Use Guinness to add flavour to your recipes

My annual salute to the Irish always includes a pint of Guinness Beer, a delicious black stout from Dublin, Ireland.
This full-bodied beer has a considerably smooth finish despite its bold characteristics, and is delightful to drink anytime of the year.

Although there are many fans of this traditional ale, there are just as many cynics due to its dominant taste.
I have determined, however, that even people who don’t drink beer or alcohol can appreciate the unique taste of Guinness when used in cooking.
I always question a recipe when it calls for water to be added. Why not add wine, broth, juice, or even beer?
How much flavour does water have? Zero. If you want a dish to taste wonderful, and full of flavour, could you not add something that has more distinction than water?
I always address this topic to my culinary students, and preach creativity and improvisation when it comes to preparing a meal. Guinness beer is a very clever way to add flavour intricacy to a dish, especially when the recipe involves red meat.
The hearty flavour of red meat holds up nicely when married with the boldness of Guinness, whereas the taste of fish most likely would be lost.
A beef stew, for example, made with a combination of beef broth and Guinness beer is incredible. The full-flavoured dark, almost black, broth not only will have them guessing, but it also will have them requesting a second helping!
With this knowledge in hand, think of the endless possibilities of recipe modifications you now can carry out. Try Guinness in beef gravy, Sheppard’s pie, casseroles, soups, stroganoff, or even your next beef and tomato spaghetti sauce, to name a few.
You even can try marinating an inexpensive, tough cut of beef in Guinness. You will be amazed at the results.
The flavour and darkness of this beer comes from the selected hops and roasting of malt barley, similar to the way coffee beans are roasted.
Although Guinness representatives claim the colour of their beer actually is a deep ruby red, black is most popularly used to describe the obscurity of this beer here in Canada. The smoothness is supposedly from the pure water obtained from natural springs fed by the St. James well.
In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day traditionally has been celebrated as a religious holiday. It was up until the 1970s that Irish law banned the opening of pubs on the 17th of March.
So this St. Patrick’s Day, one may find it more fitting to raise your fork or spoon (instead of a glass) in a toast to St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
However, let’s also make a point of remembering Arthur Guinness, who set up his brewery in Dublin, Ireland in 1759 by signing a 9,000-year lease.
Thank you, Arthur!
Dear Chef Dez:
Where does the alcohol go when you reduce wine (beer) during the cooking process?
I assume it’s still in the pan, but not in sufficient quantities to worry about. Is this correct?
Larry P.
Ladner, B.C.

Dear Larry:
Yes, a minimal amount of alcohol is left in the pan, but not enough to be concerned about as long as it boils for an extended period of time.
Alcohol is lighter than water and evaporates out of the pan.
This will always happen when you are “reducing” to increase flavour—if water is evaporating, you can be certain that the alcohol is, as well.
Send your food/cooking questions to dez@chefdez.com or P.O. Box 2674, Abbotsford, B.C., V2T 6R4.
Chef Dez is a food columnist, culinary instructor, and cooking show performer. Visit him at www.chefdez.com