A professional chef takes on beer styles and fun food pairings.
All hail the Pale Ale! The pioneering beer style that launched a thousand craft beer ships. These mildly toasty-caramel, boldly bitter beers make me long for hearty and meaty Mexican meals.
Sooo…. What do I want to eat when sipping on American Pale Ales? Beef Birria and Chorizo & Potato Pambazos!!
The classic American craft beer, APAs have roots in the old world. English Pale Ales and Bitters birthed this American renaissance. Renouncing EPA’s earthy and herbal properties, American Pale Ales opted for hoppy pine and citrus punches (with some fun fruity elements in there too). A mild maltiness comes through toasty and caramely. The normal range of ABV (4.5-6%) makes this an approachable, easy-drinking beer. And, the boosted carbonation makes for very refreshing sips.
This is a food lover's beer. Certainly earning the superlative ‘best all around’ when it comes to food pairings. My takeaway with APAs is, yes, of course, everything goes. But! I’m impressed with how well they stand-up to complex flavors, competing food flavors…APA sticks with it. Not overshadowing, not underperforming, absolutely smooth sailing.
These pairings, beef birria and pambazos, put that ‘everything goes’ to the taste test. A tour de force of flavors, each of them. And, incredibly, deliciously, American Pale Ales for the win! Here’s whats what…
Why Beef Birria?
Lawd, help me, this is one heck-of-a-good pairing! Beef birria is a slow cooked substitution for the traditional birria, made using goat (with origins and inspo coming from Jalisco). It is a stewy, melt-in-your-mouth, rib-sticking, meaty meal with complex and building flavors.
Dried chiles; guajillo, ancho, and arbol, are reconstituted and blended with oodles of garlic and onion, imparting smoke, heat, and aromatics. Tomatoes, beef broth, and vinegar make up the bulk of the consomme (simmering brothy liquids), adding savory umami and tang. While the seasonings; cumin, dried oregano, and a light sprinkle of baking spices, round and balance. Served simply with some corn tortillas, fresh chopped onion, lime wedges, and cilantro–this is Mexican comfort food nirvana.
Quesabirria are fun little pan-fried tacos stuffed with pulled birria beef and cheese. Served with some consomme for dipping.
American Pale Ale’s approachable ABV and substantial carbonation soothes any lingering heat from the chiles. The pronounced hop bitterness cut through those flavor-rich, fork-tender hunks of beef (and the gooey cheesy quesabirria tacos). Those same hoppy notes (citrus, fruit, and resin) call forward those heady garlic, cumin, and onion flavors. The mild malt character plays a fun role here too, elevating the umami and balancing the heat and spice.
Why Pambazos?
You just gotta get your hands on a pambazo (either homemade or abuela-made). These salsa-dunked sandos are a feast between a split roll—ohmygoodness, yum. The filling is a combination of skillet-crisped chorizo and potatoes, with those taters soaking up all that chorizo sausage pan drippings. All topped with a crumble of cotija cheese, heaps of shredded lettuce, an occasional schmear of refried beans, and, always, a hearty drizzle of crema. The rolls (telera) are dunked in a crimson guajillo salsa and…get this…deep fried! Until the rolls are warm and a little crisp. Pickled jalapeño, pickled red onion, and salsa verde are also acceptable pambazo accompaniments.
When it comes to an APA + pambazo pairing, we still get that soothing, cleansing against the heat (chorizo and guajillo providing those elements). We still get that boost with the savory umami elements, thanks to the hops. All similar, positive notes that we had with our beef birria. But, with our pambazos, we add another hurdle APA needs to jump…heaviness. These are hearty and heavy sandwiches. Our bitter pale ale, like the accompanying pickled goodies and fresh salsa, lighten, lift, and balance those heavier ingredients (fried roll and potatoes), giving us gastronomic-gusto for the next bite (and the next, and the next, and the …). I will also say this, APA and chorizo, chef’s kiss!
Hat Tip to Sierra Nevada
The OG!!! Sierra Nevada did it.They set the benchmark, they launched the APA revolution, and they are the ones for which we will be forever grateful for their contribution to American beer history. The American Pale Ale originators–and my go-to recommendation for this fun and flavorful food pairing.
About me—I am a professional chef working my way up the Cicerone certification ladder. I left the typical cheffy grind (after 15+ years) to focus on fun food play, independently working as a recipe/food content developer and restaurant consultant (freelance, full-time, kicking off in 2017). While studying all of these fabulous profiles and sipping my way through 80++ different beer styles. I created a project for myself…”what do I want to eat with these beers”. As a food obsessed professional, I reached into my memory rolodex of flavors and food profiles to find some worthy contenders (that may fly a little outside the box)…
Want to see what food I would like to eat with your beer? Let’s chat! Email me at contact@pattersonwatkins.com
Need some help pairing beer with your food menu? Or, would you like some help creating a food menu that pairs with your beer? I’m always hungry (and thirsty). Email me at contact@pattersonwatkins.com
Are you interested in food or beer related content development? Hit me up! contact@pattersonwatkins.com or check out my portfolio at www.pattersonwatkins.com