Barbecuing with Beer

Cooking with alcohol can be something that brings a world of taste to foods that you have never experienced. Gone are the days of plain ol’ Beer Can Chicken. In today’s time, we can do a whole lot more! I’m talkin’ grillin’! Let’s look at some ways to do some barbecuing with beer.

The next time you plan to light up the grill, soake your meat in a beer marinade. Beers that are black or stout are the best for marination. And, did you know that using a beer marinade can potentially reduce you getting cancer?! Yep, when you grill meat, it releases potentially harmful chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs. These lead to colorectal cancer. Try saying that 5 times fast. A wine marinade works as well, but black beers are the best!

A few other foods that work well with grilling is beer brats, beer chicken, stout pork ribs, stout burgers, beer glazed fish, and beer barbecue sauce. Beer when used as a marinade is less acidic and tenderizes meat without breaking down the texture as rapidly as citrus or vinegar. Also, it doesn’t hurt to drink beer with barbecued food as well. The same beer that can be used for marinating, like stout beer, also works well as an accompanying drink. As a suggestion, with beef, you should try drinking Full Sail Session Black.

For a more tender mean, lamb, try Ommegang Abbey Ale. Saison Dupont pairs well with Chicken. Stone Smoked Porter works best with pork, and lastly with seafood, aim for anything German.

So, with all that said, don’t be afraid to experiment with beer and grilling. Shoot for a good pairing and light up the charcoal! If you are stuck, it’s ok to cook beer can chicken just this once.