Flemish Beef Stew

Winter is getting close to its timely departure, but we aren’t through it yet.  There is still time left for stews, braised meats, and warming winter ales.

Sometimes the simple things in life are the most enjoyable, and stew is just that. Something as simple as meat braised in a flavourful liquid, when served with the right drink, can make the winter months more than bearable – with the right stew, winter is almost a delight. Stick-to-your-ribs hearty fare is winter at its best.  Most of us enjoy the luxuries of modern life, which includes central heating, but we still crave warming slow-cooked foods during these dreary months.  I will endure the cold wet misery that is a west coast winter as long as there is a stew on the table.  If I haven’t made my point clear enough – I love stew.

Stew - Finished

Carbonnade à la Flamande (Flemish Beef Stew), which is beef slowly simmered in a mixture of onions and dark Belgian ale, is a simple dish by modern culinary standards.  But do not confuse simple with bland or boring, this Belgian staple is proof that there is beauty in survival.  How so few ingredients can turn into something so fantastic amazes me.

Stew has a very pragmatic lineage – meat, bones, vegetables and whatever else is available was slowly simmered on the hearth until hungry workers returned home for their evening meal.  This meal did not just nourish the body, it was a source of pleasure and joy – it tastes that good.  We do not feed like animals; we take pleasure in what we eat, we dine, making sure even the simple taste good.

Very little culinary talent is required to make a proper stew and neither are exotic or hard to find ingredients – time is the only requirement.  I enjoy making stew, just about as much as I do eating it.  Food that takes more time than skill to prepare has always been my preference.  I believe every meal should be enjoyed to the fullest and that we can all make great food – life is too short for bad food.

The interweb is full of great Carbonnade à la Flamande recipes and I do not wish to add to the noise.  For a few good recipes please go here, here, or just Google it. People have been simmering and braising cheap cuts of meat for centuries and the basics of this stew are very simple: pour beer over beef and a chopped onion, add heat, wait three hours, eat.  You will need three hours as a minimum if you want to do this right.  If you do not have time in your schedule to make a proper stew, you may be living life wrong.

If you plan on making this Belgian dish, here are a few small tips that will help make your meal that much better.

  1. Buy the right meat.  Stewing beef is cheap and more flavourful than tender quick cook cuts (steak).  Premium cuts are tender and take little time to prepare, but as a result they offer less in the flavour department.  In a world short on time, we value meat that is tender when cooked quickly.  Heavily worked muscles develop collagen, which makes meat tough, but also adds flavour and body.  When beef is slowly cooked, collagen breaks down, meat becomes tender and the cooking liquid is fortified with a rich flavour and an enhanced mouth feel.  Brisket, Chuck, Shank and Short Rib are all good stewing cuts.  Ask your butcher and they will steer you in the right direction.
  1. Sear your meat hard.  Use more heat that you think necessary.  Meat needs colour, so don’t worry about burning it – be brave!  As meat browns the sugars caramelize and the maillard reaction also takes place.  Both of these processes add flavour.  So be bold, don’t worry if it looks too dark, it will be fine.
  1. Use a sour Belgian ale.  The stew is meant to have a sweet and sour flavour.  An Oud Bruin or a Flanders Red Ale would be best.  If this isn’t possible, cheat and add vinegar and sugar, but be sure to add both in small increments as too much of either could ruin your meal.   Some recipes may call for Stout or even light beer, but just don’t do it, it’s not right.
  1. Salt! Salt! Salt!  Food needs salt to taste good.  Taste your stew, if it seems timid, add more salt.  Continue this process, adding salt in small increments until your meal reaches maximum flavour.
  1. Serve with beer.  Again, an Oud Bruin or Flanders Red Ale would be the best and also the most traditional pairing, but anything dark and Belgian will do just fine.

Cheers,

Erik

Happy Pancake Day

pancakes frying in duck and bacon fat

pancakes frying in duck and bacon fat!

It’s Pancake Day, which is a big deal.  Not many foods have a day, but pancakes do, so let’s celebrate!   Those who do not like pancakes (who are these people?) may refer to today as Shrove Tuesday or, if you are a New Orleans native, Mardis Gras, but not me.  Today I celebrate Pancake Day.  These fluffy round disks drenched in a coma inducing glop of sticky syrup are delicious, and they make life better.  Sure, pancakes are a prime example of sloppy food and they are far from gourmet, but I do not care.  I’m not a gourmand after all; I am a beer drinker in search of good food, and pancakes are just that.

I did a quick Google search for “beer pancakes” and apparently beer pancakes are already a thing.  Add beer to flour, eggs, butter, baking power and apply heat – viola, beer pancakes.  Some articles online argue that the carbonation in beer gives the pancake a greater rise, making for a fluffier and more delicate texture.  Others claim that the malt flavour enhances the pancake by adding an additional layer of malty sweetness.  One recipe even claims that real beer (beer with yeast sediment) will further increase the pancakes rise as the yeast will convert starch (flour in the batter) to alcohol and C02, providing an additional lift.  I’m not sure how real these claims are as many sound like a bit of stretch.  I think people just like putting beer in their food as an excuse to drink more beer, which is fine by me.  But validating these claims is not today’s purpose.  Pancake Day is a day of feasting, so let’s feast.

Pouring beer into pancake batter seems like a waste of beer to me, but I am curious.  There is no need to justify mixing beer with pancake batter and I know that the outcome will most likely be neutral, neither enhancing nor detracting from the pancake-y goodness.  I like beer and I like pancakes, so why not put the two together and see what happens?

Beer Pancakes

Beer Pancakes

Pancakes are what happen – delicious fluffy pancakes.  The beer didn’t do much to improve the pancake – the texture may have been a bit lighter than usual.  Nonetheless a pancake feast was had.  If you are interested in making your own beer pancakes, the instructions are simple.  Replace all or some of the wet ingredients with beer, and make pancakes as usual.

Happy Pancake Day!

Cheers,

Erik

PS> To make your pancake experience that much better, always use two eggs when the recipe calls for one or two eggs, use melted butter, not canola oil, and fry the pancakes in a layer of animal fat to get the edges crispy – bacon or duck fat preferably.

Bestie: Bringing the Sausage Party to Chinatown

I met Dane Brown last August at the Gastown Cask Carouse where he told me about his new restaurant Bestie, which means beast in German and “best friend” in teenage girl. Bestie is billed as Chinatown’s finest currywurst and it surely will become so when it opens, since I know of no other currywurst venues in Chinatown (or in Vancouver).  They plan to sell local versions of German street food such as fresh baked pretzels, organic sausage, and Berlin street treat currywurst (I previously wrote about currwurst here), accompanied by local craft beer.  When I asked Dane what beer they had lined up he indicated they planned to serve Driftwood, hopefully something from the new Brassneck Brewery, and a German lager.

I was reminded of Bestie today when a colleague shared their innovate indiegogo campaign with me today.  They are pre-selling sausages for their early 2013 opening via Magic Sausage Cards.  Their campaign started today and, at the time of writing, has already sold $3325 of their $10000 allotment!  I imagine most of this money is going towards finishing construction and setting up shop.  Pretty great way to raise seed money, eh?

Bestie Magic Sausage Card Campaign from Bestie on Vimeo.

When I talked to Dane in the summer, he told me they planned to open Bestie in late October.  Since that hasn’t happened yet,  I reached out to Dane to see what’s the what (unsecrectly hoping they were having trouble getting a liquor license, so I could complain about the process).  He said getting the necessary building permits took way longer than expected and “more than anything we were just optimistically naive about the process and the timeline.”  Well, I appreciate the optimism and I hope it works out because I’ve pre-bought myself some sausage.

Cheers,

Chris

The Great Vancouver Pizza Explosion

Pizza has exploded in Vancouver.  I’m not talking about standard, run of the mill, delivered to your door in less than 20 minutes or it’s free pizza, many of which still claim to be made with 100%  real cheese –  since when was fake cheese an option?  I am talking about the wave of 90 second Neapolitan pies that are quickly becoming the new pizza norm.

I’ve posted many times about pizza and beer inVancouver. I started with Marcello’s on Commercial Drive, where they have been making thin crust pizza long before it was in fashion.  The pizza here is good and was arguably one of the best pizzerias in Vancouver for a number of years.

I then moved on to Incendios West (now closed) and The Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood, hoping to find the best pizza Vancouver had to offer.  I was excited about both locations, the beer menus looked good  and so did the pizza. The crust at Incendios West fell flat - under-baked, gummy and a bit soggy. RockyMountain, it turns out, doesn’t use salt – enough said.  I’ve heard from a number of trustworthy sources that Incendios Gastown location has stepped things up since a fire, which gutted the restaurant a few years back, forced them to restart.

Then along came Nicli Antica Pizzera in Gastown. Things changed after Antica Pizzeria opened.  People started to crave Neapolitan pizza.  Foodies began to talk, all of them claiming to have found the best 90 second pie in town. Restaurateurs took notice.  And now Vancouver is a pizza town.

I am more obsessed with pizza than ever before.  I overheard a friend of friend, whom I met just hours earlier, visually describe the chewy naan-like crust at a new pizzeria on Commercial Drive last night. I may have told this near stranger that I loved him – perhaps I came on a little strong?

I am going out for pizza tonight.   I am probably going to visit two places – Pizza Farina and Viva Tevera Pizzaria.  Yes, two pizza place in one evening may be a bit excessive, but what is life without a little excess now and again?

Want great pizza in Vancouver? Check out some of these places:

Nicli Antica Pizzaria – Makers of what many consider to the best pizza in town (I am one of the many).  The beer is good and the pizza is out of this world.  The ambiance is a bit stuffy for Gastown, but when the pizza is as good it is, ambiance doesn’t really matter.

Red Card – If you like sports, good beer and pizza you will like Red Card.  Rick Green, local food and beer aficionado, turned me on to Red Card.  The pizza is heavily charred, in a good way, and the craft beer selection is a big plus.  Possibly the best foodie and beer geek friendly sports bar inVancouver.

Verace Pizzeria Napoletana and EnotecaThe pizza here is good, delicately chewy crust with a healthy char and traditional Italian toppings.  Located right next to Rogers Arena, Verace Pizzeria is a great pace to go before a game.  Be warned; arrive early on game days if you want a seat.

The Golden Boot – Located in Coquitlam, The Golden Boot makes what may be the best pizza outside of the Vancouver core.  Probably not worth the drive if you live more than 30 minutes away, but if you happen to be in the area and have an urge to eat good food it is worth a stop.

Viva Tevera PizzeriaI have heard great things about Viva Tevera, but never been.  Having recently opened their doors just weeks ago the wait to get a table can exceed 90 minutes.  Viva Tevera is one of the two pizza stops for tonight!

UPDATE:

Viva Tevera Pizzeria was good. The crust was chewy but also a bit dense. The flavours were a bit heavy and didn’t allow the the distinct taste of each ingredient (cheese, tomato, basil etc) to come through. Overall an enjoyable experience and in a very interesting part of Vancouver. But not the best. I’d still give that to Nicli Antica Pizzeria.

Pizzeria Farina - One of my most trusted food sources tells me that Pizza Farina makes the best crust inVancouver.  After this evenings pizza adventure I hope to confirm or deny this lofty claim.

UPDATE:  

Pizzeria Farina impressed me. Not as traditionally Italian as the others (which doesn’t really matter), but very well made pizza  -  fantastic dough/crust.   The restaurant, although very small, was inviting. I’ll be back.

Cheers,

Erik

In Defence of Gluten

Almost three years ago I wrote one of this blog’s most (un)popular posts of all time, about Bard’s Gluten Free Sorghum beer.  Since returning to Vancouver, I’ve noticed that gluten has fallen considerably farther out of favour.  I cannot stand for this; I must defend the merits of my dear friend gluten.

gluten free beers

Some uninspiring gluten free beers

SORRY COELIACS, YOU POOR BASTARDS

To sum up my previous post, gluten free beer is not good and I feel sad for people with coeliac disease.  Yes, I’m aware that a small percentage of the population (far less than 1%) can not consume gluten because of this terrible affliction.  I’m also aware that there are others who are so intolerant of gluten that the resulting discomfort caused by it’s ingestion makes avoiding gluten a prudent course of action.  I also feel sorry for these people, though I feel they should make certain allowances for the finest beers and baked goods.  So there you have it past commenters, I know that some people have severe problems with gluten.  This time if you’d like to call me an idiot, please do so for reasons otherthan my assumed ignorance on this particular matter.

gluten allergies are bullshit

Woah google, settle down, we're having a civilized discussion here

FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS

I recently read a book called the Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan.  I found it to be a ridiculously good book and I highly recommend it to anyone that eats food.  The idea behind the book is that people are omnivores and find ways to eat pretty much everything.  Nowadays, at least in the modern western world, we have so much food and so much variety that choosing what to eat is much more of a problem than finding enough to eat.  Talk about your first world problems. As such, we North Americans, who lack a traditional food culture, are easily absorbed into an obsession with health and eating the “best” food.  This opens the door for food companies, who need to find new ways to sell more food at higher profit margins, to suck us in with clever marketing.  Tell an Italian to stop eating pasta or a French person to stop eating baguettes and they’ll likely punch you in the balls.

nature valley oats and honey

Does the green package and 'nature' make this healthy?

WHAT IS GLUTEN ANYWAY?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.  These are the grains we humans use to make bread, pasta, pizza, baked goods, breakfast cereal, and beer.  It’s not bad for you in any way unless you are a coeliac or have a substantial intolerance.  You can’t even be allergic to gluten.  Gluten sensitivity or intolerance is not an allergic response.  That’s not to say intolerance isn’t an issue, because it is.  Symptoms can be painful and prolonged gluten consumption can lead to malnutrition because the body stops absorbing everything to keep out the gluten.

gluten make you fat

No, you make you fat

AM I GLUTEN INTOLERANT?

If you have the symptoms, take them to a doctor, she tells you to stop eating gluten, then your symptoms go away, then most likely.  If not, then probably not.  If someone is telling you that you have problems with gluten, ask yourself if this person has anything to gain from you financially. I sincerely doubt chiropractors can do anything about gluten problems.

I’ve had a lot of people tell me they felt better when they started eating gluten free.  However, in some cases I don’t think their feeling better had much to do with cutting out gluten.  Gluten is found in whole, nourishing grains.  It’s also found in a lot of processed crappy food, like triscuits (what is a triscuit anyway?).  Food scientists (yeah, that is a thing) take real food like wheat and make food that tastes perfect to us, then we eat too much, then we get fat.  I’ve noticed a correlation between people who feel better after going gluten free, but are also making an effort to “be healthy” in the rest of their lives.  Instead of going gluten free, why not try eating real food for a while?

MMMMM GLUTEN

Gluten doesn’t actually taste like anything, but it is found in a lot of tasty foods.  What does it do for food, you ask?  Well, it gives it body mostly.  In bread, it contributes to dough elasticity, overall shape, and chewiness.  The best breads and pizza crusts owe much of their finery to gluten.  In beer, gluten contributes to body and mouthfeel, hence why many gluten free beers come off as watery.

gluten grains

This is bad for me?

HOW MUCH GLUTEN IS IN BEER?

Not very much actually.  Beer is brewed, denaturing many of the gluten proteins found in barley.  Beer is also naturally filtered during the fermentation process as the wort is drained through and out of the mash of barley husks. A beer contains around 10mg of gluten, whereas a piece of bread contains 5g.  All but the most afflicted should be able to enjoy beer.

SOME GLUTEN FREE BEERS

I’ve seen quite a few gluten free beers in Vancouver recently.  Bard’s, New Grist, and Green’s are a few to look out for  Are they good?  Well, taste is subjective, but no they are not.  I really like this article about the 14 best and worst gluten free beers, complete with % like actual beer rating.

DEFENDING MY BUDDY GLUTEN

It really comes down to this, some people have a lot of trouble with gluten and I feel really bad for them.  Gluten is in a lot of the best foods, not to mention beer, and I would be really sad if I couldn’t consume those anymore.  I think a lot of people who think they have gluten problems don’t actually and I implore those people to open their minds.  Most importantly, try drinking really good beer because gluten free beer is not as good.

Cheers,

Chris