cooking with CRAFT BEER

By Leslie Basalla-McCafferty

By Leslie Basalla-McCafferty

TThe brewery takes gastropub fare to the next level with dishes like Canadian Cardiac Arrest (a pulled pork poutine) and emphasizes game in items like its Gator Po’ Boy and Elk Meatloaf.

Starbuck says it’s easy to add craft beer to your culinary toolbox once you’ve nailed a few techniques.

“Since becoming executive chef at Two Bandits, I have learned a lot about cooking with craft beer,” she says. “Cooking with beer isn’t anything I’d ever done in my home kitchen, so it has definitely been a fun learning experience.”

Craft beer doesn’t just elevate flavor, she notes — it’s also great for improving texture. “If anyone wants to up their marinade game, adding craft beer is the way to go,” she says. “Not only does it enhance the flavor of whatever you’re marinating, it also breaks down the fibers, leaving you with a flavorful and ultra-tender cut of meat.

Her favorite advice: don’t be afraid to mix it up with different styles and unorthodox pairings — even what you think is a mistake might yield pleasantly surprising results.

“One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is to not limit yourself to what beer you use,” she says. “And experiment — there really are no rules. I once made a batch of beer cheese unknowingly using our peach wheat, Movin’ to the Country, because a label didn’t get changed on a tap handle. I was mortified because I thought my whole batch was ruined, but I tasted it and, to my pleasant surprise, it was delicious! I ran it for service despite this accidental experimentation.”