Summer is here, and that means grilling is the choice of many when it comes to cooking. And that primal desire to cook our food over fire pairs perfectly with our oldest and favorite beverage: beer! But before you start cracking cans of Bud or anything with a “Lite” in its name, think about what you are serving. Just as certain wines pair well with certain foods, you have even more choices with craft beer. Flavors to compliment the marinades and types of meat, and that refreshing and delicious taste that only craft beer brings to the table.
One of my favorite grilling memories from my childhood was when my father would grill kielbasa sausage. He would cut them lengthwise, and then cut a crease down the center and criss-cross it with more shallow cuts. Then he would pour a small amount of barbecue sauce on in, filling the center cut and smearing it around. They would grill for a short while, sometimes blackening with the caramelizing of the sauce and the fat melting from the pork. This was one of my favorite meals at any time, but the summer months just made it that much better.
This article appears in Jul 8-14, 2010.
