Some sauces, slathers and syrups for your summer grilling splendor. Try saying that five times fast, especially after a few pints of stout! Well, it’s time to break out the ole grill again (unless you’re like me and grill all year ‘round). First, lets talk a little about the grill. Be it charcoal, wood or gas-fired, it is a very versatile cooking utensil and kind of like an old hunting dog: don’t need much caring for, just a little cleanin’ and a whole lot of lovin’.

Always remember to heat up the grill first, then give it a good brushin’ with a wire BBQ brush and rub it with a towel damp with vegetable oil. A sprinkle of salt and pepper doesn’t hurt either.

I have put together a small collection of some of my favorite beer-enhanced grilling sauces for you to prepare and enjoy not only during the summer, but throughout the year. In my words, a sauce is simply a full flavored condiment which accents whatever it is served with. The right sauce should never overwhelm, and the beer used in these recipes should do the same. I stick to the rule that the lighter the food, the lighter the sauce, and vice versa.

The sauce recipes I’m sharing here differ in many ways. The first is a typical tomato-based barbeque sauce using stout to give it flavor, complexity and color. You can use this sauce with just about anything. I use it for meatballs, chicken, pork, steak and even shrimp. Replace your store-bought BBQ sauce with this recipe, and you’ll love me for it.

Number two is a slather. Well, actually, it’s a glaze (but glaze didn’t fit with sauce and syrup!). I recommend using this beer and maple syrup glaze on spicy grilled sea scallops and/or Cajun blackened chicken, but it works great on any hearty seafood or white meat. This glaze can be used to accent oven roasts, such as pork, veal or poultry.

Last but not least: a honey beer balsamic syrup. Excellent on chicken, pork, grilled shrimp wrapped in Prosciutto, or even squirted on salad greens dressed with a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Wow! Now that will impress — I promise!

These recipes all have one thing in common: Beer! They are all very different in their own ways. Make them in small batches and keep them around for many of your cooking needs. Enjoy, and I’ll see you next time in the Brew Chef Corner.

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The Brew Chef’s
Beer-B-Que Sauce

Yield: Approximately 1 quart
Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking time: 45 Minutes

Here is my ultimate Beer-B-Que Sauce recipe. I prefer using the biggest stout you can find. Use this all-purpose sauce for the grill, on meatballs or as a side for Quesadillas. This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 month.

1/2 lb bacon, diced
1 Spanish onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
6-oz can of tomato paste
12 oz tomato puree
12 oz crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup malt vinegar
1 cup stout
1 Tbsp barbeque spice
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tbsp Tabasco
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Method: Heat a heavy-bottom saucepot, add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook for an additional minute, add the tomato paste, puree and crushed tomatoes, stir well to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar, vinegar, stout and barbeque spice, stir in remaining ingredients and cook the sauce for an additional 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally. Use warm or chill.

Maple Porter Chile Glaze

Yield: 2 cups
Prep and cooking time:
15 minutes

Whenever beer is reduced, the flavor intensifies, but so does the bitterness. Adding a sweetener, in this case maple syrup, creates a beautiful balance of bitter and sweet. Brush this versatile glaze on just about anything, from grilled sea scallops to pork and shrimp. This glaze will last up to one month in the refrigerator.

1 cup pure maple syrup
2 cups porter
2 mild green chilies, roasted, peeled & seeded
2 cloves garlic
1/8 tsp chipotle powder or cayenne
1/2 tsp kosher salt
cracked black pepper to taste
4 oz olive oil

In a small saucepan, heat the maple syrup and beer. Simmer until half the liquid has evaporated. Add the remaining ingredients and remove from the heat. Place the glaze in a blender and puree until smooth. Chill or use warm.

Brew Clue: If you really like it hot, use a hotter chile like jalapeno or even habanero.

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Honey Beer

Balsamic Syrup
Yield: 1 cup
Prep and cooking time:
45 minutes to 1 hour

Vinegar syrups have been popping up on plates in many fine-dining establishments. Inventive chefs take sweetened vinegar mixtures and reduce them to a syrup consistency. I add a little beer to perk it up a bit!

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup stout
1 cup honey
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Whisk all the ingredients together in a 2-quart saucepan and simmer uncovered while stirring occasionally over medium heat for approximately 45 minutes. Set aside and use at room temperature. This sauce will last up to one month, without refrigeration.

Brew Clue: Experiment with different beers to come up with your own concoctions