Topic: beer and cheese pairing
Curds and Hops
Little Miss Muffet had it all wrong. Forget the whey, she should have been eating curds and hops! At the first mention of pairing cheese with beer, you might have some doubts. Isn't cheese supposed to be paired with wine? Well, the great thing about rules is, they are always best when broken! And this is a rule you definitely want to break!
It's said, in regard to relationships, that opposites attract. She might be a planner but he prefers to fly by the seat of his pants. She could be a procrastinator but he gets things done days before the deadline. Yet some how it works. The trick is that the two people also have to have some sort of common ground. They must posses some similar interests or common link or they will always be at odds with each other. This philosophy can be also applied to pairing beer and cheese. That being said, beer may be the soul mate to our beloved fromage!
Long shot metaphors aside, beer compliments cheese because of the harmonies and contrasts the beverage brings to the match. The harmonies experienced is derived from a similar origin; grain. Barley, is a cereal grain popularly used in making beer and milk is a by-product of an animal eating grass and grains. This link may seem like a bit of a stretch, however as a result, beer and cheese complement each other by sharing some common characteristics in both aroma and flavor. The flavors and aromas in beer echo the flavors and aromas in cheese. Both can be described as earthy, nutty or malty.
However, too much of the same can be, well, too much of the same. Luckily, cheese and beer have just enough not in common to compliment the relationship. As in any good relationship, their differences amplify the others opposite trait. For example, cheese has a high fat content and coats your mouth with delicious creaminess. In contrast, beer is carbonated, giving it a brisk, palate cleansing characteristic. In addition to preparing your palate for the next morsel of cheese, a swig of brew lifts up the nuances of the cheese that could be missed when covered up with heavy tannins or sweetness of wine.
So, how do we go about playing match maker and orchestrating harmonious pairs? My approach may be a little abstract, but I am a firm believer of eating and drinking what you like. If you don't like barley wine, does not mean you have to drink it just because it pairs well with Stilton. Others though, may take a realism approach and adhere to these strict pairing rules. Perhaps a compromise is made with an impressionism approach and general guidelines can be followed or deviated.
Generally, delicate beers should be paired with young or fresh cheeses (chevre with hefweizen), malty beers should be paired with nutty and aged cheeses (smooth, sweet, aged Greyere with porter) and hoppy or bitter beers should be paired with tart or sharp cheeses (cheddar with IPA). Although I'm sure you will find many happy matches that break these guidelines, it is a good starting point for thinking about beer with cheese. Play off similarities. Pair by region. Or challenge your self by considering subtle contrasts.
With beer pairings hitting the food scene, there are a lot of opportunities to learn more about the relationship between cheese and beer. The Isthmus Beer and Cheese festival kicks off the year in mid January at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. In April, LaCrosse hosts Between the Bluffs to celebrate beer, cheese and wine and in Kenosha the Dairy State Beer and Cheese festival raises money for the Boys and Girls Club. Also, restaurants have begun to offer beer pairings along side the wine pairings for food and cheese.
Cheese and beer have humble beginnings, being made on farms by regular people like you and me. No viticulture experts or heirloom vines. Just simple ingredients and simple methods. And here, in a state known for beer, cheese and the Green Bay Packers, it shouldn't be too hard to create some really great pairings with out crossing any state lines. Beer and cheese is a match made in Wisconsin!
Cheesy polenta with broccoli
3 c vegetable stock
¾ c medium grind cornmeal
4 T butter
1/8 c cream
¼ c Otter Creek Summer Cheddar
1 c broccoli chopped florets
tt S&P
In a medium sauce pan, bring stock to a boil. Add the cornmeal in a fine stream, whisking constantly with a wire whisk. Once all the cornmeal has been added, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Stir the mixture, using a wooden spoon, every 5 minutes and continue cooking until all the liquid has been absorbed and the mixture is very creamy, 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a second sauce pan of salted water to a boil. Blanch broccoli for about 2 minutes. Shock in ice water and reserve.
When polenta is finished cooking, remove pan from the heat and stir in the butter, heavy cream and cheese. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the blanched broccoli.
Melty Camembert with cherry compote
1 T brandy
3 c sweet cherries, pitted
1 T ginger
2 T sugar
¼ c water
½ t black pepper
½ t thyme
1 t corn starch
1 T water
First, add brandy to a medium sauce pan and boil to cook off the alcohol. Add cherries, ginger, sugar, water, pepper and thyme. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until cherries are just soft. In a small bowl stir together corn starch and water and stir in to cherries. Simmer for another minute. Remove from pan and cool to room temperature.
To serve, cut a baguette in ¼” slices. Place a thin slice of camembert on the bread place in a 400 degree oven until bread is toasted and cheese is slightly melted. Place on a serving platter and spoon compote over top.
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