I don't know about ya'll, but I am in the serious mood for some crispy clean lagers....or maybe it's just my mind wishing it was warmer outside? Sierraveza is a Mexican-style lager clocking in at a super drinkable 5% abv. I'll go ahead and say it....the obvious pairing to this beer is tacos. Duh, You know I love tacos BUT here at Lana Del Beer I want to challenge your taste buds to the not-so-obvious pairings....so here we go!  We got this cut from Porter Road here in Nashville. I highly recommend getting your meat from a local butcher whenever possible! The quality of your meat is always superb and worth the money. Let the tri tip come to room temperature. We seasoned the meat with flaked salt, fresh cracked pepper and an espresso rub. There's several different brands of espresso rubs out there, so just use what you can find! We smoked it on the Traeger at 350 for approximately an hour. When the internal temperature reached 115 degrees, we pulled it off the grill and headed upstairs for the reverse sear. Get a pan or cast iron skillet screaming hot, add a little oil, and BOOM. Sear that meat on both sides until internal temperature reaches about 135 degrees. It should get nice and crusty. That's where the flavor lives! Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before you slice. Enjoy! For the chimichurri, we followed Jess Pryles' recipe!
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This blog post is definitely what I call a "beginner's guide" to Asheville.
There is still so much I want to do!
Next time, I hope to venture into all the hiking Asheville has to offer.
Of course, with a beer in hand ;)
Next time, I hope to venture into all the hiking Asheville has to offer.
Of course, with a beer in hand ;)
Do you have any recommendations!?
Leave them in the comments on this blog post!
Thank you for reading and happy trails!
Lana <3
Lana <3
This recipe makes one of the best roasted chicken I've ever had.
...but it is not easy. I'd say this recipe is moderately hard, but don't let that scare you! It's more about there being several steps to make the pan sauce, but it is absolutely worth it. This was a perfect meal for my husband and I's Sunday Supper because we love making dinner an event: pre-dinner beers, cheese plate, jazz and cooking!
I paired the chicken with New Belgium's Sour Saison and it was perfect. The beer is full and dry with a spritz of bright citrus flavor, so it was a great pairing to the rich and savory chicken dish. In terms of wine, think of this beer as an unoaked Chardonnay. The dryness cuts thru the pan sauce while also complementing the brightness of the sauce. The effervescence acts as scrubbing bubbles to cleanse your palate for another bite.
Without further adieu, here is the recipe!
I paired the chicken with New Belgium's Sour Saison and it was perfect. The beer is full and dry with a spritz of bright citrus flavor, so it was a great pairing to the rich and savory chicken dish. In terms of wine, think of this beer as an unoaked Chardonnay. The dryness cuts thru the pan sauce while also complementing the brightness of the sauce. The effervescence acts as scrubbing bubbles to cleanse your palate for another bite.
Without further adieu, here is the recipe!
CHICKEN SIMPLY ROASTED IN A SKILLET
From the book "Heritage" by Sean Brock
Garlic Confit:
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Chicken:
1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup canola oil (or 1/4 cup if you brown the chicken in one pan)
Pan Sauce:
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves cut into very thin strips
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
For the Garlic Confit: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut two 12-inch squares of aluminum foil and lay one pice on top of the other. Place the garlic cloves on the foil. Sprinkle with the sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour the olive oil over the garlic cloves. Shape the foil into a pouch by bringing the edges of the foil together over the garlic and sealing them. Flatten the bottom of the pouch so it will stay upright in the oven and place it on a baking sheet. Roast the garlic for about 30 minutes, until the cloves are very soft but not falling apart. Set the garlic aside in the pouch. Leave the oven on.
For the Chicken: Using kitchen shears, cut down along both sides of the backbone, then clip it out. Cut the wings off at the first joint. Split the chicken in half. Use paper towels to dry the skin. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a baking dish and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Place two 12-inch cast-iron skillets over high heat. When the skillets smoke, add 1/4 up of the canola oil to each. (I fit the chicken into 1 skillet with 1/4 cup oil.) As soon as the oil smokes, carefully add a half chicken to each skillet, skin side down. (Or add to one skillet if they both fit). Weight the chicken halves with another heavy skillet or pan so it stays flat and browns evenly. Cook the chicken, with the weights on it, until the skin is crispy and evenly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the weights.
Flip the chicken over, and place the skillet or skillets into the oven. Roast the chicken for about 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 155 degrees F. Place the chicken on plates to rest while you make the sauce.
For the Pan Sauce: Combine the roasting juices and fats from both skillets into one; set aside. Place the other skillet or a saucepan if you used just one skillet on the stove over medium heat. Pour 1 cup of the chicken stock into the skillet or saucepan and stir. Bring to a gentle boil and cook to reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining cup of stock and set aside.
Place the skillet with the roasting juices over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the juices and gently whisk it in until there are no lumps. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with the whisk; do not let the roux get too dark around the edge. Whisk in the the chicken stock, making sure to fully emulsify it. Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-high and reduce the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Add the parsley, lemon zest and juice, and 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil from the pouch of garlic and whisk to combine.
To Complete, place the garlic and pan sauce over the chicken.
From the book "Heritage" by Sean Brock
Garlic Confit:
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Chicken:
1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup canola oil (or 1/4 cup if you brown the chicken in one pan)
Pan Sauce:
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves cut into very thin strips
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
For the Garlic Confit: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut two 12-inch squares of aluminum foil and lay one pice on top of the other. Place the garlic cloves on the foil. Sprinkle with the sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour the olive oil over the garlic cloves. Shape the foil into a pouch by bringing the edges of the foil together over the garlic and sealing them. Flatten the bottom of the pouch so it will stay upright in the oven and place it on a baking sheet. Roast the garlic for about 30 minutes, until the cloves are very soft but not falling apart. Set the garlic aside in the pouch. Leave the oven on.
For the Chicken: Using kitchen shears, cut down along both sides of the backbone, then clip it out. Cut the wings off at the first joint. Split the chicken in half. Use paper towels to dry the skin. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a baking dish and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Place two 12-inch cast-iron skillets over high heat. When the skillets smoke, add 1/4 up of the canola oil to each. (I fit the chicken into 1 skillet with 1/4 cup oil.) As soon as the oil smokes, carefully add a half chicken to each skillet, skin side down. (Or add to one skillet if they both fit). Weight the chicken halves with another heavy skillet or pan so it stays flat and browns evenly. Cook the chicken, with the weights on it, until the skin is crispy and evenly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the weights.
Flip the chicken over, and place the skillet or skillets into the oven. Roast the chicken for about 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 155 degrees F. Place the chicken on plates to rest while you make the sauce.
For the Pan Sauce: Combine the roasting juices and fats from both skillets into one; set aside. Place the other skillet or a saucepan if you used just one skillet on the stove over medium heat. Pour 1 cup of the chicken stock into the skillet or saucepan and stir. Bring to a gentle boil and cook to reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining cup of stock and set aside.
Place the skillet with the roasting juices over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the juices and gently whisk it in until there are no lumps. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with the whisk; do not let the roux get too dark around the edge. Whisk in the the chicken stock, making sure to fully emulsify it. Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-high and reduce the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Add the parsley, lemon zest and juice, and 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil from the pouch of garlic and whisk to combine.
To Complete, place the garlic and pan sauce over the chicken.
Perfect start to my birthday week!
If you try this recipe, let me know.
Have a great day, ya'll!
Lana <3
The day of love is drawing near...
Impress your loved one this year with a beer and food pairing straight from the heart! I've chosen 5 unique beers that have a Valentine's flair that's sure to sweep your significant other off their feet!
Ballast Point Nitro Red Velvet
Start your evening with this sexy Red Velvet Oatmeal Stout from Ballast Point. At 5.5% abv, this gorgeous beer gets its color from the addition of beets and smoothness from the nitro bubbles. Chocolate gives this beer a cocoa powder taste without the sweetness. Pair this one with goat cheese or get funkier with bleu!
Paradox Passion of the Fruit
This one is for my sour beer lovers out there! Tart and bursting with mouth watering flavors of passion fruit, this mouth puckering delight clocks in at 8.2% abv! It has also been aged in wine barrels, so there is a touch of oak on the finish making this a versatile beer for food. Pair it with seafood such as halibut, sea bass, mussels or peel and eat shrimp!
Kasteel Barista Chocolate Quad
I have to show some love for the Belgian beers out there! From the brewery:
This 11% ABV beer pours a chestnut brown with an off-white head. A warming aroma of chocolate and coffee are countered by nuanced flavors of toffee and dried fruits. The mouthfeel is rich and silky like melted chocolate which truly rounds out the entire drinking experience. Considering the ABV and predominant flavors of chocolate and coffee this quadruple is unique, yet remarkably well balanced.
I have not had this one personally, but after reading the description, I absolutely will be taking a bottle home for V-Day. This would be a great food pairing for ribeye or filet mignon! It would also be a great dessert pairing.....try it with chocolate covered strawberries!
Embrace The Funk Trio
Another beer for my friends who like to get funky!
Introducing "Trio" - A Brettanomyces fermented red ale with Raspberries aged in Tennessee red wine barrels that once held Tennessee Whiskey. 7.7% and 18 IBUs. Bright and balanced fruity funky charred oakiness.-Yazoo
Beer, wine, whiskey, fruit....yes, please! I can see a lot of pairings with this one: before dinner with goat cheese, pistachios and figs; for dinner, a pork tenderloin with a cherry compote; after dinner on its own or paired with a chocolate dessert. OR if you're like my boy Garrett Oliver (or like the French, really), save the cheese plate for dessert.
New Heights Raspberry Navel Gazer
We all know New Height's Navel Gazer is an incredible Imperial Stout. Here are the notes from the brewery:
Pitch black with notes of toasty sweet malt, this decadent Imperial Stout has a thick, brown head with delicate lacing, toasty malt aroma, and a silky smooth mouth feel. At 9.25%, Navel Gazer will have you nodding your head if you let it.
They do several variants and the latest is raspberry! Just in time for V-Day, there's no doubt this beer would make an awesome pairing with a NY strip or as an after dinner pairing. Draft only at Red Dog (coming soon!).
I hope that gave you a few ideas!
Stay tuned to my Instagram to see what Ben & I are cooking up for the big day!
IG: @LanaDelBeer
Cheers & Happy Valentine's Day!
Lana
Happy 2018, everyone!
Hope the year has gotten off to a great start for you all!
Instead of a New Year's resolution, my husband and I decided to set a challenge for ourselves: no meat (except fish/shellfish) for the month of January. Ladies & gentlemen, welcome to "Pescatarian January"!
This is quite the challenge, indeed. If you follow me on Instagram, you know we love to cook a lot of meat. So now we have to get pretty creative to keep things interesting. The recipe I have for you today has been my favorite thus far. While it may not be the healthiest meal of all time, it is a perfect special occasion meal....or just for a cozy Sunday Supper inside!
This is quite the challenge, indeed. If you follow me on Instagram, you know we love to cook a lot of meat. So now we have to get pretty creative to keep things interesting. The recipe I have for you today has been my favorite thus far. While it may not be the healthiest meal of all time, it is a perfect special occasion meal....or just for a cozy Sunday Supper inside!
First, I want to give a quick shout out to this delicious cheese plate. When 5 o'clock hits on a Sunday at the Harrington house, you better believe a cheese board is coming out. Here, we have 4 different types of cheese: Mild Cheddar, Spanish Manchego, French Brie, and a Bleu Cheese. For accompaniments, green olives and figs. It's so fun to try different combinations like the figs with the Bleu or olives with the Manchego.
Time for the main event!
Recipe for Lobster Gnocchi
Ingredients:
2 Lobster Tails
1 package of potato gnocchi
1 bunch asparagus cut into 1-inch pieces
Kerrygold butter (or any quality butter)
Sage
Fresh Dill
Garlic
Lemon citrus salt (or just regular salt)
Black Lava Salt (optional)
Pepper
2 Lobster Tails
1 package of potato gnocchi
1 bunch asparagus cut into 1-inch pieces
Kerrygold butter (or any quality butter)
Sage
Fresh Dill
Garlic
Lemon citrus salt (or just regular salt)
Black Lava Salt (optional)
Pepper
Leaving the actual tail intact, de-shell the main part of the lobster and place on a pan covered in aluminum foil. Season with a little oil and citrus salt, and broil for 15 min (or until done). While they are cooking, follow the instructions on your gnocchi. The ones I used boiled for 4 minutes and then you drain them. In a cast iron skillet, melt 3 pats of butter and add a pinch of dill and a few of sage. Season with salt and pepper. Once it starts to foam (about 3 minutes), add the gnocchi and garlic. The gnocchi will need to brown which will take about 15 minutes. While this is cooking, saute your asparagus in another pan. Once they are bright green, add them to your gnocchi. When the lobster is done, pull the meat out of the shell and chop it up. To finish it all up, I took one small pan and melted 3 more pats of butter and dill and let it brown.
To build your bowl: fill with gnocchi and asparagus mixture, top with a hearty helping of lobster, drizzle with brown butter and dill sauce, and top with a fresh sprig of dill and the black salt.
Hubba, hubba!
The Beer Pairing
Brooklyn Sorachi Ace Saison!
This is one of my all time favorite beers. I will let the Brewmaster Garrett Oliver describe it for you:
Dry, sharp and crackling with flavor, Brooklyn Sorachi Ace is reminiscent of lemongrass, verbena, dill and lemon peels.
With all those different and fresh flavors, this beer was a perfect pairing to this dish. The dryness helped cut thru the richness while the lemony notes added a splash of brightness. The dill notes were complimentary and the grassy verbena flavors added another element of depth. Pour this beer into a white wine glass to class things up!
There you have it folks!
I hope you give this one a try and as always, tag me in your photos!
Have a great week!
Lana
Happy Holidays, everyone!
I hope this blog post finds you enjoying the magic of the season.
It is quite chilly here in Nashville! So it's about time to warm up those ovens for some warmth and holiday cheer. I myself am not an expert baker, but my mother-in-law certainly is! I thought it would be fun to create a list of craft beers to pair with some of her Christmas cookie repertoire. I will also link the recipes to the cookies in case you'd like to try to make them yourself! With all the wonderful seasonal beers coming out this time of year, they deserve a tasty cookie to pair with them.
Bell's Winter White + Lemon Crinkle Cookies
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Let's start with something light, fluffy, and bright! Bell's Winter White is a Belgian inspired wheat ale that is cloudy in appearance and boasting notes of banana, clove and spice (thanks, Belgian yeast!). Then you have these Lemon Crinkle Cookies that are airy, light yet moist, and citrusy! Both the beer and the cookie are the same weight on the palate and have citrusy qualities which make them a perfect match. The clove and spice from the beer will add another dimension of flavor to the cookie making it overall a fun experience!
SweetWater Festive Ale + Pretzel M&M Hug "Cookies"
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Ok, not technically a cookie, but it's not Christmas without them on the cookie tray in my opinion! These pretzels are sweet and salty, so you need to find a beer that will match both aspects. Tip: beers with dark, roasted malts LOVE salt...they also love chocolate! Boom. SweetWater Festive Ale is a Winter Warmer brewed with cinnamon and mace clocking in at 8.6% abv. It will pair well with the pretzel and also add a cinnamon surprise to the mix that's sure to warm your cockles!
Southern Tier Choklat Oranj + Orange Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cookies
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These cookies are a new one to me, but I found them on Pinterest and had to make them! For the record, I've never had a cookie turn out edible....but these actually came out DIVINE. Yay for me! Anyways, this pairing is pretty obvious...but nonetheless, will probably be the star of the show! Southern Tier's Choklat Oranj is a 10% abv dessert beer brewed with chocolate and orange peels. If this is wrong, I don't want to be right.
Ballast Point Peanut Butter Victory At Sea + Peanut Butter Blossoms
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This Ballast Point beer is a variant of one of their popular offerings, Victory At Sea: a 10% abv Imperial Porter brewed with coffee and vanilla. This year, they've added peanut butter to the mix and it is delicious! Just enough dry, roasty peanut butter to add depth to the beer but not being cloyingly sweet. This is a perfect match to the peanut butter blossoms because the peanut butter will match in both the beer and cookie, then the roasty malts of the beer with find comfort in the Hersey kiss. Viola!
Those pairings should get you started!
And remember...during the holidays, calories don't count! :)
I will leave you with some pictures from my family's Christmas vacation we took the first week of December...Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure Orlando! It was a blast!
If I didn't take pictures, I'd be wondering, "Did that really happen?"!
Happy Holidays, my friends!
Lana
If I didn't take pictures, I'd be wondering, "Did that really happen?"!
Happy Holidays, my friends!
Lana
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Thanksgiving, or as my husband, poodle and I have dubbed it, "Drunksgiving", is just the best, right? You can eat and drink all day long, and if you don't take that afternoon turkey nap, you're not doing it right! Not to mention taking the day to be thankful for that food, drink, that nap, and FAMILY.
My heart flutters just thinking about it!
As you all know, every year I compile a list of beers that will pair with your Thanksgiving meal. So, I'm excited to present to you my picks for 2017!
Note: these are beers available in middle Tennessee. You can always find the same style by a different brewery if need be. Here we go!
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 | What's for dessert!? Well, whether you have an actual dessert or not, nothing beats finishing the meal with an Imperial Stout. Specifically, New Heights Navel Gazer. A big, rich stout clocking in at 9.4% abv, this bad boy is not for the faint of heart. It's bursting with mouth filling flavors of dark chocolate, coffee, and licorice that would pair nicely with any chocolate based dessert or just an after dinner cigar. One of my favorite local beers! And if you can find the coconut variant....jump on it. This beer is great to drink now or age. But I suggest living in the now. ;) |
That's all folks!
Lots of great beers to pair with the bird this year, it's hard to narrow it down to just 5! I hope you will let me know what you're drinking.
Tag me in your photos @LanaDelBeer
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for all of you who read this blog.
Makes my heart smile.
Cheers,
Lana
It's the most wonderful time...
FOR A BEER!
The beginning of October kicks off the holiday season around my house and that meant it was time to plan my annual craft beer and halloween candy event! I had to schedule it later than usual due to my schedule, hence why the blog post in only now showing up in November! But fear not, kiddos. I will give you the low down on the get down, you know what I'm saying!? (I'm drinking bulletproof coffee as I write this, so forgive me).
If you'd like to throw your own beer and candy pairing party (hey, there's Christmas candy too), search my blog for "beer and candy". The "how-to" guide should pop up!
Here are the lucky six, YES I SAID SIX, pairings of Halloween 2017:
If you'd like to throw your own beer and candy pairing party (hey, there's Christmas candy too), search my blog for "beer and candy". The "how-to" guide should pop up!
Here are the lucky six, YES I SAID SIX, pairings of Halloween 2017:
Drumroll please....
Side Project Saison Nouveau by Shared + Starbursts
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Thank goodness I have another bottle of this beer, because it was one of my favorites of the evening (Thank you, Max)! A very light kiss of tartness, this dry yet fruity beer was complimented by the fruity candy yet could cut thru the chewiness with its dry effervescence. A fun way to start off the evening!
B. Nektar NecroMangoCon + Candy Corn
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Oh! Now I've thrown you for a loop, huh? Technically not a beer, but fun nonetheless! We have recently gotten these meads at Red Dog and they are damn delicious. Necro is a mango mead with black pepper, making it an off-dry mango dance party in your mouth. Since mead is made from honey, I paired it with candy corn made with real honey. This allowed the mango to shine thru while cutting the marshmellowy goodness of the candy. This was a crowd favorite!
3Floyds Alpha King + Skittles
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Alpha King is a pale ale with a caramel malt backbone that supports a juicy, bright hop profile with an abv of 6.66%. I had to use this one, right? I chose skittles to compliment the juicy hops letting the caramel goodness of the beer to come forward. Nom!
Upland Vinosynth Red + Nerds
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Vinosynth is a lambic style ale that has been aged in Oliver Winery red wine barrels giving it a tart, cherry pith sourness. This will wake your guests' tastebuds back up! Pairing the beer with Nerds will take the tart edge off the beer while complimenting the candy and preparing your palate for another sip! This would also work with Pop Rocks for a fun palate teaser!
Southern Tier Cinnamon Roll + Dark Chocolate Grand Marnier Pecans
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I just got goosebumps. This was my personal favorite pairing of the night. Southern Tier Cinnamon Roll taste like a straight up cinnamon roll. No joke. I could drink a small cordial glass of it, but paired with the dark chocolate grand marnier pecans......I am moved. Emotionally. It helped take the sweet edge off the beer, leaving the cinnamon and caramel to play with the nutty orange flavors of the candy. You can buy both of these at Red Dog, fyi!
Perennial Abraxas + Dove Sea Salt Caramel & Dark Chocolate
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Abraxas. I've been cellaring this beer for a long time, so I was excited to share it with my guests! The lovely folks at Perennial brewed this 10% imperial stout with ancho chili peppers, cacao nibs and cinnamon sticks to create a mouth filling, dry, yet flavorful stout with a pin prick of heat. Pairing it with the chocolate allowed the adjuncts to play with the caramel and add a little salt to your sweet. A big finale to a great tasting!
The beer and candy pairings just get better year after year!
This was my largest party yet. Can't wait to see what next year holds.
Is it too early to start planning? ;)
Happy November! Be on the lookout for my 2017 Thanksgiving picks coming up in the next couple of weeks.
Cheers!
Lana
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Author
Welcome to my blog! I want to show the world a simple meal paired with craft beer can elevate their dining experience to unique levels. Cheers!
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