Liquid Assets

Things Are Looking UPLAND

For Bloomington brewing company, craft beer and local food go hand in hand

BY KEITH ROACH PHOTOS BY CHELSEA SANDERS

It’s a perfect day for a cookout. Korean-cut beef short ribs are on the grill and sides are nearby. Blackberry pie warms in the sun and goat cheese sorbet is on ice. And, fittingly, beer is plentiful. Upland Brewing Company’s executive chef, Seth Elgar, is at the helm of this summer picnic, unfolding on the farm of Upland’s president, Doug Dayhoff. Grab a plate and get to know the people behind it all.

It’s a rare and delicious thing when a brewery gets its beer and its food right.

Upland Brewing Company, the craft brewery and restaurant based in Bloomington, is such a place, where the macaroni and cheese is as revered as the Wheat Ale from which it’s made.

There is an ever-widening circle of ways to try Upland’s beer— sampled at Upland’s tasting room in Indy near Broad Ripple, pulled from the taps at Lucas Oil Stadium, offered at bars and stores throughout the state—but there is just one place to taste that union of beer and food: at the brewpub in Bloomington.

Upland executive chef Seth Elgar relies on relationships with local growers and farmers to steer the menu when possible. The menu spans pub favorites like breaded pork tenderloins and entrees such as enchiladas with mole sauce, plus specials like Korean-cut short ribs. INDEPENDENT AND IRREVERENT

Founded in 1998, Upland brews seven year-round beers—including the popular wheat and IPA—and more than a dozen seasonal and special beers that are sold, in bottles and on draught, in Indiana, Louisville and southern Wisconsin. It also has a line of Belgian sour ales, whose signature tart flavors come from fermenting with a variety of yeasts and bacteria in oak barrels for a year or more.

The company’s name comes from the Norman and Crawford uplands—geologists’ terms for two of the southern Indiana areas that glaciers didn’t flatten. Nestled in Bloomington’s rolling hills are the original brewery and brewpub, on 11th Street just a few blocks off the downtown square.

The Upland crew is serious about making exceptional beer and food. Head brewer Caleb Staton is an Indiana Artisan, a designation for the premier food and beverage producers and artists in the state.

But they have plenty of fun too. Case in point: the smile-inducing name of their brown ale, Nut Hugger. The label features a squirrel sipping a pint.

“We don’t want to lose being independent and irreverent,” says Dayhoff, one of the members of a small partnership group that bought the business in 2006. “We don’t want to lose the part of our character that makes us special. That’s what’s enabling our growth.”

Clockwise from top left: Upland president Doug Dayhoff and his wife, DeeDee; Upland's executive chef, Seth Elgar; farmers (from left) Diana and Dave Fischer of Fischer Farms, Deryl Dale of Harvest Moon Flower Farm, Teresa Birtles of Heartland Family Farm, Linda Chapman of Harvest Moon; Upland beers.

Over the last 5½ years, Upland’s business has tripled. In 2011, Upland produced just under 10,000 barrels of beer.

Its beers have snagged a variety of awards and make cameos on “Parks and Recreation,” the NBC show about a fictional Indiana town––when the characters drink beer, Upland bottles are in their hands. Now as popular as it’s ever been, Upland is expanding, a move that will make the beer company a regional player.

This summer Upland is shifting production of its traditional ales and lagers to a refurbished 37,000-square-foot plant on Bloomington’s west side. At first the new brewery will have an annual capacity of about 18,000 barrels, but there will be room to expand further and produce up to 50,000.

The 11th Street location will be renovated late this year or early next. A larger kitchen and additional seating will serve more customers, and a new outdoor music pavilion will host large events. Upland will also build a barrel cellar and increase production of its sours.

“Normally, when you grow you have to compromise,” Dayhoff says. “On both the beer side and the restaurant side, we’ve said not only that we won’t compromise, but we’ll get better at our values and authenticity than before.”

Those values include being sustainable and buying local.

FROM THE FARM

Seth Elgar became Upland’s executive chef in early 2011. A farmraised Hoosier whose culinary education took him to Chicago’s Kendall College and to France, he’s strengthened Upland’s commitment to local sourcing.

Upland gets produce from Heartland Family Farm in Bedford and Sun Circle Farm in Paoli, herbs and spices from Harvest Moon Flower Farm in Spencer, cheese from Capriole in Greenville, beef and pork from Fischer Farms in Jasper and poultry from the Butcher’s Block in Bloomington—to name but a few.

Each week Elgar shops at Bloomington’s farmers market, but he’s also trying some new, more innovative sources. On the roof, near the water-heating solar panels, Upland is starting a garden. And, this spring, the brewpub began buying pigs from WE Farm that were fed Upland’s fruit and vegetable scraps.

The innovation continues in the kitchen.

Diners sitting inside or on the patio can get tried-and-true breaded tenderloins, but they can also order a seitan tenderloin. And pretzel twists from the Bloomington Bagel Company, served with Wheat Ale cheese sauce and Helios Pale Ale mustard. And porter chocolate cake, made with Upland’s Bad Elmer’s Porter.

Elgar and his staff experiment with weekly specials and seasonal items, too. After an Upland employee returned from a trip to Kenya, the restaurant served Kenyan specials for two weeks. When Teresa Birtles, owner of Heartland Family Farm, goes to Upland after the Bloomington farmers market, she enjoys seeing farms she knows on the menu.

“It’s just delightful to feel like you’re a part of other people’s lives,” she says. “It builds cohesiveness in the community.”

Upland also builds community by sponsoring events like festivals, concerts and fundraisers for causes like the Sycamore Land Trust. At the annual Tour de Upland, scheduled for Aug. 18 and 19, attendees gather in Brown County for a weekend of cycling, beer, food, music and camping. And Upland will host two Oktoberfest celebrations this fall, one in Bloomington and the other in Indy’s Military Park.

“Beer, music, being outside—they’re all things that go well together,” Elgar says. “We try to do that whenever we can.”

Details: Upland Brew Pub and Brewery: 350 W. 11th St., Bloomington; 812-336-2337. Upland Tasting Room: 4842 N. College Ave., Indianapolis; 317-602-3931. uplandbeer.com

Upland’s Perfect Summer Picnic

Whether it’s your first cookout of the summer or your 10th, this menu of Korean short ribs and sides is bound to impress.

Behind it all is Seth Elgar, the executive chef at Upland Brewing Co. brewpub in Bloomington.

The main dish is Korean beef short ribs. These aren’t the barbecue-slathered slabs you’re used to. They’re cross-cut, so there’s more meat than bone, and an outstanding marinade of Asian pears, mirin, honey, ginger and Korean chili flakes imparts a sweet and tangy flavor. (Elgar occasionally offers Korean ribs on special at Upland.)

The beef is sliced and tucked into lettuce leaves with kimchi, then paired with picnic-perfect sides like carrot-and-radish slaw and fennel salad. And the big finish: blackberry pie with goat cheese sorbet.

Elgar invited some very special guests to his cookout: the farmers who had contributed ingredients for the meal.

At the table were Dave and Diana Fischer of Fischer Farms in Jasper, who provided the beef short ribs; Teresa Birtles of Heartland Family Farm in Bedford, who provided produce; Linda Chapman and Deryl Dale of Harvest Moon Flower Farm in Spencer, who provided herbs (and flowers for the table).

Here, Elgar shares his recipes for an inspired backyard picnic.

“We don’t want to lose the part of our character that makes us special. That’s what’s enabling our growth.”

KALBI

These kalbi, or Korean beef short ribs, build incredible flavor while they marinate for three days. But once they touch the grill, they’re quick-cooking.

Ask your butcher for Korean-cut short ribs, which are thin and crosscut—Elgar sources his from Fischer Farms. After you pull the ribs from the grill, cut the beef in thin slices away from the bones. Tuck the slices into lettuce wraps with kimchi (recipe on page 16) and eat them like a taco.

Recipe by Chef Seth Elgar Serves 6 1–2 Asian pears (use one softball-size pear or two baseball-size pears) ¾ cup soy sauce ¾ cup mirin (Japanese rice wine) or sweet white wine 3 tablespoons minced garlic ½ white onion, chopped 1½ tablespoon minced ginger 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1½ tablespoons honey 1½ tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons Korean chili flakes 1 teaspoon black pepper 5 pounds of Korean-cut beef short ribs 3 tablespoons sesame seeds Leaf lettuce, for making lettuce wraps

1. To prepare the marinade, cut all the usable fruit from the cores of the pears. In a blender or food processor, combine pears and all other ingredients except the short ribs, sesame seeds and leaf lettuce. Blend until smooth.

2. Transfer marinade to a large bowl and stir in sesame seeds. 3. Dip each rib slice in marinade and place it in a nonreactive container (stainless steel, food-grade plastic or glass). Stack ribs in the container, leaving a bit of space between each. 4. Pour remaining marinade over the beef and place it in the refrigerator. 5. Marinate beef for at least 3 days, up to 6 days. 6. Each day, transfer ribs to a new container, reversing their order (top becomes bottom) to ensure beef is evenly marinated. 7. Before cooking beef, wipe all marinade from ribs. Heat grill to high heat. Cook beef to medium doneness and remove them from grill. 8. Allow beef to rest for 5 minutes. Then, with kitchen shears, cut along the fat seams and the bone structure. Cut the pieces of meat into strips that will fit into the lettuce pieces. 9. Assemble lettuce wraps like a soft taco, with the grilled beef, as well as kimchi or other pickles and slaws.

“Not everything needs to be deep-fried to be beer friendly.”

In Korea, this fermented slaw is a ubiquitous all-purpose condiment. While aging, kimchi develops an incredibly complex flavor and a kick, making it the perfect accompaniment to Korean short ribs in lettuce wraps.

It’s good for up to six months in the fridge, so make a big batch and store it in four quart-size canning jars. Then you’ll have it on hand to enjoy all summer long in a variety of ways—on tacos, with fried eggs or with almost anything that comes off the grill.

Elgar uses Napa cabbage from Heartland Family Farms, sweet potatoes from Sun Circle Farms and ginger and garlic from Harvest Moon Flower Farm.

Recipe by Chef Seth Elgar Makes 4 quarts, enough for 12–16 people

8 cups cold water 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 heads Napa cabbage 1 head garlic, sliced 1½-inch ginger segment, peeled and grated ¼ cup fish sauce 1 daikon (6–8 inches long), peeled and julienned 1 bunch scallions, cut thin 1 cup Korean chili powder 1 teaspoon sugar 2 carrots, shredded 1 large sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled & grated 3 leeks, whites julienned 8 anchovies 4 to 5 large shallots (about 2 cups), sliced thin

1. Make a brine: Bring the water to a boil, then dissolve the salt. Cool brine to room temperature. 2. Prepare cabbages by peeling off bad exterior leaves. Quarter cabbages, making sure to keep some of the core in each piece. Soak cabbage in salt water for 4 hours, weighted down with ceramic plates. 3. Combine all remaining ingredients into a paste. Mix by hand (wear latex gloves). 4. Remove cabbage from brine and wring out excess water. 5. Starting from the outside working toward the interior, smear each layer of cabbage with the paste. 6. Pack cabbages into containers that are glass, stainless steel or foodgrade plastic (not disposable plastic containers, or Tupperware). 7. Age the kimchi in a cool, dark place (ideally around 45–55°) such as the basement for 1 week.

8. After aging, cut the core from each quarter of cabbage and discard. 9. Cut each quarter into six or more pieces, depending on size, and pack mixture into 4 clean quart-size canning jars. 10. Refrigerate jars of kimchi. It is good for up to 6 months.

Pickling is a great way to keep sweet potatoes on the table through summer. This recipe calls for a vibrant brine infused with allspice, cloves, star anise and cinnamon.

Note that you’ll need to make a spice sachet using cheesecloth and butcher’s twine (or uncolored cotton thread).

Like the kimchi, these sweet potato pickles are good for 6 months, so make a large batch and keep some on hand for the next cookout or two.

Recipe by Chef Seth Elgar Serves 10–12 1 orange 4 large sweet potatoes 8 whole allspice berries 3 whole cloves 3 whole star anise 1 tablespoon pink peppercorns 2 Ceylon cinnamon sticks 2 cups cold water 2½ cups rice vinegar ½ cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar ¼ cup kosher salt 1 large red onion, sliced

1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove exterior peel of the orange, avoiding as much of the pith as possible. Set zest aside.

2. Cut orange in half and juice it into a small bowl. 3. Peel sweet potatoes and slice them ¼-inch thick on a mandolin.

4. Toast the whole allspice berries, cloves, star anise, peppercorns and cinnamon over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 5. On a large piece of cheesecloth, place the toasted spices and the orange zest. Tie this into a sachet. 6. In a small pot, bring the water, vinegar, sugars, salt and orange juice to a boil. 7. In a nonreactive container (it will need a lid), combine sweet potatoes and red onion and place sachet on top. 8. Pour the hot brine over the top of the potatoes, onion and sachet, and use a couple of plates to submerge the mixture.

9. Allow the pickled sweet potatoes to sit in the refrigerator for at least 7 days. They are good for up to 6 months, but the sachet should be removed after 10 days.

Honey, mint, basil and ginger make this lemonade utterly addictive. Use your favorite local honey and herbs—Elgar sources from Hunter’s Honey Farm in Martinsville and Harvest Moon Flower Farm. Try the lemonade spiked with gin or vodka, too.

Recipe by Chef Seth Elgar Serves 8 ⅔ cup honey 4 cups boiling water ½ cup mint, cut into chiffonade ½ cup basil, cut into chiffonade ⅓ cup ginger (a 2–3-inch segment), peeled and sliced thin ⅔ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (from about 3 lemons) 3 cups ice water

1. Dissolve honey into the boiling water, then stir in mint, basil and ginger. Allow to stand for 2–3 minutes. 2. Stir in lemon juice and ice water. 3. To serve, pour into glasses with ice.

Sweet Potato Pickles being passed at Upland Brewing Co.’s summer picnic.

CARROT & RADISH SLAW

A sweet-and-sour vinaigrette made with local cider vinegar dresses this slaw, which brings together carrots, Korean pear, red radishes and daikon radishes (also known as Japanese radishes— spot them at the market by looking for long white roots that look like jumbo carrots).

Elgar sources daikon from Sun Circle Farms and cider vinegar from Musgrave Orchards.

Recipe by Chef Seth Elgar Serves 6 ½ cup cider vinegar ½ cup sugar ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon mustard powder ½ teaspoon celery seed ⅓ cup canola oil 1 medium daikon radish, diced into ¼-inch pieces ½ of a white onion, diced into ¼-inch pieces ½ of a Korean pear, julienned 8 medium carrots (about ¾ pound), carrots ½ pound red radishes, shaved thin

1. Combine vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard powder and celery seed in a mixing bowl. Whisk to incorporate, then whisk in oil.

2. Cut daikon, onion, pear, carrots and radishes and add each, one at a time, to the vinegar and oil mixture, making sure to mix well each time to prevent oxidization of the produce. 3. The slaw can be served immediately, but for best results let marinate for 2–3 hours before serving.

Fennel and orange mingle with chives, tarragon and parsley for an aromatic side dish that you’ll make again and again this summer.

Recipe by Chef Seth Elgar Serves 6 2 large oranges 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon local honey Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste Olive oil, about 4 tablespoons 1 fennel bulb, sliced very thin 2 large shallots (about 1 cup), sliced very thin ½ cup roasted red pepper, diced into ¼-inch pieces 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, cut into chiffonade 1 teaspoon tarragon, cut into chiffonade 1½ tablespoons chives, sliced thin 1 teaspoon minced garlic ½ cucumber (peeled, split lengthwise, seeds scooped from the interior, sliced thin in half-moon slices)

1. Supreme the oranges: Cut of the top and the bottom of the fruit.

Cut the peel and pith off of the fruit from top to bottom, working your knife along the curve of the orange. Cut segments free from the connective membrane. Reserve 1½ tablespoons of juice, squeezed from the remaining core of the oranges. 2. Whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey and reserved orange juice.

Season well with kosher salt and ground black pepper. 3. While whisking this mixture, drizzle in olive oil slowly. The vinaigrette will emulsify when the proper amount of oil is present (approximately 4–5 tablespoons). 4. Combine orange segments and remaining ingredients together and toss gently with half of the sherry vinaigrette. Add more vinaigrette as needed. 5. Season salad to taste with salt and black pepper.

This recipe is an adaptation of one found in Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home. Author Jeni Britton Bauer

owns eponymous (and superb) ice cream shops in Columbus, Ohio.

Elgar’s version highlights top-notch chèvre from Capriole, the goat cheese farm in Greenville. He also suggests using whole milk from Traders Point Creamery in Zionsville for this recipe.

Recipe by Chef Seth Elgar Serves 8 2 cups whole milk 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch 4 ounces (about ½ cup) Capriole chèvre (goat cheese) 1½ ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese, at room temperature ½ teaspoon kosher salt ⅔ cup sugar 3 tablespoons agave nectar (use the light variety, not amber)

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of the milk with cornstarch in a small bowl to make a slurry. 2. In another bowl, combine chèvre with cream cheese and salt.

3. Bring remaining milk to a boil with the sugar and agave nectar. Boil for 4 minutes (don’t let the liquid boil over). 4. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and bring liquid back to a simmer. Cook mixture for an additional 2 minutes to ensure that it has emulsified.

5. Remove milk mixture from stove and pour it slowly into the bowl with the goat cheese mixture, whisking to combine them. If bowl wobbles, place a damp towel under it for traction.

6. Once all ingredients have incorporated, set bowl in an ice bath to cool. (To make the ice bath, place ice and water in a mixing bowl that is larger than the bowl you are cooling.) 7. Once the mixture is at or below room temperature, refrigerate it overnight. 8. The following day, or up to 2 days later, run the mix through an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s directions, until it is frothy and thick.

9. Transfer the sorbet to another container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. 10. To make scooping easier when serving, let the ice cream scoop stand in hot tap water for several minutes first, and between scoops, too.

No shortcuts here—this is real pie dough made with pork lard, and it will have everyone asking for the recipe. Elgar sources lard from Fischer Farms and cider vinegar from Musgrave Orchards. Fill the crust with blackberry filling and top individual slices with goat cheese sorbet (recipes follow) for a memorable finale.

Recipe by Chef Seth Elgar Makes enough dough for two pies with lattice tops

4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1⅔ cups pork lard (refrigerated for at least 1 hour) ½ cup cold water 1 egg, beaten 1 tablespoon cider vinegar Melted butter and sugar

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add lard and incorporate it by hand until the mix is similar to coarse cornmeal in size.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the water, egg and vinegar, and whisk well to incorporate. 4. Add the liquid to the dry mix and knead by hand until a smooth dough forms. 5. Divide dough into 4 evenly sized pieces and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This dough, if wrapped tightly with plastic film, can last up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to a week when frozen.

6. When ready to assemble a pie, roll out a dough ball on a well-floured surface. Roll out a 12–inch circle to fill a 9–inch pan. 7. Rub the inside of the pie pan with room-temperature butter and lay dough sheet across the pan. Press to line the pan. 8. Pierce bottom of dough several times with a fork or a paring knife to keep it from rising and bubbling in the oven. Add the blackberry pie filling (recipe follows). 9. A second piece of reserved dough can be used to create a lattice top to the pie. Roll the dough out just as you did for the bottom crust. Cut dough into ½- to ¾-inch strips and weave them across the filling. Crimp the edges into the bottom crust.

10. Brush top of lattice with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. 11. Bake pie in a preheated oven at 450° for 10 minutes.

Turn oven down to 350° and bake for another 20–25 minutes, rotating it 2 or 3 times.

Recipe by Chef Seth Elgar Makes enough to fill 1 pie

1 quart fresh blackberries 1 cup sugar ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 lemon, zested and juiced ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Place blackberries, sugar, salt and lemon zest and juice in a bowl. Toss to coat evenly. 2. Add flour and toss to coat again.