28 Feb

What Do You Cook With Beer Or Wine?

Author: Staff  //  Category: Home Brewing Recipes

How do you decide whether to add beer or wine to your dishes? I make a great chili made of chicken, kielbasa, peppers, onions, mushrooms, corn, tomatoes, chicken broth, Indian and Italian spices. How do I know whether to add beer or wine? Does it depend on the broth? What are your favorite recipes? General comments about beer and wine in cooking.

Tags: BEER, cook, What, Wine, With

13 Comments »

  1. In general, if it’s hearty southwestern flavors, add beer. If it’s a dish with smokey meats (keilbasa, bacon) and/or pork, add either beer or white wine, depending on what mood you are going for. Beer will give it a heartier german/polish flavor, wine will make it more delicate, refined flavor (the French do that).
    Chicken = white wine. Beef usually = red wine, unless it’s something “old world hearty” like shephards pie, then I use beer. Beef stew or pot roast can be either beer or red wine, again depending on what type of dish you are going for. Fish = white wine.
    For soups, I tend to use white wine in chicken soups, beer in bean or split pea soups, beer in spicy soups (southwester, cajun).
    None of these are hard rules. You’ll find recipes for everything under the sun. Different regions go for different flavors. I once made a Basque bean and smoked sausage soup with a whole bottle of red wine in it!

    Comment by christnp — February 28, 2010 @ 2:00 pm

  2. Depends on what you are cooking. General rule of thumb is to use whatever you would drink with the dish when served.
    For Chili use beer.

    Comment by PraiseBo — February 28, 2010 @ 7:57 pm

  3. I add beer to almost every type of meat. The chili sounds like it’s good (add beer). I really don’t like drinking wine but I love to cook with it.
    My favorite beer recipe:
    BEER-CHEESE DIP
    1 lb. process cheese spread loaf, cut into pieces
    1/2 cup regular or non-alcoholic beer (any brand)
    1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper sauce
    bite-sized vegetables, bread cubes, or pretzels (if desired)
    Heat cheese and beer in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the red pepper sauce.
    Remove mixture and place in an earthenware fondue dish, electric cooking pot, or chafing dish. Keep warm on low heat setting.
    Serve with vegetables, bread, or pretzels!
    My favorite wine recipe:
    SPICY WINE POT ROAST
    3-4 lb. beef (venison) pot roast
    Salt and pepper
    1 sm. onion, chopped
    1 (3/4 oz.) pkg. brown gravy mix
    1 c. water
    1/4 c. catsup
    1/4 c. dry red wine or beer
    2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
    1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
    1/8 tsp. garlic powder
    Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper; place in slow cooking pot. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. Remove meat and slice

    Comment by shellnpe — March 1, 2010 @ 1:19 am

  4. Use a nice dark beer with chili. It adds alot of flavor to it. I usually sue wine with chicken and 1/2 wine, 1/2 chicken broth with fish, so it doesnt come out too acidic. Wine is great to deglaze a pan with!

    Comment by bstnbutt — March 1, 2010 @ 4:52 am

  5. red wine I would add to that (if it needed it not just for the sake of it)
    Beer usually stout -great in beef stews- hot pots and cobblers
    and pies (Marinade the beef in beer for an hour or 2 first supposed to make it tenderer)
    Beef and lamb yumy in red wine just reduce the liquid until thicker for more intense taste
    I always make gravy with red wine
    White wine for cream sauces or mussles fish pies sometimes chicken

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