Pumpking and Maple Meatballs

My turn to cook at home and I decided to cook spaghetti and meatballs for me and the boys.  I was in a pumpkin mood so I busted out a bottle of Imperial Pumpking from Southern Tier Brewing Company to see me through the process.   First the meal:

Ingredients:

MEATBALLS

 2 pounds lean ground beef

 2 cups fresh bread crumbs

 2 tablespoons dried parsley

 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

 1/2 teaspoon oregano

 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

 2 eggs, beaten

 

 SAUCE

2 jars Ragu spaghetti sauce

 1 teaspoon garlic powder

 2 teaspoons salt

 1 teaspoon maple sugar

 1 bay leaf

 3/4 teaspoon dried basil

 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1.     Preheat oven to 350

2.     Combine all meatball ingredients into a large bowl.

3.     Mix with bare hands and get messy

4.     Roll into about 20 meatballs

5.     Put on baking tray

6.     Bake for 15 min until brown

7.     Add all sauce ingredients into large pot

8.     Bring to boil and simmer for 60 min

9.     Add meatballs to sauce while it simmers

10.  Serve over spaghetti

The sugar is added to the sauce to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.  I substituted maple sugar in order to better complement my beer which is brewed with caramel malts that give this beer a maple syrup flavor.  Maple meatballs sounds weird but, believe me, they taste great. 

Imperial Pumpking:

The Pumpking is simply the best pumpkin ale available in the New York area. I’ve tried many brands, but Southern Tier has the right recipe.  It has the sweet aroma of spiced pumpkin with a little bitter bite.  This one, two punch is enough to satisfy any craft beer fan. All this flavor covers the 8.6% ABV pretty well.

At the last minute we opted to go with the meatball hero instead of over pasta. First bite: hearty with just a touch of oregano coming through.  I can’t say that I taste the maple sugar but I feel better knowing it’s in there. 

Beer Chili

Irene passed through and dropped about 10 inches of rain in this part of New York.  The sun came out around noon but the winds were still gusting up to 50 MPH.

With trees down and the roads flooded in areas, it’s a good day to stay inside and cook a good meal.  It’s not getting cool yet, but it feels like a chili day. 

This chili recipe calls for . . .  you guessed it: beer.  But remember folks, your chili is only as good as your ingredients.  Why put in top grade chopped meat, fresh peppers and a mediocre beer. So for this batch I chose an Ellie’s  Brown Ale by Avery Brewing Co.  This is a malty beer with just a hint of spice.  A perfect complement to tangy jalopenos and garlic.

Ingredients:

2 lbs chopped meat

3 cans black beans

3 cans white beans

2 16 oz cans crushed tomatoes

2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

2 Tbs Chili powder

1Tbs Cumin

1 Tsp Cinnamon

2 cloves of garlic pressed

1 onion chopped fine

1 yellow pepper

1 jalapeno pepper

1 Tbs Honey

6 oz.  craft beer

1.         Dice onion and peppers. Press garlic and let sit for 10 minutes.   After garlic is crushed it produces cancer fighting chemicals.  Letting it sit before cooking allows more of the anti-carcinogens to be released.

2.         Sautee onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil until translucent.

3.         Brown chopped meat in large skillet and drain

4.         Add meat, beans, peppers, garlic and spices to large pot and bring to a boil.    Let simmer for 1-2 hours stirring regularly.

5.         Pour half a craft beer into the pot and the other half into a chilled glass. 

6.         Add honey to cut the acidity of the tomato sauce

7.         Serve with corn bread and sour cream

8.         Open another Ellie's.  Half a beer is never enough to go with chili.