Cooking With Michigan Beer: Fourth of July Edition

The Fourth of July weekend is coming up, which means it's time to gather up a group of friends, light the barbecue, and bust out those grilling tongs!  Here are a few recipes I developed for your cook-out, picnic, or wherever you'll be chowing down and waving that flag this weekend.

First up:

Kalamazoo Stout Stuffed Burgers

A delicious burger really is a classic American summer food.  Adding a bit of beer to the ground beef is the secret to making these burgers super tender and juicy.  So, what could be better than a nice juicy burger hot off the grill on the Fourth of July?  How about a burger stuffed with sautéed Kalamazoo Stout onions and extra sharp cheddar cheese?  Oh, yes.  Top with thick cut bacon, mustard, tomato, and some crisp lettuce, and you'll be sure to bring your blasé backyard BBQ to a whole new level.

For this recipe you'll need:

2 pounds ground beef (I used ground beef from round)
1 bottle of Bell's Kalamazoo Stout, divided
1 large onion chopped, reserving 2 tablespoons of minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
About 5 ounces of cheese (I used extra sharp white cheddar)
Salt
Pepper

1) Before getting started with cooking the onions, reserve 1/4 cup of the Kalamazoo Stout for the ground beef for later.  Then, chop the onion and reserve about 2 tablespoons of minced onions for the burgers for later.  Spray a small sauté pan with non-stick cooking spray and add the chopped onions and the rest of the beer to the pan.  Cook the onions, stirring frequently over medium heat, until they are caramelized and the liquid is cooked out.

2) While the onions are cooking, prepare the burger patties.  In a bowl, combine the ground beef, 1/4 cup Kalamazoo Stout, 2 teaspoons Worcestershiree, 2 tablespoons minced onion, and a generous amount* of salt and pepper.  Be careful not to over mix the meat, or it will get tough.

*I find that most people really under season their meat when making burgers, so don't be afraid to add a little more salt than you think you should.  Trust me, it makes a HUGE difference.

3)  With 2 pounds of beef, I ended up with 5 stuffed burgers, so I started out by making 10 thin patties.

4) Top each patty with one square of cheese, allowing enough room around the edges to be able to pinch the edges together once the top patty is placed.

5) Top each burger with about 1-2 tablespoons of the Kalamazoo Stout onions once they are done cooking.
*While it's the stuffing we love, be sure not to over-stuff or you'll lose all the goodness to the grates of the grill.

6)  Place the top patty and squeeze the edges, creating a seal to prevent the stuffing from leaking out.

7)  Grill the burgers for about 6 minutes per side for medium, but keep in mind the size of your burgers and the temperature of your grill will determine how long yours actually need to be cooked per side.

8) Once the burgers are cooked, serve on buns with your favorite toppings.  We opted for thick cut bacon from Sobie Meats, mustard, tomato, and lettuce.

Next up:

London Porter Baked Beans

For the perfect side dish to go along with my burgers, I took a little inspiration from a recipe I found on tablespoon.com.  This pot of big, rich, hearty beans is perfect for a holiday weekend because you can just let it bubble away for a couple hours while you go about your business. The beans are cooked in a decadent mixture of beer, bacon, chipotle peppers, molasses, and a few other flavorful accents.  The sauce cooks way down and thickens into the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. I think you'll really love these!

For this recipe, you will need:

1 48 ounce jar of mixed beans (you could also use pinto)
6 strips thick cut bacon
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 15 ounce can stewed tomatoes
2 chipotle peppers, minced (remove the seeds if you don't want your beans very spicy)
2 tablespoons adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
2 bottles Arcadia London Porter
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark molasses
1 heavy pinch salt and pepper

1) Drain and rinse the beans.

2) In a heavy cast iron skillet or dutch oven, add bacon over medium low heat and cook until bacon renders out most of the fat but doesn't get very crispy, about 10-15 minutes. Remove bacon and set aside for later.

Delicious thick cut bacon from Sobie Meats

3) Chop onions, green peppers, and chipotle peppers.

4) Add onions, green peppers, and chipotles to bacon grease. If it is really dry, add a drizzle of oil to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are soft.

5) Add tomatoes, adobo sauce, and beans. Stir well to combine.

6) Add the London Porter, molasses, and brown sugar next. Bring to a simmer and stir frequently until sugar is dissolved. It will look pretty liquidy, but that's okay.

7) Simmer this on the stove top until the mixture thickens, probably about 30-45 minutes.

8) Add a big pinch of salt and pepper and taste for flavors.

9) Remove from the heat and add strips of bacon from step #2 on top of the beans.

10) Bake bean mixture in a 375 degree oven until thick and bubbly and bacon is very crispy, about 45 minutes. This time may vary depending on how much liquid is in your dish.

11) Let cool for a few minutes, remove the bacon with tongs, chop it, and add it back to the pot and serve immediately. This keeps perfectly in the fridge for up to a week, as well.

And finally, for dessert:


Strawberry Blonde Apple Pie

What's more American than apple pie?  Nothing, except apple pie made with beer!  The yeasty flavor the Belgian-style ale gives the pie is a perfect complement to the tart apples.  My brother-in-law, a true pie connoisseur, said it was the best pie he's ever had.  Who am I to say he's wrong?  You'll just have to try this for yourself, I guess. 

For this recipe, you will need:

5 thinly sliced apples (I used 3 Golden Delicious and 2 Granny Smith)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 water
1 bottle Arbor Brewing Company Strawberry Blonde Belgian-Style Ale

In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside.

Pour beer and water into a Dutch oven over medium heat. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.  Add to beer and water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until apples are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Cool apples until room temperature, and pour into your favorite prepared, unbaked pie crust (or store bought).

Top pie with another crust, crimp the edges, and score the top with the knife so steam can escape.

Bake at 425 degrees until crust is golden brown, approximately 30-45 minutes.

No Independence Day celebration is complete without burgers, beans, and apple pie.  So crank up the grill and grab something cold to drink. Your burgers and your buddies will thank you for it.

Happy 4th of July from Michigan Beer Blog!