Three ingredients. Many tips and tricks. Discover how to cook delicious food with efficiency using the robust flavour boost of beer, the richness of butter and the hot punch of chilli sauce! 

As we celebrate International Beer Day on the 1st of August, we give you the inside scoop on how beer can enhance your food. Cooking with beer not only enriches the flavour of food but also enhances its depth and complexity — which can take a recipe to a whole new level. The following tips and tricks to using beer in preparing your meals will help you get the best out of the brew.  

Beer and food pairing  

Select beers that enhance the taste of the food you’re serving. While heartier brews such as stouts and ales go well with beef, pork and rich stews, pair lighter beers such as Pilsners and lager with seafood and chicken.  

Marinades  

Beer is a great base for marinades since it not only adds flavour but also helps to tenderise meats — especially the tougher cuts. This is because the acidity in beer helps to break down proteins, which gives you a more tender result. For marinades with more depth, add a little brown sugar, herbs and spices.  

Beer in batter  

Adding beer to batters makes for a light, crispy texture. Beer’s carbonation aids in the batter’s expansion and airiness, so it’s great for making tempura veggies, fried fish or onion rings.  

Deglazing 

Instead of using wine or stock to deglaze the pan after searing your meat, why not use beer? It produces a tasty sauce by lifting all the flavourful caramelised bits off the pan’s surface.  

Simmering & braising  

Beer works well in slow-cooked foods such as stews and braises. It adds a deep, malty flavour that goes well with robust dishes. Just watch out for the bitterness, which can get stronger over extended cooking times. If necessary, counterbalance with a little sweetness.  

Baking  

When it comes to baked goods such as muffins and bread, beer is a winner. Its yeast cc contributes to the dough’s rise, giving it a distinct flavour that you simply won’t get from water on its own. 

By: Lichelle May
Photography by: Zhann Solomons
Text courtesy of MyKitchen magazine 

The post Cooking with beer? Follow these tips  appeared first on MyKitchen.

South Africans will use any opportunity to braai, that’s for sure! If you want to be crowned the Braai Master this year, here are three of our all-time favourite basting sauces and marinades guaranteed to impress your guests.

Apricot-butter braaied snoek

SERVES 6 | COOKING TIME 90 min

INGREDIENTS

1 whole snoek, filleted
Coarse salt and black pepper
150g butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
125ml smooth apricot jam
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp Cape Malay curry powder
Splash white wine (optional)
Olive oil

METHOD

1. Sprinkle the snoek with salt and leave for 20–30 minutes. Rinse off and pat dry.
2. Cook the butter and garlic until the butter is foamy. Add apricot jam, lemon zest, curry powder and wine. Stir through. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and pepper.
3. Coat the snoek in oil so it won’t stick to the grid. Braai for about 15 minutes, basting with the apricot butter and turning frequently. Serve with leftover apricot butter.

Honey and soy spatchcock chicken with herb salad

SERVES 4

Thinking about what you should make for dinner tonight? How about a perfectly tender spatchcock chicken doused in an Asian-style dressing, served with a fresh seasonal herb salad? You’re welcome.

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken

½ cup sweet Indonesian soy sauce
½ cup teriyaki sauce
¼ cup BBQ sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp honey
1 spatchcock chicken
1 lemon, halved or quartered

For the salad

1 tbsp lemon juice, plus zest of ½ a lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper
2 packets baby salad leaves
1 packet micro herbs
2 spring onions, sliced
Edible flowers, to garnish

METHOD

For the chicken
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Mix the sweet Indonesian soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, BBQ sauce, sesame oil, hoisin sauce and honey together in a bowl and marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes.
3. Place the chicken on a foil-lined roasting tray and roast in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until cooked and sticky, basting every 15 minutes.

For the salad
1. Whisk the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, mustard and honey together and season.
2. Just before serving, toss the dressing together with the baby salad leaves, micro herbs and spring onions, and garnish with edible flowers. Serve the salad with the chicken and lemon wedges.

Got plans for the weekend? Nope? Great! Whip up your own BBQ sauce, baste a spatchcock chicken and throw it on the braai.

Sticky Ribs

SERVES 8–10 | COOKING TIME 2 hours, 20 min

These sweet sticky ribs are the perfect starter or snack for when you want to entertain some guests. They’re absolutely divine!

INGREDIENTS

2 kg pork back ribs, cut in half lengthwise, bite-sized
8 rooibos tea bags
½ cup brown sugar, plus 3 tbsp
Zest and juice of 1 orange
Salt and pepper
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Spring onions, sliced, to garnish

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the ribs in a roasting tin.
2. Place the tea bags in a bowl with 2 cups boiling water and steep for 10–15 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add ½ cup brown sugar, orange zest and juice, and seasoning. Pour over the ribs and cover with tinfoil.
3. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes, until tender. Remove from oven.
4. Turn up the oven to 230°C.
5. Drain the cooking juices from the roasting tin into a pot and simmer over a medium heat to reduce by half, 15–20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (except spring onions) to form a glaze. Remove from the heat.
6. Return the ribs to the oven and cook, basting often with the glaze, until caramelised and sticky.
7. Allow to cool slightly. Serve garnished with spring onions.

The post Be the Snoek, Spatchcock and Rib Braai Master appeared first on MyKitchen.

Spicy, herby or sweet, it won’t be easy to choose just one of Anke Roux’s quick and easy ultimate braai marinades. And we snuck in two of her braai rubs, just to tempt you…  

1. ASIAN ORANGE, SZECHUAN AND GINGER MARINADE

Here’s how: Place the finely grated zest of 1 orange and the juice (125ml) of two oranges in a saucepan. Add 80ml sugar, 1 Tbsp Szechuan peppercorns, 1 tsp milled black pepper, 4cm knob ginger that’s been finely julienned, 1 tsp  sesame oil and ¼ cup each light soy sauce and dry sherry. Bring to the boil and reduce by two thirds. 

Good for: chicken, fish, prawns, calamari, steak and pork. 

2. LEMON, GARLIC AND HERB OIL MARINADE

Here’s how: Place the grated zest and juice (60ml) of 1 lemon, 2 lemon leaves (optional), 2 bay leaves, 1 large sprig lemon thyme, 2 garlic cloves and ¼ cup chopped chives in a mortar. Add a large pinch sea salt flakes and ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil and bash with pestle until well combined and leaves are broken up. 

Good for: steak, chicken, whole fish and lamb.  

3. PERI-PERI LEMON, GARLIC AND TOMATO MARINADE 

Here’s how: Melt ¼ cup butter in a pan. Add 6 finely chopped garlic cloves and cook until fragrant. Peel and quarter 4 tomatoes. Add to pan with ½ cup (white wine, 2 Tbsp sugar, 2 bay leaves and a pinch each of peri-peri and sugar. Cook until tomatoes have broken down. Blitz with a stick blender and season. 

Good for: chicken, steak (for prego rolls) and prawns. 

4. COCONUT CREAM, CURRY POWDER, APRICOT JAM, CORIANDER AND LIME MARINADE

Here’s how: Whisk together 80ml smooth apricot jam, ½ cup coconut cream, 2-3 Tbsp curry powder, 1 Tbsp grated ginger, grated zest and juice (60ml) of 1 lemon and a handful chopped coriander. Season with salt and milled black pepper. 

Good for: pork, lamb or chicken kebabs, chicken pieces, pork chops, prawns, and game fish steaks such as tuna, dorado and swordfish. 

But wait, there’s more… 

LOUISIANA DRY SPICE RUB

Here’s how: Mix 1 Tbsp each smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, dried thyme and garlic powder. Add 2 Tbsp brown sugar and mix. 

Good for: chicken pieces, steaks, prawns, lamb chops, and pork ribs, belly and chops.  

KAROO-STYLE DRY RUB

Here’s how: Roughly grind 3 Tbsp coriander seeds with a pestle and mortar. Add 1 Tbsp each dried thyme, rosemary, mint, and garlic powder. Add 1 tsp each ground allspice and ground clove. Mix well.  

Good for: lamb ribs, butterflied lamb leg and shoulder, venison, ostrich, and steak. 

The post Our Top 4 Citrus Infused Marinades appeared first on MyKitchen.