RECIPES

104 Beer and Bullets
Think the War of 1812 is over?  According to two microbreweries on each side of the border, it’s only half-time!  Instead of bullets, the war between the U.S. and Canada is now being fought with beer.  We visit the Sackets Harbor Brewing Company in Sackets Harbor, New York, and the Kingston Brewing Company in Kingston, Ontario, to get their views on the art of beer-making.  Along the way, tall ships make an appearance in Kingston, the War of 1812 is reinacted in Sackets Harbor, and we visit one of Canada’s oldest forts, Fort Henry. 

Meatballs Braised in Beer

1 c Fresh white bread crumbs
1/4 c Milk; or more
1 lb Ground beef, lean
1/2 lb Ground pork or veal
1 lg Egg
1 tb Shallots; minced
1 tb Parsley, fresh; fine minced
Salt & pepper to taste
1 pn Nutmeg; grated
2 tb Flour
2 tb Unsalted butter
1 tb Vegetable oil

Sauce:

1 md Onion; thinly sliced
Salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 tb Flour; up to 2 tb
1 c Pale Ale or your choice of beer
1/2 c Beef broth; or chicken
2 tb Parsley, fresh; garnish

To prepare meatballs, soak bread crumbs in milk until thoroughly moistened; squeeze dry with hands. Combine bread crumbs, ground meats, eggs, shallots, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg in medium bowl. Form mixture into 6 to 8 balls or patties (2 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick); dust with 2 tablespoons flour.

Heat butter and oil in deep heavy skillet, until hot but not smoking over medium high heat. Add meatballs; cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes, making sure butter does not burn. Remove meat balls to platter; keep warm.

To prepare sauce, discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat in pan. Add onion. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes.

Add salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons flour to vegetables; cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add beer and broth; heat to quick boil, scraping up all brown bits from bottom of pan.

Reduce heat to simmer; return meatballs to pan, placing them on top of vegetables. Simmer, partly covered, until meat is cooked through, 45 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

BEER and CHEESE DIP

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

10 ounces Blue Cheese (use a good Gorgonzola or Roquefort or Stilton, or Danablue)
10 ounces Cream Cheese
2 md Minced cloves garlic
1 md Onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 ts Tabasco (add to the heat level you enjoy)
1 cup Amber Beer,
1 Round loaf rye bread
Mix cheese, onion, garlic, worcestershire and tabasco with
electric mixer, gradually add beer until good consistency for dipping
bread chunks. Refrigerate. Make serving bowl by hollowing out center
rye bread, leaving a 1" thick shell. Tear bread into chunks for
dipping. Pour dip into the bread shell.

Lamb Stew with Dark Beer

Serving Size : 12

Ingredients
4 lb Lamb shoulder -- 1 1/2-in. (4-cm) cubes
1 1/2 pt White stock
1 1/2 pt Dark Beer
1 lb Onion -- sliced
8 oz Leek -- sliced
1 1/2 lb Potato -- to taste
Salt and white pepper -- to taste

-----SACHET-----

1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp Dried thyme
1/2 tsp Peppercorns -- crushed
Parsley stems
4 Garlic cloves -- crushed
20 Carrots -- tournéed or batonnet
20 Turnips -- tournéed or batonnet
20 Potatoes -- tournéed or batonnet
20 Pearl onions -- peeled
4 Tbsp Fresh parsley -- chopped

1. Combine the lamb, stock, dark beer, sachet, onions, leeks and diced potatoes. Season with salt and white pepper. Bring to a simmer and skim the surface. Simmer the stew on the stove top or cover and cook in the oven at 350ºF (180ºC) until the lamb is tender, approximately 1 hour.

2. Degrease the stew; remove and discard the sachet.

3. Remove the pieces of diced potato and purée them in a food mill or ricer. Use the potato purée to thicken the stew to the desired consistency.

4. Simmer the stew for 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

5. Cook the tournéed or batonnet vegetables, potatoes and pearl onions separately. At service, heat the vegetable garnishes and add to each portion of stew.

6. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Approximate values per 8-oz. (250-g) serving: Calories 560, Total fat 26 g, Saturated fat 10 g, Cholesterol 175 mg, Sodium 840 mg, Total carbohydrates 26 g, Protein 54 g, Vitamin A 80%, Iron 30%

Lamb With Mustard & Beer Sauce

Ingredients:

1 each rack of lamb(frenched)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 each whole cloves garlic
2 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon molasses
8 ounces dark beer
4 ounces brown sauce 
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Directions:

1. Cut the rack of lamb into four double chops.
2. Add the olive oil to a very hot, heavy duty, cast iron 
or thick bottomed pan and sear the chops on both sides.
3. Remove the chops to an oven platter and finish the lamb 
chops in a 400 F oven to your taste.
4. Lower the heat in the heavy duty pan and brown the 
garlic in the oil and fat in the pan.
5. Remove the garlic and add the mustard, molasses and 
dark beer. Reduce the liquid by one half.
6. Add the brown sauce and rosemary and reduce to a sauce 
consistency (nape).  Adjust the seasoning.
7. Serve the lamb chops in the sauce with Roasted Garlic 
Mashed Potatoes, and your favorite beer.

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