Beer-based sauces perfect for grilling

I have a problem and I’m man enough to admit it.

I’ve known it a long time. It’s nothing to be ashamed of and a lot of good, hard-working people share my addiction. The stigma can be a lot to bear, and I’ve considered seeking out some help with my trouble. I only recently realized how my addiction has taken over my life, interrupts my ability to concentrate at work and has started to affect my relationships. I suppose I could reach out and find a support group to help me shake my demons, but that’s hard to do. This column is a place to come clean, admit my problem publicly and get on the road to recovery.

Here goes: Hello, my name is Dave and I’m a grill-a-holic.

It all started last week when an impulse buy led to a new Char-Broil propane grill occupying my patio, and my every waking thought. In the past, I’ve always shared a grill with other apartment tenants. It was a hassle negotiating for fire time, finding empty propane tanks when I needed flame or a skanky grill when no one was considerate enough to clean after use.

No more. This one is mine.

Since the grill became a part of my food-obsessed life, it’s all I think about. What’s for dinner tonight? T-bones on Tuesday, pork chops and kabobs Wednesday and surf and turf on Thursday? The options are endless.

Deciding what to grill and what sides to feature is only the beginning of my new daily culinary obsession. What adult beverage to pair with the day’s grill creation occupies much of my time, too. Like I said, it’s an unhealthy situation. My need to pair beer or wine — or both — with my meal may seem a little strange, but it’s great when you can get the planets to align and the meal satisfies me and my guests. I don’t even need guests, it’s something I’ll do for myself.

Luckily, Joplin offers up several options for those looking to find the perfect pinot or the right riesling to go with your grilled masterpiece. Many area retailers that offer a large selection of beer and wine also let shoppers sample their products. It’s like handing out crack samples to addicts, I suppose. I can’t resist the offer of a free beer sample or a taste of wine. It’s research for this column, after all. How’s that for a rationalization?

Search for sauce

Around my house, when we think of grilling, we think barbecue. Wet, sloppy and tangy, old-fashioned barbecue Ñ burgers, steaks and chicken, all smothered in sweet and savory goo.

I’ve learned that beer adds to the taste of a good, homemade barbecue sauce. I put my new grill and obsession through its paces recently. In preparation, I went online looking for some booze-based barbecue sauces to try.

It was a challenge. I searched for beer-based sauces and received only a few results. By a few, I mean 1,456,625. What I found wasn’t inspiring, so I searched on. I found ale sauces, lager sauces and dozens of sauces with a Budweiser base.

Funny thing: I didn’t find one sauce made with Natty Light. Curious. There will be soon, though. Where were the chocolate stout barbecue beef ribs or the English ale-infused chicken? I dug deeper into the Web, and I stumbled on to recipe for a Bud-based BBQ sauce at hotsauceworld.com.

“Executive chefs from our Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va., in conjunction with the brew masters of Anheuser-Busch have perfected this recipe, assuring you that your cooking experience is the best it can be,” the site explained. It sounded good to me. The site and reviews said this is a great sauce for pork and chicken. You can kick up the heat in this sauce with a little cayenne, the site said. I suggest trying dark ale or a berry lambic to sweeten the deal.

Bud BBQ sauce
1 cup Budweiser beer
1 cup tomato juice
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a medium skillet, add olive oil and garlic. Cook until slightly brown. Add in the onions and chili peppers and cook for an additional four minutes. Place remaining ingredients into skillet, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Allow mixture to cool completely before you puree in blender. Over at foodreference.com they suggested a sauce suitable for all meats. An American pale ale or India pale ale would give this recipe a great bitter taste.

Sweet beer BBQ sauce
1 cup of warm beer
1 cup catsup
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
zest of 1 lemon

Mix all but the chopped onions and lemon zest in a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Let this simmer for 10 minutes. Add the onion and lemon zest. Simmer for 5 minutes. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Bon appetit and cheers!