Beer Review – Tröegs Mad Elf

Tröegs Mad Elf

Finally, ’tis the season when we’re transitioning out of the glut of Pumpkin/Octoberfest/Autumn beers that flood our stores from August to October, and we’re moving into one of my favorite beer seasons, Winter/Christmas beers! That means that at long last one of my all time favorite brews is back on the market, The Mad Elf by Tröegs Brewing Company.

Tröegs was founded in 1997 by the Trogner brothers with the intention of putting the Pennsylvania craft brew scene on the map. Along with the help of other great PA based brewers like Weyerbacher and Victory (and to a lesser extent Yards), and cool brewpubs like Iron Hill, they were successful in making Pennsylvania one of the United State’s top beer destinations.

The Mad Elf a winter seasonal which they started making in 2002 (I believe?). I had it for the first time in 2004, when it was nearly impossible to find in New Jersey, and have been a huge advocate of the beer ever since. It is released in late October, and is typically sold out in the marketplace by Christmas. If you can find any stock in stores after New Years you can consider yourself very lucky… Either your local beer shop manager was smart and loaded up, or the other customers that shop there weren’t smart and don’t know what they’re missing! I usually start stockpiling the beer in late November to make sure that I have a case or two laying around to hold me over for a while, and every year when I run out I curse myself for not buying more. I always make sure that no matter what I have a couple of bottles left for my birthday in early March, and many times the amount of will power required to not drink them beforehand is extraordinary!

So let’s talk about the beer itself. Mad Elf is what’s considered a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, brewed with locally cultivated honey as well as sweet and sour cherries. In the glass is a full bodied beer with a moderately clear amber caramel color, reminiscent of cognac, with a half fingers-width whitish tan head and minimal retention or lacing. On the nose are aromas of candied cherry, orange zest, toffee, toast and faint nuances of milk chocolate. On the palate the cherry plays as more sour than candied and the chocolate notes are more assertive. Many state that they get hints of bitter cocoa, but I find it to be more of a smooth milk chocolate and that the bitterness derives from undertones of flamed orange zest and orange pith. The opening is relatively soft, but the beer shines in the mid palate and finish, which is moderately long, but not as warm as one would expect considering the ABV is 11%, which I personally find endearing. Some of these high alcohol brews are beginning to drink more like bourbon than beer.

As far as food pairings go I would recommend winged game or lighter meats such as pork and wild boar, preferably in some type of reduced fruit or fortified wine sauce: think turkey with cranberry sauce, seared pork with stewed cherries, duck with a raspberry & port wine reduction, etc. The beer would also pair nicely with a variety of cheeses ranging from firm and sharp, to soft and aromatic (a nice way to say stinky!), or even bitter chocolate desserts like flourless chocolate tarts.

One thing I must note is that there always seems to be a bit of variation in the taste and quality of Mad Elf from year to year. I find this refreshing because it shows me that the beer isn’t simply a consistent formula that they follow, rather it’s more like making wine where adjustments and judgement calls need to be made and the end product won’t always taste the same. I once had a bit of fun with some beer geek friends where we sampled bottles of Mad Elf from various years to assess the differences. Not only was it was a blast (and quite intoxicating), but it was very eye opening on how different the beer could be from year to year. I will say that this year’s Mad Elf is a slight step down from some previous years. I don’t know if that’s due to a variation in the quality of the raw materials (i.e. cherries, local honey, hops, etc.) or if it’s possibly due to an increase in case production. Regardless, saying that the quality has taken a dip is the equivalent of saying that Peyton Manning had an off year because he threw 44 touchdowns instead of 46. Either way it’s pretty fricken amazing!

PP Score: 4.22
IBU’s: 15
ABV: 11%

Notes: Best consumed in a tulip, chalice or snifter at cellar temperature (50-58F)

Edited Note: While it wasn’t intentional, it’s absolutely fitting that a writeup on one of my favorite all time beers ended up being my 100th post. I was a craft brew fan long before I was a food snob or wine geek! Very cool stuff… Thanks everyone for your support, and I look forward to giving you 100 more to read! 

Pasta Marco Pollo (w/ wine pairings)

Penne Marco Pollo

So yeah, this recipe is “borrowed” from a restaurant that I worked for years and years ago. We had this fantastic chef, Mark Laverty, who was far too talented for a strip mall Italian joint on Route 9 in Freehold, NJ. Anyway, my favorite dishes from Mark were his specials… Alligator, black bear steaks, buffalo, you know, anything that was atypical “New Joisey Italian Ristorante” cuisine. However, there was this pasta dish on our menu that was named after him, Fusilli Marco Pollo, that was amazing despite its simplicity… actually, it was amazing because of its simplicity. It had this pure, rustic, non-pretentious quality about it, and it was so delicious and beautifully balanced. Tender chicken, juicy sausage, roasted mushrooms, fresh tomato, and a roasted garlic & parmesan cream… what more could you want!?

I simply had to replicate it, at least to the best of my abilities. Truthfully, I’m not even positive that this is exactly how the dish read on the menu. It’s been 15 years for crying out loud, so maybe I’m way off in left field, but this is how my mind (whether sharp or failing, not quite sure) remembers it!

I lost touch with Chef Mark years ago, but who knows, maybe this post will somehow cross his path and give him a quick smile. Mark, on the oddball chance that you see this, I want you to know that you were one of the people that inspired me early on to want to learn how to cook, and for that you will forever have my gratitude. I know that I was that annoying waiter that had a million questions on why you do what, and half the time you probably wanted to stab me with the chit stick, but you didn’t, and most of the time you actually answered my questions… Thank you, and wherever you are, I hope that life is awesome man.

So here is my remembrance, whether accurate or not, of Mark’s strip mall Italian restaurant namesake dish… Pasta Marco Pollo.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
3c Pasta (I used penne)
3/4lb Chicken, cubed (tenders or breasts, I used tenders)
1/2c All Purpose Flour, seasoned with 1tsp each of salt, ground black pepper & garlic powder
3/4lb Sweet Sausage, cubed
3c Baby Portobello Mushrooms, sliced
6 Cloves Roasted Garlic, see my recipe on how to roast garlic here
1tbsp Olive Oil
1/2c White Wine
1 1/3c Chicken Stock
1 1/3c Heavy Cream
1tsp Salt
1tsp Ground Black Pepper
1tsp Crushed Red Pepper
2tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/2c Grated Parmesan
2c Plum Tomato, diced
3tbsp Fresh Chive, chopped

Bring a pot of salted water to boil, but don’t drop the pasta until I tell you to!

Place the seasoned flour in a bowl and lightly dredge your cubed chicken, shake off any excess.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan or pot at medium-high. Add the sausage and floured chicken, cook until lightly browned on all sides. Add the sliced mushrooms, unsalted butter, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, sauté until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Increase heat to high and add the white wine, reduce by half. Add the roasted garlic, chicken stock and heavy cream, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered. Drop your pasta in the salted water, boil for 2 minutes less than the packaging specifies. Drain the pasta and toss it into the sauce, simmer for 3 minutes. Add the diced tomato and grated parmesan, toss well and simmer for an additional 2 minutes. Taste to make sure it’s seasoned to your liking, add more salt or pepper to taste.

Plate it up then garnish the plates with the chopped chive. That’s it, you’re done! Wasn’t that easy? A restaurant quality pasta dish in the comfort of your own home, that cost you half the amount, if not less!

Now let’s talk wine pairings… You can actually go in a lot of different directions here. Full bodied whites, light to medium bodied reds, you could even do a Fino, Amontillado or Oloroso Sherry! Here are my recommendations.

Bodega Valdespino Dry Amontillado Tio Diego, Jerez, Spain – Bodega Valdespino is easily the most storied house in Sherry, proud owners of top soleras in both Jerez and Sanlucar, some of which have origins that date back to 1842. The Tio Diego is their entry level dry Amontillado, aged 8 years under the veil of flor, and an additional 6 years oxidatively. In the glass you’ll find a light-to-medium bodied wine of caramel color, with subtle aromas of butterscotch and clove. From the color and bouquet you would expect a sweet wine, but nothing could be further from the truth. On the palate is a crisp wine with bracing acidity and overt salinity, with notes of burnt orange rind, fresh herbs, clove and salted caramel, leading into a long, lingering finish. This is truly an amazing bottling considering it is their entry level Amontillado! PP Score: 92 (Retail $24-28)

Felsina Chardonnay I Sistri, Toscana, Italy – Felsina is one of the top houses in Chianti Classico, most famous for their Rancia Reserva as well as their Fontalloro IGT. However, they do produce a small quantity of Chardonnay from vineyards planted in Colli Senesi back in 1987, bottled as I Sistri. In the glass is a wine of golden hue, with a bouquet of tropical fruit, peach skin, vanilla and sourdough. On the palate the wine is full bodied, with notes that are consistent with the nose, framed by subtle acidity, a creamy mouthfeel and hints of toasted oak. PP Score: 90 (Retail $20-24)

Sean Minor Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California – The Carneros Pinot Noir by Sean Minor is absolutely everything a Carneros Pinot Noir should be. The wine is sourced from top vineyards on both the Sonoma and Napa side of the appellation, and aged for 16 months in French barrels, approximately 20% of which is new. In the glass you find a medium bodied wine with faint purple hues that soften along the edges. On the nose you find aromas of dark cherry, ripe strawberry, birch beer and that tell-tale Carneros smokiness. On the palate the wine is a veritable roller coaster… The opening is subdued, with nuances of strawberry, but the mid palate really brings you for a ride with bursts of ripe cherry intensified by notes of spice and earth as well as cranberry-esque acidity, leading into a long, lingering, slightly spicy finish, all framed by subtle tannins giving backbone and depth. PP Score: 91 (Retail $16-20) For more information on Sean Minor Carneros Pinot Noir click here

So there you have it, my rendition of a great chef’s recipe, and my recommended wine pairings. I hope you enjoyed the read, and I hope maybe Chef Mark will someday see this and give a chuckle. As always new content is on the way. In the meantime crack open a bottle of something awesome, sit back, and relax. Life is short, enjoy it!

Cheers…

Broccoli Rabe & Sausage Bread

Broccoli Rabe & Sausage Bread

For a few years in my teens I worked at an amazing deli and butcher shop called Mulberry Street. Everything about the place was fantastic, but one of my favorite things that they made was a broccoli rabe and sausage bread with mozzarella, it was so unbelievably good. So a few weeks back I had a nostalgic craving and decided I was going to give it a go… Well it came out delicious! A number of people saw the picture I posted on Instagram and immediately started flooding me with requests for the recipe. Unfortunately things have been hectic lately and the time wasn’t there, but at long last, here you are. Enjoy!

Serves 4-6 as a snack or appetizer, 3-4 as an entrée.

Ingredients (bread):
2 1/4tsp Active Dry Yeast (1 envelope)
1 1/2c Warm Water, about 105F
1tsp Sugar

2 1/2c All Purpose Flour
1/2c Grated Parmesan
1tsp Salt
2tsp Sugar
3tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted

1/2c All Purpose Flour, for the kneading surface
1tbsp Olive Oil, for the rising bowl

3tbsp Olive Oil, (3) 1tbsp portions, to brush the bread
1tbsp Grated Parmesan. to sprinkle over bread

Ingredients (stuffing):
1/2lb Sweet or Hot Sausage
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1/2 Small Onion, sliced
1lb Broccoli Rabe, cut off thick portion of stems
2tbsp Olive Oil
1/2c Chicken Stock
1tsp Salt
1tsp Ground Black Pepper
6oz Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/3c Grated Parmesan

Heat oven at 375F.

In a measuring cup, or bowl, or whatever vessel you want, mix your warm water, dry yeast and 1tsp sugar. Stir together and then set in a warm place… I typically use my stove top when the oven is at temp. It’s warm but not hot. If your stovetop gets too hot you’ll need to find an alternative, maybe right next to it. After 15 minutes you should have a nice bloom.

While waiting for the yeast to activate… In a mixing bowl combine your flour, salt, sugar, and parmesan. Add your yeast and water and mix at a low setting, using a bread hook attachment. Add your melted butter a little at a time, mixing thoroughly between doses. Once all of the butter is added increase the mixing speed to medium and allow to mix for 5 minutes. You’ll have to use some of your own judgment here… if the dough seems too wet add just a touch more flour, too dry more water. But be careful, you don’t want something that is too dense or too wet. Once it’s done mixing it should have a medium density with a slight tackiness to the touch.

Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes until you have a good elastic consistency. Place into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel and set in a warm, draft free place. Once again, I use my stovetop, but as I said earlier, if your stovetop gets too hot find an alternative. You do not want to start cooking the edges of your dough, you’ll ruin the batch. Rest your dough until it doubles in size, roughly one hour or slightly more.

While the dough is rising you can work on your stuffing. Cut your raw sausage links into chunks. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan or large pot at medium-high heat. Add the sausage to the oil and cook until browned on all sides. Reduce the heat to medium and add the sliced onion and chopped garlic, cook until they begin to sweat, about 3-5 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe, salt, pepper and chicken stock, cover and simmer at medium heat until the broccoli rabe starts to get tender, about 5 minutes, stirring periodically to evenly cook the broccoli. Once done set aside and allow to cool at room temperature.

Once your dough has doubled in size turn it back out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it to release some of the air. Using a rolling pin or your hands, spread the dough out into a rectangle, roughly 12″x18″. Make sure that the dough doesn’t get too thin in any section though, or it could tear when rolling. Brush the dough with 1tbsp of olive oil. Evenly layer the shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan over the dough, leaving about 1″ along the edges bare. Strain the sausage and broccoli rabe sauté, then evenly layer that over the cheeses. Next, carefully roll the dough and stuffing into a log, tucking in the edges as you go. Once rolled inspect the dough to make sure there are not any tears, if there are do your best to pinch the edges together to seal them shut. Place the bread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Brush the top with 1tbsp of olive oil, then bake it in the oven for 30 minutes at 375F. Remove from the oven and once again brush it with 1tbsp of olive, and evenly sprinkle the top with 1tbsp of grated parmesan, then place back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the stuffed bread from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Buon Appetito!

Seared Pork Chop & Mushroom Madeira Sauce (w/ wine pairings)

Pork with Mushroom Madeira sauce

Before I get into the recipe, I have to give a quick apology to one of my followers, Kevin V. I made this dish well over a month ago and posted it on Instagram… He requested the recipe and I just didn’t have the time to get it done. Sorry man, hopefully it’s better late than never. Also, my apologies for the picture quality… I didn’t anticipate posting a recipe for this dish so I only took a shot with my phone for Instagram, lol.

So the dish is a seared pork chop over a cauliflower & potato puree, accompanied by sautéed asparagus, finished with a mushroom & Madeira sauce.

Serves: 4

Ingredients (pork):
4 Thick Bone-In Pork Chops
2tsp Salt
2tsp Ground Black Pepper
2tsp Garlic Powder
1tbsp Olive Oil

Ingredients (puree):
3c Cauliflower Florets
1 Large Russet Potato, peeled and diced
2c Heavy Cream
1c Chicken Stock
1tsp Salt
1tsp Ground Black Pepper
1tsp Garlic Powder
1tsp Onion Powder
2tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/4c Grated Parmesan

Ingredients (asparagus):
1lb Asparagus
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1/2c Chicken Stock
2tbsp Unsalted Butter
2tsp Lemon Juice
1tsp Salt
1tsp Ground Black Pepper

Ingredients (sauce):
8oz Baby Portobello Mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp Unsalted Butter, (1) 2tbsp portion, (1) 1tbsp portion
1tsp Salt
1tsp Ground Black Pepper
1c Madeira
2c Beef Stock

One quick note… I’m giving directions for how to prepare each individual segment of the dish separately. As you can see certain aspects of the dish take longer than others, so you can’t start everything all at once. Look at the timing of each item and plan accordingly. I am, though, listing them in the order that they should be started.

Heat oven to 350F.

Combine the seasonings listed in the “pork” section and liberally rub your chops. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan at high heat. Once hot place the seasoned chops in the oil and sear until lightly browned, then turn and repeat, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the chops from heat and allow them to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. After resting the chops put them in the preheated oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, depending if you prefer a slightly pink center or cooked all the way through. I recommend medium (slightly pink)… this isn’t the 1950’s, nobody is getting Salmonella from pork anymore! Remove from the oven and rest for another 5 minutes before serving. This allows the natural juices within the pork to once again absorb into the meat. If you serve and cut them as soon as they’re finished cooking all of the juices will drain out.

In a medium pot melt 2tbsp of butter at high heat, then add the mushrooms, salt and pepper (from the sauce section). Cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Add the Madeira and reduce by half, then add the beef stock and reduce the heat to medium-low, simmer for 20 minutes. Just before serving stir in the final 1tbsp of butter, which will give the sauce a silky rich flavor. Also taste the sauce before serving to see if you would like to add more salt or pepper…

Place your cauliflower, diced potato and seasoning from the “puree” section in a large pot with the heavy cream and chicken stock. Bring to a boil for three minutes, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes (until the cauliflower is soft). Using an immersion blender, food processor or regular blender, puree the cauliflower & potato mixture, then stir in the butter and grated parmesan. Cover until ready to serve.

Lastly, the asparagus. You can save these until the pork is resting out of the oven, as they only take 3-5 minutes, depending on thickness. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan at medium-high heat and add the asparagus and chopped garlic. Sauté for about 1 minute then add the chicken stock, lemon juice, salt and pepper, simmer for 2-4 minutes until slightly soft.

Once everything is done it’s time to plate up. Personally I put down a layer of the puree, the pork over that and the asparagus to the side, then ladled the sauce over the pork… Seems to make the most sense.

Now let’s talk wine pairings. You want to go red wine here, obviously, but nothing too big because you don’t want to overwhelm the delicate nature of the puree, the sweet nuances of the sauce and the mild flavors of the pork. I would recommend going with something like a Cru Beaujolais (especially Morgon), Pinot Noir, Barbera d’Alba… or, if you want to get really adventurous an Oloroso Sherry which would gorgeously complement the Madeira & mushroom sauce! Here are my recommendations…

Michel Guignier Morgon Vieilles Vignes, Beaujolais, France – Unfortunately over the past 20 years Beaujolais has become synonymous with cheap and light… Wines like Georges Duboeuf’s Beaujolais Nouveau that are mass produced, sub-par, sourced juice that people buy because it’s floor stacked at $8.99 and has a flashy label. It is truly upsetting, because there are many great Beaujolais producers that are putting out some wines that can go toe-to-toe with 1′er Cru Burgundies! Michel Guignier is one of those producers… I think John Gilman of View from the Cellar said it best, so I’ll share his review of this wine. “The old vine bottling of Morgon from Michel Guignier hails from sixty-one year-old vines in the vineyards of La Roche Pilée and Les Grands Cras. The Vieilles Vignes offers up a deep, red fruity and very pure nose of cherries, sweet cranberries, woodsmoke, beautiful herb tones, a complex base of soil, a touch of orange peel, incipient notes of gamebird and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully delineated, with a fine core of fruit, superb transparency, very good acids and fairly moderate tannins for the vintage and simply stunning length and grip on the vibrant and youthful finish. This is a dynamite and absolutely classic bottle of Morgon in the making!” I couldn’t have said it better myself John! PP Score: 90 (Retail $17-21)

J.K. Carriere Provocateur Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon – J.K. Carriere is the baby of Jim Prosser, named after his two grandfathers J.K. Prosser and Paul Carriere. Occasionally I say that there is a winery that you should keep your eyes on… well this is most certainly one of them. I promise you, in the very near future JKC wines will become nearly impossible to get your hands on. He’s already one of the hottest commodities in Oregon, and soon the rest of the world will realize this as well. The Provocateur is Jim’s entry-level bottling, utilizing moderately young vine clusters sourced from some of Willamette’s top vineyards: Black Walnut, Louis Vineyard, Gemini, Barron-Wahl, Anderson Family, and just a touch taken from his recently planted JKC Estate Vineyards. For a wine that is supposed to be “entry level”, this is absolutely stunning. In the glass it is medium bodied with dark garnet tones. On the nose are distinct notes of black cherry, blueberry, potpourri and spice box. On the palate you’ll find a surprisingly masculine wine with in interesting juxtaposition of dark cherry and bright tart bramble fruits, smooth ripe blueberry and hints of clove, framed by moderate, yet well integrated, acidity and slightly chewy tannins, leading into a pleasantly lingering, and spicy, finish. This is great for immediate consumption, but I anticipate this will only get better with another 3-5 years of bottle aging. PP Score: 92+ (Retail: $25-30)

Elio Perrone Barbera d’Asti Tasmorcan, Piemonte, Italy – For decades Elio Perrone has been heralded as one of the top Moscato producers in Asti, but it wasn’t until the late 1990’s when Elio’s son Stefano took over the winemaking reigns that the winery began producing Barbera. Stefano purchased two plots of old vine Barbera, one forty years old the other seventy, with the goal to produce fresh bright Barbera that the Asti region is known for, but with just a bit more depth of character. On the palate you’ll find notes of tart cherry, dark berry, wood smoke, licorise and hints of fresh wildflowers, balanced with moderate acidity and subtle fine tannins. You’ll have a difficult time finding a better Piemonte wine at this price point… PP Score: 90 (Retail $15-18)

Bodegas Tradicion VORS Oloroso, Jerez, Spain – Bodegas Tradicion is a relatively new house in Jerez, having just been founded in 1998, but they have made quite the splash in the market by purchasing significant quantities of old sherry for their bottlings. The Oloroso VORS is currently made with Palomino Fino that has aged for 45-50 years. In the glass is a medium bodied wine with translucent brown hues. On the palate the wine is intense, yet well structured and silky, with notes of orange peel, dried fig, salted caramel and toasted almond. This wine is not for novice drinkers as its beauty will not be understood, but for those that have a deep appreciation of Sherry this is a masterpiece, and worth every cent! PP Score: 96 (Retail: $82-94)

So there you have it, my recipe and my wine recommendations. Once again Kevin, I’m very sorry for the delay! As always new content is on the horizon… In the meantime crack open a bottle of something awesome, sit back, and relax. Life is short, enjoy it!