Published on October 1st, 2012 | by SteakBytes
0Craft Beer Pairing Series with Boulevard Brewing Co. – Poultry and Pork
Food pairing experts, Neil Witte, field quality manager at Boulevard Brewing Co., and Josh Eans, sous chef at The American, a highly acclaimed restaurant in Kansas City, write a weekly blog providing insight into pairing different beer styles with different proteins. Below they focus on ales that compliment poultry and pork.
White meats such as chicken and pork can be very mild-flavored, which, at first, may seem to suggest something light and delicate when selecting the perfect beer to accompany the dish. As Josh and Neil discovered, this was not necessarily the case after putting a seasonal twist to this week’s selections.
Breaded and Stuffed Chicken Paired with Boulevard Reverb Imperial Pilsner
This week’s chicken dish came breaded and stuffed with cheese and broccoli. Right off the bat, Josh pondered the unique preparation while determining the right beer pairing. “The cheese and breading give this dish more intensity than your average chicken breast,” he said. Neil added, “Definitely, but the overall flavor is still rather mild. The blend of cheeses isn’t over-the-top rich.” Josh and Neil decided to pair the stuffed breasts with Reverb Imperial Pilsner from Boulevard Brewing Co. Reverb is a fuller-flavored Pilsner with a stronger sweet malt flavor and a higher alcohol content, but still retains the clean, crisp, refreshing character of a traditional Pilsner-style beer. Josh commented on the combination, “Reverb hits the intensity right on. There is just the right amount of carbonation to lift the mild richness of the cheese off your palate.”
Pork Chops Paired with Boulevard Bob’s ’47 Oktoberfest (pictured above)
The next meal our tasters sampled centered on pork chops. The meat came unprepared, giving Josh the opportunity to play off of the fall season for the dish’s preparation. After pan roasting the pork chops, he put them on a bed of roasted brussel sprouts, apples, bacon, and fresh herbs and then drizzled an apple cider and mustard pan sauce on top. Josh and Neil chose Boulevard’s Bob’s ’47 Oktoberfest to accompany the dish. Bob’s ’47 has a sweet, toasty malt flavor and a low to moderate hop bitterness. Neil says it’s the perfect ale to get you thinking of cool fall days. “This meal is fantastic!” Neil commented. “The complimenting apples and the cider pan sauce make me yearn for the upcoming cool days and the fall seasonal beers that come with the season.” Josh added, “The toasted malt from the beer and the caramelized flavors in the food are a great match. And the seasonal aspect of the pairing makes it really special.”
The preparation of each of these dishes will lead to some mouth-watering pairings and memorable dining experiences. Get inspired by the season!