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Hoppy Holidays

© Richard T Curtin

Like the spirits of Dickens the holidays past, present and future are visiting. Thanksgiving is gone, Christmas is on our doorstep and New Years is just around the corner. The season is ripe for unbridled eating and drinking, great food is in abundance but. . .

To tell you the truth I'm already getting a little full. For the first time in over five years our whole family made it home for the Thanksgiving feast. The larder was thrown wide open this past Turkey Day, we deep fried 3 birds and ate enough fixings to feed the most voracious holiday revelers. Cookies, cakes, pies, dips, relish trays were strewn throughout the house. Frankly we were piggish!

So in atonement for my gluttony I want to eat lighter but spicier this Christmas holiday. In that vein I dug up an old chili con carne recipe that will serve you well as a meal or just a snack for guests on Christmas eve. The beer I used in the recipe this year is Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale . This seasonal, hoppy ale has a rich amber color and a thick, rocky head. The aroma is ripe with hop spiciness. Tasting the beer you notice a medium, smooth body that is nicely carbonated. The flavor is definitely dominated by the hops, a slight maltiness is present but the main character of this beer is definitely in the hop flavor and aroma. The 6.8% alcohol content makes it a good choice as a marinade as well as a pleasant "winter warmer".

Spirit of Christmas Present Chili

For the marinade:

1 12 ounce bottle Spiced Christmas Ale (Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale)

1 clove crushed garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup Worstechire sauce

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon Cajun spice

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 – ounces spicy pork sausage

1 ½ - pounds stew beef, cut into ½ - inch cubes

1 – large onion, chopped

2 – garlic cloves, minced

1 – can chopped jalapeno chiles, drained

1 – can (16 oz.) tomatoes

2 – tablespoons chili powder

1 – teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 – bottle 12oz. beer(you pick!)

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place the stew beef in a large plastic "zip lock" type bag. Pour marinade over the meat and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours. Discard the marinade before adding the meat to the cook pot.

In a stockpot or dutch oven, crumble the sausage. Lightly brown the sausage over medium heat drain off fat. Add in the steak and continue cooking over medium heat to lightly brown the meat. Add in the onion, garlic, tomatoes, chiles, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and beer. Cook this until the ingredients begin to boil.

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