Food Uses for Leftover Beer

smooth. Then proceed to dip in crusty bread cubes, vegetables, potatoes, mushrooms, your finger – whatever you have that would be improved by a dunk into bubbling cheese.

Beer Can Chicken.

First, dry-rub your chicken simply with salt and pepper or the spices of your choice. Then, spill out (or drink) half the contents of a beer can, and place the can inside the chicken cavity – so that your chicken is sitting right on top of it – and grill it with the pot lid closed. The beer makes for extra-juicy chicken, and the rub makes for a flavorful skin.

Braised meat.

Season your meat with salt, pepper, and the spices of your choosing, and brown it in a large pan. Once it’s browned on all sides, take it out, pour out some of the fat, and toss in some onion and garlic until they lightly caramelize. Stir in herbs – maybe thyme, sage, or rosemary – and beer (preferably a brown ale) to make the sauce.

Return the meat to the pan, coat with the sauce, and bring the sauce to a simmer. If you’re making chicken, let the chicken simmer on the stovetop until it cooks through. If you’re making short ribs, throw the pan in the oven for a couple hours until the meat is pullapart tender. The beer will ensure that the meat stays moist inside and out.

Braised greens.

Soften onions in a pan, with diced bacon. Then, throw in a sturdy green, like collard greens, radish greens, kale, beet greens, or Swiss chard, with a bottle of brown ale, stirring until the greens are completely mixed with the liquid, and then add salt, pepper, brown sugar, and your preferred spices. Let the greens cook on low until they’re tender, and you have a simple, flavor-packed side dish to pair with pretty much anything.

Battered fish.

Find a white, flaky fish to lightly coat in flour, then bathe it in a batter of light beer, flour, and salt, and fry it in oil until it’s golden brown. The carbonation in the beer will add body and lightness to the batter. Pair it with a cold one.

Steamed shellfish.

The easiest way to prepare shellfish is to steam it. In a large saucepan, soften some aromatics, like onions, garlic, leeks, and fennel. Add any vegetables, potatoes, or meats, and cook them almost all the way through. Add herbs. Pour in your beer and let it gurgle for a little while, then add your shellfish, and cover the pot. You can tell clams are finished cooking when they’ve opened up. Crab is ready when it’s bright red and the meat is flaky. Add all the Old Bay your heart desires, and dunk some crusty bread into the oceany beer broth.

Brined meat.

Brining your meat with beer hydrates it, keeping it moist inside and out. It also infuses the meat with sweet, malty, hoppy flavors, and gives it a buttersoft texture. Leaner meats, like poultry breasts and pork chops, are commonly brined because they lack the fat that provides other types of meat with flavor and moisture. Use equal parts water and beer, a generous amount of salt, and the aromatics of your choice – smashed garlic, peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves, and citrus are all good choices. Leave your meat in the brine for about one hour per pound, then take it out, pat it dry, and let it dry uncovered in the fridge for a few hours. Then, you can just roast it in the oven.