Saturday, January 10, 2009

Beer Food

Sometimes The Husband and I feel like eating beer food so we head off to some local dive bar in town in search of the kind of food that goes well with a cold draft beer. You know what I mean. Onion rings, nachos, greasy hamburgers, 1000 island dressing drippy Reubens....all consumed in a dark, use to be smokey(thank you Oregonians for passing the no smoking in bars law effective 1/1/09) establishment where the voices of the patrons are a bit too loud and the decor well worn. None of the food offered has any nutritional value to speak of but it so hits the spot at times.

Today I decided to create my own beer food for dinner and opted for an all time favorite, potato skins along with Sloppy Joes. Let it be known that I have never consumed a sloppy joe in a bar but it just seems to me to be the type of food that should be served in such places. Below are my renditions.Sloppy Joes

1 medium onion finely chopped
1 clove of minced garlic
3/4 pounds of lean ground beef
1 10 oz. can of tomato puree
1/4 cup of catsup
2 Tbsp chili sauce (optional)
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Toasted hamburger bunsBrown ground beef in a saute pan until cooked through. Drain any excess fat from pan. Add onions and garlic and cook with beef for 5-7 minutes. Add tomato puree, catsup, chili sauce, mustard powder, vinegar, salt and pepper and let simmer for 8-10 minutes. Serve over toasted buns. (Makes 4)

Potato Skins
4 medium Idaho baking potatoes
vegetable oil
salt and pepper
cheddar cheese, shredded
4 strips of cooked bacon, diced
2 green onions, chopped
sour cream

Wash potatoes thoroughly and dry. Give them a light massage with oil to coat the skins then sprinkle with Kosher salt and ground pepper. Bake in a 450 degree oven until soft, approximately 1 hour. Let cool.
Cut cooled potatoes in half and scrape out insides leaving a 1/4 inch rim of potato inside the skins. Fill each jacket with cheddar cheese and put on cookie sheet and place under a broiler until cheese is melted. Add the rest of the toppings to the potato, pour yourself a cold brew and enjoy.

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