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Cooking with Beer
We all have our own recollections of wonderful times spent with family and friends
consuming great food washed down with ‘a favourite beer’.
Ask an Australian and they’ll tell you beer is about mateship. More than any other drink,
beer is about friends. Everything from the ‘shout’ to the ‘cheers’ is about strengthening the
social bonds beer creates.And in my opinion, conviviality is the base starting point to any
good match - start with something you want to eat and something you want to drink and
follow the natural paths from there.
Born from a respect for traditional techniques using highest quality ingredients, crafted beer
is unique and complex in nature. Considered thought to its use can turn it into an essential
complement and adapt to the food we love to eat.
food
WORDS LYNDALL VANDENBERG PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN SEILER

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Preheat oven to 150 degrees.
In a non stick fry pan, Dry roast fennel and coriander seeds until
fragrant (about 30 seconds).
minutes over medium heat or until softened.Add garlic and
cook for about 30 seconds.
Add the spice and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to combine then
add the honey and let it bubble up for a minute. Place the pork
skin side up in the casserole and pour in enough beer to reach
halfway up the sides of the pork but not right up to the skin.
Cover with the lid, turn up the heat and bring to boil. Place in
the oven. Cook the pork for 3 hours, spooning the pan juices
over the pork three or four times, or until the pork is very
tender and caramel in colour. Set pork aside and rest for 30
minutes.
Slice pork and serve with pan juices, sautéed spinach and
mashed potatoes.
*Pork Porterhouse is available at
Wintersun Butchers 03 50231438
1.5kg pork porterhouse* (approximately)
3tbs olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2tsp fennel seeds
2tsp coriander seeds
375ml Mildura Brewery Honey Wheat Beer (approximately)
2tbs honey
salt & freshly ground black pepper
Pork Porterhouse Braised in Honey Wheat Beer
The special thing about this dish is the beers transition to a deliciously fragrant, light and golden sauce as a result of slow cooking.The
golden fat of molten sweetened pork essence. It holds the promise of a meal so good, you won’t stop thinking about it. Serves 8

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330ml Mildura Brewery Sun Light Beer
110 ml water
30 ml grapeseed oil
about 2L oil for frying such as grapeseed or vegetable
3 limes
4 large handfuls mixed fresh herbs such as coriander,
mint orThai basil
40 ml olive oil
20 ml lime juice
1 small clove garlic crushed
salt to taste
Heat oil.To test for readiness, drop a small piece of bread into
completely covered. Drop each piece into the oil. Cook for a
minute or so or until batter is golden. Remove and drain on
Segment the limes by removing the base and top of the citrus
remove the peel and white pith from the citrus fruit. Holding
the fruit over a bowl to catch any juice, cut along either side
of the white membrane to remove the segments. Place all
ingredients in a serving bowl and toss to combine.
Beer Batter Flathead with Lime, Herb & Chilli Salad
makes the batter rich but most importantly gives it the crispness.The consistency should be like thick pancake batter. It’s important to
into the batter and allow the extra to run away. Maintain the heat of the oil at a hot, even temperature - use the wok burner on your
Use lemons or even grapefruit or a combination of all three as an alternative. Serves 8

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a coarse mince-like paste. In a small bowl, stir the sugar with
and lime leaves, mix together and set aside for 15 minutes
chicken along with salt and pepper, coconut cream, shallots and
Using wet hands, mould the mixture around the bamboo sticks,
making slim sausage shapes. Brush meat all over with oil and
cook over the hot coals of a barbeque grill or on a hot chargrill
pan turning occasionally, until cooked through. Serve with chilled
Stefano’s Pilsner, the dipping sauce, coriander leaves and a few
wedges of lime.
Heat vinegar and water in a saucepan and stir in sugar. Pound
chillies, garlic, coriander root & salt in a mortar until they
become a rough paste then transfer to the saucepan. Simmer
for about 5 minutes or until sauce thickens a little.Transfer to a
serving bowl.
For the satays
500g chicken mince
1tbs castor sugar
1 red chilli or 3 birdseye chillies, depending on
100ml coconut cream
a generous pinch of salt and pepper
12 bamboo sticks, soaked in water
lime wedges and coriander leaves, to serve
For the dipping sauce
2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 coriander roots
1tsp Murray River Salt
½ cup sugar
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup water
Barbecued Thai Chicken Satays with Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce
with Stefano’s Pilsner from Mildura Brewery
Serve the beer chilled with the satays and dipping sauce arranged on a platter. Makes about 12 satays.

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Rinse the beans and place in a bowl. Cover with cold water and soak overnight. The next
their volume of water.Add the bay leaf and bring to a full boil for ten minutes. Lower the
heat and simmer gently until cooked and tender. Drain beans, discard bay leaf and
set aside.
with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, shake to combine.Working in batches so you don’t crowd
the pan, brown the pieces of beef, resisting the urge to turn them until they are truly dark
to a separate plate and brown the remaining pieces. If necessary, add a bit more oil to the
pan as you go.
Once all the meat is browned, fry the onions in the pot until they are wilted, about 5
minutes.Add the garlic, as well as the remaining salt, sugar, dried and fresh chillies, oregano,
of the spices.Add chocolate and stir until melted. Return meat to the pan then add
tomatoes and beer and cover with lid.
Bring to boil then reduce heat and cook the stew on very low for at about 2 hours, or
until the meat is tender.Add the beans and cook for another 20 minutes. Serve with fresh
coriander, homemade tortillas, guacamole and sour cream.
*Unsweetened chocolate is readily available. Look for a high cocoa content of at least 85%.
150g dried red beans
1 bay leaf
1kg chuck steak cut into 3cm cubes
375ml Mildura Brewery Mallee Bull Beer
3tsp Murray River salt (approximately)
2 fresh long red chillies,
3 tbs olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2-3 tsp dried red chillies
2tsp dried oregano
2tsp ground cumin
1tsp paprika
400g canned crushed or diced tomatoes
1 tbs brown sugar
25g *unsweetened dark chocolate
Mexican Beef & Beans Stewed in Beer and Chocolate served with Homemade Tortillas & Guacamole
Mildura Brewery’s Mallee Bull Beer. The chocolate gives the braising liquid some extra body and richness while slow cooking
Tortillas are worth making at home and are surprisingly easy to make.They give the dish delicious authenticity.
Top them with the stew, guacamole and a generous dollop of sour cream. Serves 8

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Beat the egg whites with the sugar until stiff.Add the mascarpone and beat on
low speed until fully incorporated. Dip the biscuits into the beer, making sure
they absorb the beer but are not saturated. Place biscuits in a dish large enough
to accommodate nine placed in a single layer. Cover them with half of the
mascarpone/egg mixture. Form a second layer with the remaining biscuits and
remaining mascarpone/egg mixture. Refrigerate for a few hours before eating.
Dust generously with cocoa before serving.
* Mascarpone -Try the brand La Casa Del Formaggio for its quality.
100ml Mildura Brewery Choc Hops Chocolate
Stout (approximately)
4 egg whites
2 ½ tbs white sugar
325g *mascarpone
18 sponge biscuits
Tiramisu with Mildura Brewery Choc Hops Chocolate Stout
The addition of Choc Hops Chocolate Stout Beer instead of the traditional coffee and Masala gives this Italian classic a delicious
Dipped with sponge biscuits and teamed with the creamy mascarpone this is a dessert to make time and time again! Serves 6-8.
Guacamole
3 avocados, peeled and
cut into chunks
1 cup coriander leaves
juice of 1 lime
a good pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients in
a small bowl.
Tortillas (makes about 12)
300ml warm water
a large pinch of salt
wrap and rest for 15 minutes. Heat a cast iron fry pan to hot and brush lightly with a
little olive oil. Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Place 1 piece of dough between 2 pieces
piece of baking paper away and place on hot pan, tortilla side down and cook for a few
minutes.The tortilla will begin to colour and at that point the baking paper can be peeled
away.Turn tortilla over and cook for a minute or so, or until a little charred and coloured.
Repeat process until remaining tortilla are cooked.
Sunraysia Farmers Market under the label of Grewal Makki Atta.