Affligem Tripel - Like Raiders of the Lost Ark

(photo from http://greatbrewers.com/product/affligem-tripel)

This is a beer for adventurous types - guys can channel their inner Indiana Jones and ladies, their inner Marion Ravenwood.  Stay with me here...

First, the beer - the bottle is caged and corked (like a champagne - cool!) and the pour is somewhat cloudy.  For a tripel (meaning three times the malt is used in the brewing process) my expectation was a chocolate-dark color.  Silly me; it's only a couple shades darker than Blahblahblah Light.  The aroma is chalky pear, and circus taffy.  The sweetness surprises, and while the balanced bitterness of the hops is present initially, it fades quickly to be follow by the aggressive alcohol pushing its way to the front of the line.

Pair this delicious, sweet, boozy brew with spicy chili for contrast and balance and you've got all the makings of a fun adventure worthy of Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Indiana Jones is going to love the chili's heat and Marion will be enticed by the sweetness (but you'll recall she can handle her alcohol!)

Chili needs meat and lots of it.  So put a pound of skirt steak and a pound of pork sausage in a big pot with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and brown the meat on medium high.  Stir often.  Drain most of the fat out and add a whole bunch of stuff: 4 or 5 Tablespoons minced garlic, one chopped onion, 2 chopped jalapeno peppers, 2 cans of crushed tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, a handful of chopped black olives, 2 stalks of chopped celery, one can pinto beans, one small can roasted chiles (chopped).

See, the cool thing about this is you can add a ton of stuff and make it any way you like it.  Olives suck in your book, screw ‘em; want some red onion instead, toss it in.  Notice I said 4 or 5 tablespoons of garlic.  Not precise measurements, cuz it’s YOUR thing, not mine.

Moving on to some spices.  Gotta have some of this good stuff in there and people freak out about this part, so I’ll be a little more exact, but feel free to screw around with it. 

Add in 3 Tablespoons chili powder, 1 Tablespoon paprika, 1 Tablespoon cumin, 1 Tablespoon oregano, 1 bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste, oh yeah, and one can beer.

Turn the heat down to low and put the cover on.  You want to simmer this stuff for a couple hours, so some back and stir it every once in a while.  If you like your chili a little thicker, you can add a little corn meal (like a half teaspoon at a time) stir it around and check the thickness.  I saw the corn meal trick on TV once.  It actually works well.

You can serve the chili in big bowls with some chopped raw onion, grated cheese, sour cream, Tabasco sauce, all on the side.  Lots of cold beer, too.  Don’t forget the beer.  

A Beer Review with a Recipe!

It always amuses me when I ask my dad what he'd like to drink.  His answer is usually "anything cold and wet" which is interesting because that's what a dog's nose is when the pup is healthy.  Now, one would think beer drinkers need no help in tasting beer.  If you are tapping a keg of Blahblahblah Light you probably don't even care.  If it's like a dog's nose (cold, wet) then yup - it's good.  But when pouring a craft beer, you deserve to experience more.  Some thoughts then on tasting your next fine brew...

Pour beer into a clean glass.  Debris and residue that you may not see can interfere with taste and can actually cause the beer to go flat prematurely.

Let the foam rise and settle just a bit.  That's sexy.  Now, just like sampling wine, put your nose in the glass and give it a good sniff.  Likely you'll first notice the presence of hops imparting a floral, spicy, or citrus smell.  The malt in the beer will come after, bringing grassy, grainy, or chocolate notes.

Now it's time to take a sip - let the beer sit in your mouth for a bit.  You're checking the mouthfeel.  Is it thick or light?  Creamy or thin?  You may even notice a metallic or silky feel.  When you swallow, what do you pick up first?  Sweet, sour, salty or bitter are good starts, but what else?  Clove, honey, butterscotch, coffee, grass, leather?

Finally, how about the finish?  Quick?  Lingering?  The length of the finish is an important quality of the whole beer delicious-osity.

Rogue's very popular Dead Guy Ale is a bold and balanced craft brew in the style of a German Maibock.  The pour shows a big tan head with a cloudy, deep honey colored beer.  The aroma is forward with floral notes and citrus from Rogue's Pacman Yeast and Saaz hops.  A creamy, silky mouthfeel gets you started enjoying this beer with flavors of caramel and cocoa.  What really sets this beer apart however is the balance of the hops and malt.  It has a finish as long as a Baptist sermon.  The bitterness of the hops lingers but is not overpowering.  Do yourself a favor and serve this a little warmer than your typical beer.  You will be rewarded with a hint of banana and clove in the finish that are lost at cooler temperatures.

Serve Rogue Dead Guy Ale with contrasting food to really wow your friends.  Bring this beer to the party with Jalapeno Pie or spicy pork sandwiches.

Get a jar of whole jalapeno peppers.  Chop the tops off so the tough stem isn’t there.  Then slice the pepper lengthwise in half.  Scrape the seeds out of the middle of each one so you don’t have a killer pie.  Do not touch your face or any other sensitive part of your anatomy after handling jalapenos!  Just saying…

Spray a shallow baking dish or a pie plate with cooking spray and place the sliced pepper halves in the bottom.  Now beat a couple of eggs in a separate bowl and pour those over the jalapeno peppers.  Sprinkle one cup of grated cheddar cheese over that.  Want more, okay, go a little more.  It’s your thing dude. 

Bake that in the oven at 325 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Let it cool and then cut it into wedges for serving.