Toward the end of summer in 2016, I posted a recipe for my corn and bean salad which I recommended as a side dish for meat, poultry or seafood. This was the main course that the salad accompanied.
Okay, so, chicken braised in beer. A mixture of beer and root beer, actually. But the braising is just the last part. First, the chicken is marinated. Bone-in thighs and drumsticks are left to swim overnight in beer and root bear with herbs and spices. Second, the marinated chicken pieces are deep fried until browned and lightly crusted. Then, they are braised in the strained marinade with pineapple chunks and chilies.
Marinate overnight? For best results, yes. The meat in bone-in thighs and drumsticks is thicker than pounded fillets. That requires more time to soak up the flavors of all the ingredients in the marinade. So, marinate overnight.
Beer is touted as a great meat tenderizer but that’s not really relevant here unless you’re cooking chicken parts from really mature birds. If you are, well, then the alpha acids and tannins in beer should do a good job of of breaking down meat fibers to tenderize your chicken.
In this recipe, however, the beer is primarily for flavor. If you use wine in cooking, well, it’s the same principle. Fermented. The process of fermentation creates rich and deep flavors that only time and nature can create. Think of how soy sauce and fish sauce are used in Asia. You’re doing something similar here with beer.
What does root beer add to the overall flavor of the dish? First, let’s clarify that “root beer” in this recipe can either be root beer (in North America) or sarsaparilla (in parts of Latin America and Asia). They taste similar and share a uniquely tantalizing woody flavor and aroma that can’t be found in other carbonated drinks.
North American root beer was traditionally flavored with the root bark of the sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum). But, in 1960, safrole, an organic compound that is a key component of sassafras, was banned due to its carcinogenic effects. So, commercial root beer in the U.S. is artificially flavored.
In some countries, including the Philippines, there is a drink called sarsaparilla that tastes similar to root beer. They are flavored with the vine of a plant that is called sarsaparilla. The scientific name is Smilax ornata.
Having relayed all that, I hope you can better appreciate it when I say that it’s not a good idea to substitute something else for the beer and root beer.
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 chicken thighs
- 4 to 5 chicken drumsticks
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon pepper
- 2 cloves garlic pounded
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 cup beer (see notes)
- ¾ cup root beer
- 2 to 3 cups oil for frying
- 2 finger chilies sliced
- 1 cup pineapple tidbits
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs and drumsticks dry with paper towels. Place in a shallow bowl, add the salt and pepper, and mix well.
- Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, caraway seeds and chopped onion to the chicken.
- Pour in the dark beer and root beer. Mix.
- Cover the bowl and marinate in the fridge overnight.
- Drain the chicken.
- Strain the marinade.
- Heat enough cooking oil in a frying pan to reach a depth of two inches.
- Brown the chicken pieces in hot oil, in batches if necessary. You’re browning the chicken pieces good texture; you’re not cooking them through at this point.
- While the chicken pieces brown, pour the strained marinade in a shallow pan and start heating it.
- Transfer the browned chicken pieces to the pan with the marinade.
- Add the chilies and pineapple tidbits.
- Braise the chicken (low heat!) for 30 minutes or until cooked through and the marinade has been soaked up.
- Serve the beer-braised chicken hot (tip: it's great with corn and bean salad).
Notes
remember, this dish is great with…
Corn and bean salad
Creamy, crunchy, tangy, sweet, hot and herb-y, this corn and bean salad (it has avocado, pineapple and chili too!) has it all. The perfect side dish for meat, poultry or seafood.
