Dinner was served, five courses in all, and with each course a fresh glass and a noticeable change in the color, aroma and taste of the liquid poured into it.
The wines of Burgundy? Of Napa? No, these were several of the beers of Goose Island, the Chicago brew pub at 1800 N. Clybourn Ave., all well-matched to foods as diverse as steamed mussels and cheesecake.
Since chef Tim Kilcullen, who mastered cooking with wine at the well-known La Varenne school in Paris, joined the Goose Island staff and began trading ideas with brewmaster Greg Hall, some intriguing combinations have been offered patrons who dine as well as sip at Goose Island. For instance:
The mussels were presented with the brewery’s Honker’s ale. A corn chowder containing smoky-flavored chipotle peppers was matched with toffee-scented brown ale. Light-textured, German-style kolsch proved a surprisingly apt accompaniment to a salad of bitter greens and salty blue cheese. Rich and creamy oatmeal stout (the oatmeal contributes more to the beer’s texture than taste) was matched with beef. A malty, dark ale-PMD-kept company agreeably with cheesecake containing some of the same ale.
The folks at Goose Island aren’t declaring war on the wine industry. But as a major player in the rapidly growing brew-pub movement (the first new-style brewery-restaurant appeared in Washington State in 1982; by last year the number had reached 210), they realize that convincing Americans to regard beer as a good accompaniment to many other foods than pretzels, hot dogs and peppery ethnic dishes is a promising way to expand sales.
“Our first job is to make a good beer,” says brewmaster Hall, “beer of character that’s not available everywhere. Then we try to match it with food.”
During the course of the year, Goose Island presents about 30 different creations (plus other beers of note), many of them seasonal and some of them offered in other restaurants around town as well. The waiters or chef Kilcullen or his associate, Seth Gross, are pleased to recommend beer-food matches or even suggest a tasting menu.
Another way to explore this path is to subscribe to one of the monthly brewmaster dinners staged at the brewery. The next five-course feast is scheduled for Mardi Gras, Feb. 15, and will feature beers from the Austin, Tex., produced by Pierre Celis. The price is $40 per person. For further information and reservations, call 312-915-0073.
Meanwhile, try these creations at home:
GRILLED STEAK
To marinate a steak in beer, choose a thick-cut rib-eye or strip sirloin (a single 2-pound steak or two 1-pounders) and place it in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons minced garlic and 1 tablespoon salt, then cover with 36 ounces of pale ale and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours, turning twice. Remove steak from marinade, drain, pat dry, then grill or roast.
MUSSELS STEAMED IN ALE
Four appetizer servings
2 pounds black mussels
2 pounds green-lip New Zealand mussels
4 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/4 cup melted butter, clarified preferred
1 loaf French bread (baguette), cut into 20 slices
2 tablespoons (about) parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 cups ale, Goose Island Honker’s or English pale preferred
2 1/2 cups apple cider
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin on a bias
1. Make croutons: Stir 1 tablespoon garlic into the butter, then paint each bread slice with the garlic butter. Sprinkle with parmesan and toast until lightly browned. Reserve. (This step may be done ahead.)
2. Wash mussels and remove beards.
3. In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add remaining garlic and saute briefly. (Do not allow garlic to brown.) Add ale and cider and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then add mussels. Cover and steam until mussel shells open, about 5 minutes.
4. Use a slotted spoon to ladle mussels into 4 bowls. (Discard any that are unopened.) Bring broth to a boil and reduce for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Ladle broth over mussels, sprinkle with sliced green onions and garnish each portion with 5 croutons. Serve with the same ale used for cooking.
BEER-BRAISED POT ROAST
Six servings
1 pot roast (4 1/2 to 5 pounds)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 carrots, diced
4 medium onions, quartered
4 outside ribs celery, chopped
1/4 cup chopped garlic
2 bay leaves
8 to 10 black peppercorns
2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon salt
36 ounces stout beer
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a roasting pan or Dutch oven, heat oil until smoking. Place pot roast in pan and turn to brown on all sides. Remove from pan and lower heat.
2. Pour off all but a film of oil, then add carrots, onions, celery and garlic and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft. Add bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme, marjoram, oregano and salt, then beer. Bring to a simmer.
3. Return pot roast to pan. Liquid should come halfway up meat. If necessary, add more beer or water. Cover pan and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is fork-tender, basting every 30 minutes.
4. Remove meat to a cutting board. Strain cooking liquid and skim fat. If desired, make a gravy or merely pour the pan juices into a clean pan, reheat, adjust seasoning and spoon over carved meat. Serve with a mixture of root vegetables and/or buttered noodles.
STOUT CHEESECAKE
12 to 16 servings
24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 pints sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup cookie crumbs (Keebler’s Pecan Sandies preferred)
24 ounces oatmeal stout
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for a convection oven). Pour beer into a saucepan and boil until reduced to 1 cup. Set aside.
2. In a mixer, combine cream cheese and white and brown sugars. Mix until combined, then add salt, vanilla and eggs (one at a time) and beat until mixture is smooth. Add sour cream, cornstarch and 3/4 cup reduced beer and blend.
3. Lightly oil or spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick aerosol. Press cookie crumbs into bottom of pan in an even layer. Use aluminum foil and string to make a 5-inch-high collar around the outside of the pan.
4. Carefully pour batter into the pan and smooth until level. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup of beer over the top of the batter. Place in the center of the oven with a pan of water on the rack beneath and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until center is set but still jiggles. Remove and cool overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Serve chilled with a fruit sauce such as raspberry and glasses of stout.
