Not just pub grub anymore (not that there's anything wrong with that), beer & food pairings have come a long way! Here we aim to show the versatility of beer with food, as well as sharing recipes for cooking with beer.

BBQ - Slow and low, baby!

Anyone who knows me understands my ridiculous obsession over Southern BBQ. Slow and low, baby... it's the only way to go. Now, I have not spent a ton of time in the south, but I know what I like and I sure as hell think I can tell good Q from bad. Memphis, Texas, whatever - it's all good. Patience rewards the chef de Q.

When I was in Regina for the ALES Club Annual Homebrew Competition, Gary, Sue, Craig and I made our way over to Smokin' Oakies for a meal between a couple of our judging sessions. I had the brisket sandwich and slaw which was super yummy, as well as a real iced tea. Lovely.

Closer to home, I've got an off-set firebox BBQ that does a nice job, even if it is a bit finicky. I've seen Bev from the Bushwakker do his up with an insulated blanket of sorts.

I usually just tend the fire all day and I'm content with spending the day outside.

Here's a simple recipe for a roast that can duplicated at home with minimal equipment.

Give'er the Ol' Rub Down:

Take your roast and rub it down with a spice blend of your own concoction. Make it up as you go as your tastes may differ from mine

3/4 cup paprika

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup chili powder

add in a tablespoon each of Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, Cayenne (if you want it spicy - I usually leave it out).

Sprinkle the roast down with the dry rub mix and then wrap it up and keep it in the fridge overnight. Pull it out about 3 hours before you start the cooking process. A cold roast with dry out over the fire, while a room temperature one will stay juicy cause you're not trying to heat up the chilly middle.

Now, there's all kinds of info available on this interweb thingy on how to do this at home. Basic gist of it is to cook slow & low while adding in some flavour from a hardwood of some sort. Hickory is nice, as is oak and maple is my fave. Mesquite seems to make the meat bitter if you're cooking for a long time so try to just finish with it if you love that flavour.

You'll find wood chips everywhere from Canuk tire to S.I.R./Cabela's. If you're not too sure, start with Apple or Oak and make your determination from there.

Keep the temperature in the low 200 f. range and you'll need about 6 hours for a medium sized roast. If you have a rotisserie that helps, too. Basic science is that tough cuts become fork tender over the long cooking period and the fats gelatinize and keep the meat moist. You can take a butt roast and make it taste better (IMHO) than a Filet Mignon.

Here you see the roast after the smoking process. You can cheat a bit (gasp!) and toss it in the oven for the last bit while you get your accompaniments ready to go with.

Just dump over 3/4 of a bottle of beer in the pan and run the oven on 200f. while you make your slaw, potato salad or what have you.

I've got a nice Pineapple Upsidedown Cake in the background there.

When the roast comes out, make sure you let it rest for the juices to re-distribute throughout and for it to cook off the final 5 degrees or so. This one is done a little too much for my liking, but the boss likes hers cooked through just cause.

Notice the nice pink hue to the outer edges of the roast and how they make the meat look uncooked. This is a good thing. Your meat thermometer will tell you when the process is done.

That, or when you run out of beer or charcoal. Whichever comes first.

	Home What’s Brewing Brewing Process On Tap Keg Order Recipes Merchandise Brewer’s Blog Links Contact Info Not just pub grub anymore (not that there's anything wrong with that), beer & food pairings have come a long way! Here we aim to show the versatility of beer with food, as well as sharing recipes for cooking with beer. BBQ - Slow and low, baby! Anyone who knows me understands my ridiculous obsession over Southern BBQ. Slow and low, baby... it's the only way to go. Now, I have not spent a ton of time in the south, but I know what I like and I sure as hell think I can tell good Q from bad. Memphis, Texas, whatever - it's all good. Patience rewards the chef de Q. When I was in Regina for the ALES Club Annual Homebrew Competition, Gary, Sue, Craig and I made our way over to Smokin' Oakies for a meal between a couple of our judging sessions. I had the brisket sandwich and slaw which was super yummy, as well as a real iced tea. Lovely. Closer to home, I've got an off-set firebox BBQ that does a nice job, even if it is a bit finicky. I've seen Bev from the Bushwakker do his up with an insulated blanket of sorts. I usually just tend the fire all day and I'm content with spending the day outside. Here's a simple recipe for a roast that can duplicated at home with minimal equipment. Give'er the Ol' Rub Down: Take your roast and rub it down with a spice blend of your own concoction. Make it up as you go as your tastes may differ from mine 3/4 cup paprika 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup chili powder add in a tablespoon each of Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, Cayenne (if you want it spicy - I usually leave it out). Sprinkle the roast down with the dry rub mix and then wrap it up and keep it in the fridge overnight. Pull it out about 3 hours before you start the cooking process. A cold roast with dry out over the fire, while a room temperature one will stay juicy cause you're not trying to heat up the chilly middle. Now, there's all kinds of info available on this interweb thingy on how to do this at home. Basic gist of it is to cook slow & low while adding in some flavour from a hardwood of some sort. Hickory is nice, as is oak and maple is my fave. Mesquite seems to make the meat bitter if you're cooking for a long time so try to just finish with it if you love that flavour. You'll find wood chips everywhere from Canuk tire to S.I.R./Cabela's. If you're not too sure, start with Apple or Oak and make your determination from there. Keep the temperature in the low 200 f. range and you'll need about 6 hours for a medium sized roast. If you have a rotisserie that helps, too. Basic science is that tough cuts become fork tender over the long cooking period and the fats gelatinize and keep the meat moist. You can take a butt roast and make it taste better (IMHO) than a Filet Mignon. Here you see the roast after the smoking process. You can cheat a bit (gasp!) and toss it in the oven for the last bit while you get your accompaniments ready to go with. Just dump over 3/4 of a bottle of beer in the pan and run the oven on 200f. while you make your slaw, potato salad or what have you. I've got a nice Pineapple Upsidedown Cake in the background there. When the roast comes out, make sure you let it rest for the juices to re-distribute throughout and for it to cook off the final 5 degrees or so. This one is done a little too much for my liking, but the boss likes hers cooked through just cause. Notice the nice pink hue to the outer edges of the roast and how they make the meat look uncooked. This is a good thing. Your meat thermometer will tell you when the process is done. That, or when you run out of beer or charcoal. Whichever comes first. posted by Brewmaster Dave @ 1:47 PM
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