The Perfect Burger ...

The perfect burger to go with the perfect beer, my Summer Ale of course.  So what makes a burger so special?  Is it the seasoning, how its cooked, the addition of eggs and bread crumbs, or the manufacturer of the frozen patty?

The answer is almost none of the above, how you cook you burger does make the burger something special or just another piece of charred meat.  What makes a burger special is that it has just the right amount of flavor balanced with just the right juiciness and cooked just right to achieve a deep golden brown crust.

I use three cuts of beef - sorry the veggie burger is another blog topic, today is all about "beef".  The equal combination of short ribs, skirt or flatiron steak, and rib-eye result in a ground product that shapes well, holds together, has the right amount of fat, and the flavor is delicious!

The Perfect Burger: Fresh ground meat, seared in a cast iron skillet and finished in the oven.  Garnishes are Canadian bacon, white onion, cheddar cheese, and my Backyard BBQ sauce. (Left)








Since we are having perfect burgers with the perfect beer, there can be no other side than perfect onion rings - sounds like the perfect backyard meal.  I use yellow onions for the rings, they have a sweetness that comes out as they are cooked.  The batter is made with beer or soda water, if you prefer; however, to achieve the light crisp outer coating you need carbonation in the liquid.  The other key to good onion rings is that you need to dust the onion with flour before you dredge it through the batter.  This will absorb any remaining moisture on the cut onion.  Moisture turns to steam at high temperatures, which for us means our crunchy light coating is going to fall off and that makes for a sad onion ring.  The dusting also provides an opportunity to introduce a little flavor.  I add a little sweet or Hungarian paprika to both the dusting flour and the batter.  Finally make sure you are using oil that is still good heated to 380 degrees.

To feed the angry mob while I finished preparing everything else I made a great and sort of healthy dip. For most of my sour cream based dips I use non-fat plain Greek yogurt instead.  I like the flavor it provides when combined with the other flavors.  Plus it's yogurt, which "they" say is better for us than sour cream - sorry Sour Cream Council.  This is a blue cheese chive dip served with homemade potato chips.  For a more elegant appetizer before a meal, you can present it with waffle chips instead.

Blue Cheese Chive Dip: Non-fat plain Greek yogurt combined with crumbled blue cheese and fresh chopped chives.  Served with homemade potato chips. (Right)






For dessert it was traditional sundaes with vanilla or mint-chip ice cream topped with homemade hot fudge and caramel, finished with a dollop of whipped cream and toasted almonds.  I would suggest putting the beer down for a few minutes at this time.  While the Summer Ale is the perfect summer beer, let the sundae stand on its own and hydrate with a little water.

I would discuss beverage options as I usually do, but I think we all know this is really all about my beer.  Other beverages that would be suitable include other peoples' beer, soda - maybe some of the new cool gourmet sodas, iced tea, lemonade or a glass of Merlot or Spanish Tempranillo.

Beer ...need I say more?

In honor of a successful brewing event, that resulted in a perfect Summer Ale, I felt it to be a good time to talk a little about "Beer".

My Summer Pale Ale (left)



Beer: an alcoholic beverage made from a malted grain, water, hops, and yeast.

Today other flavors may be added, such as spices, flower extracts, and fruit.





The basic beer making process is to take some grain and malt it; the grain is steeped in water then allowed to germinate or start to bud and dry.  The dried grain is milled (now called Grist) and added to hot water to extract the sugar from the grain (the mixture is called Mash).  The liquid is separated from the remaining solids and heated again.  During this process flavoring is added, such as hops. While the grain provides the sugar for yeast to convert into alcohol, the hops add aroma, bitterness, and a slight tannin backbone.  A little side note, the use of hops to beer is a more recent addition.  The hops also act as a preservative that allows the beer to be stored.

The liquid is then placed in a very sterile container, using very sterile equipment, with a little yeast.  The mixture is slightly agitated and left to ferment; convert the sugar to alcohol.   The process takes about 2 weeks to fully ferment.  The beer, yes we have beer at this point, a little sugar, honey, or agave nectar is added to wake up the yeast.  This secondary fermentation gives the beer its carbonation, which is what allows for the beer to have a head when poured.  The beer is then racked, the process of moving the beer from the fermentation container to the storage containers, and sealed.  The new beer needs to sit quietly in the dark for another 10-12 days before it is ready to drink.

So now that we know how to make beer, let's talk a little about the two types of beer - Lager and Ale. There are numerous sub-categories withing these two styles.  The main difference is that Lagers ferment from the bottom and Ales use yeast that ferment from the top.  Lager's are fermented much cooler than Ales. Lagers are lighter in color and have a light body.

Classic Lagers have their roots in Holland and Germany. Corona brand from Mexico is actually a pale lager or American lager style beer; the distinctive aroma of Corona comes from the hops exposure to light in the clear bottle.  The reason a lime is served with Corona is to mask the hops odor, not to keep flies away.  That's why most beer is placed brown/amber bottles or cans.

The rest of beer falls into the Ale category.  Pale Ales, Stouts, Porters, Belgian Beers, and Wheat Beer are all Ales.  They tend to be heavier in mouth feel and stronger in flavor, especially hops - bitterness.

What gives a beer its personality is the combination of grains, hops, and flavoring.  There are many different grains that can be used and those grains can be non-toasted or toasted to difference levels.  There are just as many different varieties of hops. Combining different grains in different proportions with hops in varying amounts, added at different times in the Boil process, allows for a near infinite number of recipes to make beer.  Just remember to take good notes while you're brewing so you can replicate the recipe again.

I'm thinking a nice burger and onion rings would go well with my Summer Ale...

And for something a little different ...

Sokol  Blosser Winery:  Evolution, 15th Edition

9 Varietal White Blend        12% Alcohol

On a recent outing I was looking for something cool and crisp for a warm afternoon.  It just wasn't a red wine moment, so I purused the white wine selections and came across this interesting named wine from Oregon.  I must say I am a little familiar with Sokol Blosser Winery, but have never had the opportunity to enjoy their non-vintage Evolution blend.

Appropriately named, Evolution, is a culmination of sifting through numerous grape varieties to blend together just 9 in harmony.  Previous editions have been labeled "Lucky"; however, I feel certain that with the attention to detail in all Sokol Blosser wines, there was a bit a science behind the selections.  Either way, I am glad they decided to take the journey that resulted in this great white blend.

The winery is located in Dundee, Oregon with the vineyards in the same region, which is part of Oregon's Willamette Valley.  A cool growing region, white wines build a nice crisp acid that balances with the richness of the unique soil of the region.  However, the wine is not labeled with the Willamette Valley AVA or Oregon regional designation.  This means that the more than 15% of the grapes are from outside of the Valley and more than 25% of the grapes are from outside of the state.

While the exact blend is closely held by those in the inner circle, I made a best effort to pick out the grape varietal profiles.  As the wine changes temperature, hits the air, and fills your mouth each component reveals itself to you.  The 9 varietals that make up the blend are:  Pinot Gris, Muller-Thurgau, White Riesling, Semillon, Muscat Canelli, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and Sylvaner.   The Pinot Gris is most evident followed by the aromatic floral elements of the Sémillon and Gewurtztraminer, with Chardonnay helping to round out the body. The wine is similar to the Edelzwicker wines of Alsace in France; however, don't be confused - this is a much more elegant wine than many of the Edelzwickers.

Evaluation:

Sight - the wine is visually clear with a star bright reflectivity.  The light straw cores cuts to a golden youthful rim.  The moderate legs indicate a viscosity closer to 13% alcohol, indicative of an expectation for a medium plus body on the palate.

Smell - the wine was a little closed (served a little too cold), but as I warmed it with my hands it opened up nicely and was clean, free of any faults.  The initial nose is peach blossom and white pear, giving a hint that perhaps Pinot Gris is in the mix.  As the wine warmed and opened the floral component of rose water peeked through from the Gewurztraminer rounded out with crisp tropical citrus fruits.

Taste & Touch - the wine is medium bodied in the mouth, the acid pulls the body back from getting to heavy.  The lychee and pink grapefruits, reminds me of Texas Ruby reds, bring forward the Muscat to the palate, but the pleasant mineral aspect of the wine hints towards the Sémillon.  The fruit forward nose is carried into the palate with crisp pear and melons.

Conclusions: 

In the end you have a complex fruit foward, nicely acidic, and medium bodied wine.  The alcohol and roundness will hold up to a main course, but to really enjoy all the wine has to offer pair it with an appetizer or just enjoy a glass by itself on the veranda. Think light seafood dishes or spice; it would go great with a lobster canapé (see Cooking with friends...).   Asian foods, including sushi would be a nice pairing.  The wine is certainly a drink now and I wouldn't hold it more than 12 months; as if anyone could show that much restraint.
Price: $13-$17 (retail)   $25-38 (restaurant)

The Summer Pale Ale is in the bottle ...

Yes, my first batch of summer beer is officially in the bottle:  Summer Pale Ale

After my stuck fermentation this past winter, due to cold temperatures in my home this past December and January, I decided I should wait a little while before brewing again.  The temperatures are staying above freezing, for the most part, spring is in full force, and I am writing an article about homebrewing, so there seems no better time than now to start brewing beer for the summer.

For those that are new to the brewing process, you must have other beer ready and standing by as you begin the brew process.  The beer you are starting will not be ready for consumption for nearly a month.  You will need beer ready to drink during the brewing process, while you wait anxiously, and very important after you bottle (during bottling is not such a good idea - remember you will be focused on sterilization and multitasking).  

I'm starting the summer with a crisp and light (in color that is - not flavor) beer in the style of an India Pale Ale.  I use a combination of grains at different toast percentages to create my recipe "mash".  This year's Summer Ale is a combination of Munich, Victory, Crystal, and American 2-row malts.  My blend of hops will be Cascade and Columbus.  The resulting beer should be a nice IPA ready about the second week of June.

I prepared the mash and processed the grains to ready them for fermentation on May 12th.  It takes about 14 days for the fermentation process to conclude before the beer is ready to bottle.  Due to space constraints, I brew one gallon at a time.  That's a little less than a 12-pack.  I can get six 500ml bottles filled from a batch. 

I use the bubble airlock, like the one shown in the photo (right) and then switch to a tube release system as the fermentation slows.  

Once the fermentation is complete, I siphon the beer into a pot and add a little honey to wake-up the yeast.  This is what gives beer it's "head" or frothy foam when poured.  While the purpose of the head is a point of many discussions amongst beer drinkers and brewers, regardless of your position it just seems right that a beer have a some frothy foam on top.  I personally feel that it gives you access to aromas of the beer's components that aren't as accessible to our senses in the liquid portion of the beer itself.  

Once the honey is blended, the beer is immediately siphoned into the amber bottles. I like to use a Grolsch style closure for the bottles.  I find them easier to use than the more commonly seen crown caps, plus it adds a little something special to my hand-crafted beer.

I'm thinking of something special, a meal that is, to celebrate the opening of the first bottles in June.  I'll keep you posted!

Cinco de Mayo ...

Most of us know that Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for the 5th of May; however, there is must speculation as to why and where it is celebrated.  This uniquely American celebration has its roots in Mexican Americans living in Southern California, Arizona and Texas.  It initially spread up the West coast into Oregon and even Washington State.

So now that we know what it is and where it originated, what is the celebration in honor of? The 5th of May celebrates the French defeat by Mexico at the same time the United States was starting into the Civil War.  The celebration is a mix of honoring the victory of Mexico against a perceived oppressor and showing support for the Union and an end to slavery in the US.  Another fun fact is that the most avocados consumed in the US are on Cinco de Mayo and Superbowl Weekend (“Superbowl” is the registered trademark of the National Football League – have to stay legal).

So in honor of the defeat of Napoleon III I am celebrating Cinco de Mayo with some local friends.  Taking a more traditional approach to the menu we made savory and sweet tamales.  A salsa verde and salsa roja (that's a roasted salsa rojo), and no Cinco de Mayo wouldn't be complete without guacamole.   There were two versions, one with crickets for the adventurous and one without.

Appetizers: Guacamole, Tomatillo based Salsa Verde, Roasted Tomato based Salsa Roja. (Left)

Main Course: Savory Tamales: Pork tamales with a chili gravy, garnished with queso fresco and cilantro.  Served over a bed of Mexican style rice. (Right)

Dessert: Sweet Corn Tamales: Masa based tamales with sweet corn, cream, and a little sugar finished with local honey for a tasty and different dessert. (Left)

Beverages: The evening was all about Beer and Margaritas, need I say any more.  This was not a wine night, unless you are talking about Mescal wine distilled into something special; something that if it was made only from the Blue Agave we would call Tequila.

Wine Suggestions -
Just go for it and enjoy a good Mexican light or dark beer, maybe a cold salted Margarita, and finish the night with some good Tequila.  Save the wine for another night.

For my complete recipes click on the links below:
Guacamole            Salsa Verde            Salsa Roja           Pork Tamales           Sweet Corn Tamales

Meritage

Check out this month's Spokane Coeur d'Alene Living Magazine for a great article on Meritage wine.
Page 206-207 http//spokanecda.com   Thank you Arbor Crest Wine Cellars for your assistance with my research.

Tequila: Vino Mezcal

In the spirit of May and the upcoming celebration of Cino de Mayo I thought it would be a good time to talk a little about the other wine - vino mezcal.   Originating in Mexico, it is believed that the original mezcal (or mescal) wines were produced by the Aztecs for ceremonial purposes into a drink that is still around today called pulque.  The refinement of pulque into what many call tequila has its origins with the Spanish exploration of Mexico in the 1500's.  Once they ran out of brandy they needed to find a substitute and pulque was it.

Named for the City of Tequila, Mexico, today there are strict regulations on what can be called tequila, much the same way wine is subject to certain regulations if you say it from a certain region or use a varietal name on the label.  So let's start with the basics and work our way up to defining tequila.

All tequila is mezcal, but all mezcal is not tequila.  Mezcal is made from the piña, or heart (and sometimes called a pineapple), of the agave plant.  It looks very much like a giant yucca plant (see photo below) and similar to aloe plants. Native to Mexico and the  Southern United States, they grow wild and are cultivated for their sap and other edible parts.  The sap when harvested at the base of the budding flower becomes Agave nectar, a great cane sugar substitute used similar to honey in food preparations. It is this sap and starches in the plant that are processed to become our mezcal.  It's been claimed that if you heat mezcal to more than 1400° F you get tiny diamonds.

Back to making mezcal.  The agave takes about 8-12 years to fully develop to a point where the piña is large and mature enough to harvest.  The leaves are sheared off at the heart in a process called "jima" by a person called a "jimador".  Once the leaves are removed the heart is sheared off from the roots at ground level using a "coa de jima".  What that all means is a worker using a very sharp spade-like hoe chops the leaves off and cuts off the heart, which weights anywhere from 60-200 lbs.

Warning: Don't try this at home.  The sap of some agave is a skin irritant causing a rash that can last for weeks and re-occur for years.  Also the ends of the leaves have points like a needle that can puncture the skin and cause problems. 

The harvested piña are transported to the distillery where they are cut in halves or quarters, depending on size.  They are placed in a hornos, or oven (today most facilities use the equivalent of an autoclave) to roast for 20-30 hours.  This process helps to break-down the plant's starches so they can be converted to sugars and extracted.  Once fully roasted, the hearts are removed, passed through a shredder and sprayed with water to fully extract as much sugar as possible. The resulting liquid is called "aqua miel" or honey water, which is collected in a large fermentation tank.  Yeast is added or allowed to naturally occur, much like making wine. In fact, once this stage is complete - fermented to about 5% alcohol, you have mezcal wine.  If the end product is to be 100% agave, then the juice alone is fermented.  If the product is a "mixto" which means it's at least 51% agave and the rest is made up from cane or other sugar, they must be added to the miel before fermentation begins.

The mezcal wine is then at a minimum twice distilled similar to other spirits, such a vodka.  The end result is a blanco or plata.  The styles of mezcal are as follows:

          Blanco (white) or Plata (silver) - un-aged, bottled immediately after distillation

          Reposado (rested) - aged at least two months, but less than a year in oak barrels

          Joven (young) or Oro (gold) - a blend of part blanco and part reposado 

          Añejo (aged) - aged at least 1 year, but less than 3 years in standard size oak barrels

          Extra-Añejo (extra aged) - aged at least 3 years in standard size oak barrels

So at this point don't we have tequila? The answer is maybe. Tequila has two requirements: 1.) the agave plant used to make the mezcal must be Agave Tequilana also called Agave Azul, which you may know as Blue Agave; 2.) it must have been grown  in the Mexican state of Jalisco or specified regions of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.  You may be surprised to know that much of the tequila sold in the US is actually bottled in the US. The spirit is shipped in barrels, tankers, and rail cars to bottling facilities.  You can find authentic tequila by looking for the NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana) followed by 3 numbers - four letters - and year.

Whether you ware making margaritas, a tequila sunrise, or straight up neat you now know what it take to bring this amazing distilled spirit to the party.  Many have a love - hate relationship with this beverage, but whether it's tequila or  mezcal, the end result is going to interesting.   As for me, I like a rustic mezcal from Oaxaca con gusano, that's with the worm.