pumpkin beers are Southern Tier’s Pumpking and NoDa’s Gordgeous.  They’re both delicious to drink and for cooking up some short ribs.  I used Pumpking for these Slow Cooker Pumpkin Ale Braised Short Ribs Sliders with Beer Caramelized Onion Horseradish Sauce.  I made Beer Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms and Polenta and Pumpkin Ale and Butterscotch Donuts with Gordgeous.  I’m telling you – you can’t go wrong with either of these beers. (This is not a sponsored post – I just love talking about good craft beer)

Speaking of October and pumpkin beer, Sara from Cake Over Steak is hosting a virtual pumpkin party!  If you’re looking for all the pumpkin recipes to make your October the best it can be, head over to the Virtual Pumpkin Party page and get your pumpkin on!

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Ale Braised Short Ribs Sliders topped with Beer Caramelized Onion Horseradish Sauce are perfect for a party or watching football!

Slow Cooker Beer Braised Short Rib Sliders with Beer Caramelized Onion Horseradish Sauce
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Slow Cooker Pumpkin Ale Braised Short Ribs Sliders with Beer Caramelized Onion Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 1/2 pounds short ribs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 16 ounces pumpkin ale divided
  • 2 onions thinly sliced
  • 9 ounce jar prepared horseradish
  • 1/4 cup mayonaise
  • slider rolls

Instructions

  1. Melt butter and olive oil over medium-high heat
  2. Generously salt and pepper short ribs (measurements above are guidelines and don't have to be exact)
  3. Sear short ribs on all sides - working in batches so not to over crowd the pan - 2-3 minutes per side
  4. Transfer short ribs to slow cooker
  5. Pour 1/4 cup of pumpkin ale into the pan used to cook the short ribs and pour the rest of the beer over the meat in the slow cooker
  6. Cook short ribs on low for 6 hours
  7. Add sliced onions to pan with the beer and cook on medium for 20 - 30 minutes or until softened and caramelized
  8. Reserve some of the beer caramelized onions for toppings
  9. Combine remaining beer caramelized onions, horseradish, and mayonaise to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine to desired consistency
  10. Remove meat from the bones and shred by pulling it apart with a couple of forks
  11. Pile shredded short ribs onto slider rolls, top with caramelized onion horseradish sauce and finish with reserved beer caramelized onions

NOTES:

  1. This made about 12 sliders and can easily be adjusted to make more or less, depending on the size of your slow cooker
  2. I didn’t make the beer caramelized onion horseradish sauce too smooth.  I left it with a little texture, but it’s a flexible sauce and you can make it how you like it.

Pumpkin Ale Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms and Polenta

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Pumpkin Ale Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms and Polenta is a rich and delicious dish perfect for warming the heart and soul during cold times.

 

It was a hell of a ride last week.

Pumpkin Ale Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms and Polenta is a rich and delicious dish perfect for warming the heart and soul during cold times.

I had to take some time away and I’m still not ready to talk about it.

I’d rather focus on some comfort food instead.  Comfort food in the form of short ribs cooked low and slow in pumpkin beer, combined with mushrooms to make a rich gravy, and piled high on a creamy cloud of polenta.  And, of course, I say cheers and raise a glass to you with a warmly spiced pumpkin ale.

Pumpkin Ale Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms and Polenta is a rich and delicious dish perfect for warming the heart and soul during cold times.

That, my friends, is what dreams are made of.

UPDATE: Y’all, I have to offer my apologies.  I’m totally fine and nothing bad happened to me.  I thought it was obvious that I was expressing my extreme displeasure with the election and all things political.  I appreciate your support , kindness, and concern.  Tune in next time and we’ll totally talk about Thanksgiving and fun things like beer.

Pumpkin Ale Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms and Polenta
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Pumpkin Ale Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms and Polenta

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter divided
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 2 1/2 - 3 pounds short ribs
  • 1 -2 cups flour
  • salt and pepper
  • 16 ounces pumpkin ale
  • 12 ounces sliced mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 15 ounce can beef consomme
  • Prepared polenta

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 275
  2. Prepare polenta according to package directions
  3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter into 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven
  4. Add flour to a bowl and generously salt and pepper, stir to combine
  5. Dredge short ribs in flour and brown in Dutch oven in batches, 2-3 minutes each side
  6. Deglaze pan by pouring beer into pan and scrape up brown bits
  7. Return meat to pan, cover, and transfer to oven for 3 - 4 hours
  8. Remove meat from pan and shred from the bones, set aside
  9. In a cast iron skillet melt butter and olive oil over medium heat
  10. Add mushrooms, stir to coat, and leave alone for a few minutes then stir periodically until tender
  11. Sprinkle mushrooms with 1/4 cup flour, stir for about one minute
  12. Add consomme, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until thickened
  13. Add meat and any cooking liquid back into pan and cook until heated through
  14. Serve over polenta and garnish with parsley if desired

NOTES:

  1. I used NoDa Brewing Company’s Gordgeous Pumpkin Ale in this dish, which has cardamom and other spices in it.  If you use a different pumpkin ale, you may want to add some additional seasonings.
  2. If you use the polenta in the tube from the produce section, I won’t judge.  It’s a perfectly fine short cut.
  3. You can cook the short ribs in the beer ahead of time and then just make the polenta and mushroom gravy when ready to serve for an easy weeknight meal.

Pumpkin Ale Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms and Polenta

Pumpkin Ale Butterscotch Donuts Recipe

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Pumpkin Ale Butterscotch Donuts Recipe

Halloween takes me back to high school.

Pumpkin Ale and Butterscotch Donuts Recipe

I’m not really sure why.  For some reason I always seem to think about my friends, Nick and Alex. They were brothers.  They drove a VW bus and had a cocker spaniel that they took everywhere. The bus was adorned with curtains covered in mushrooms, the license plate was attached wtih a ginormous safety (think diaper) pin, and there was a bumper sticker that said, “Because I’m the Mommy, that’s why.”

I’m sure you can understand why I can’t remember the dog’s name or the color of the bus.

Pumpkin Ale and Butterscotch Donuts Recipe

Where am I going with this?  Beats me.  I was just thinking about Halloween and with that my memory always goes back to a time when things were simple.  Even though at the time it all seemed complicated. Around Halloween, I always think about a fall day when Nick and Alex (and aforementioned cocker spaniel who I cannot remember the name) rolled into my driveway in their VW bus.  They wanted to ride up to the mountains and look at the foliage.  Did I want to go?  Sure!

Pumpkin Ale and Butterscotch Donuts Recipe

Who woudn’t?  We picked up a few friends, a few beverages (yes – the boozy kind even though we were in high school – sorry Mom!), and a pack or two of cigarettes – sorry about that too, Mom.  No worries – I don’t smoke anymore.  Virginia Slims 120’s lost some stock value and I was a lot cooler in 1988.

Pumpkin Ale and Butterscotch Donuts Recipe

I can still remember how colorful the trees looked in the distance.  I feel the breeze ruffle the leaves and blow my hair as I jumped into that VW bus.  I grabbed a smoke and a beer while greeting the dog and I didn’t have a single care in the world.  We were off to the mountains in the way of the young in a cloud of innocence.

Pumpkin Ale and Butterscotch Donuts Recipe

I’ll never forget it.  I’ll always miss it.

Pumpkin Ale and Butterscotch Donuts Recipe
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Pumpkin Ale Butterscotch Donuts Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs room temperature and lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 1/4 cup pumpkin ale beer
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Whisk together flour, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice
  3. In another bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and beer
  4. Add wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine
  5. Coat 2 donut pans with cooking spray
  6. Spoon donut batter into the pans until not quite full
  7. Bake 16 - 18 minutes or until golden brown
  8. Cool in pans on wire rack for 5 - 6 minutes then turn out onto the rack to cool completely
  9. Combine butterscotch chips and heavy cream in a bowl and microwave for 30 second intervals until smooth and combined without lumps stirring in between
  10. Coat donuts with butterscotch by either dunking them in the bowl or spooning it over the tops

NOTES:

  1. Be careful not to burn your fingers when glazing the donuts as ganache will be hot
  2. You will also want to work quickly because ganache will get thick and harden when it cools, but you can reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds at a time until it warms up again
  3. If the donuts stick to the pan, just use a rubber spatula to go around the edges and they’ll release
  4. This recipe made 24 donuts
  5. This recipe contains alcohol and shouldn’t be served to minors

Pumpkin Ale and Butterscotch Donuts Recipe