Cooking with Mead?

[gavinonymous]

Does anyone else cook with mead? Care to share a recipe or tips?

I'm waiting on a slow cook short ribs with dry mead in rosemary and thyme. I didn't have any red wine, and I loathe to buy any now that I have mead

This recipe is for one, but probably enough for two!

1 large piece of short rib (about 1lb - any fatty cut will do, brisket is good and cheap also)
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
3 sticks of celery cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 med potatoes cut into chunks with skins
1 big carrot chopped
8 brown mushrooms, halved
1/2 bottle of dry mead (refrigerated overnight)
bunch of fresh rosemary
bunch of fresh thyme
1 tsp dried sage
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp tarragon

salt and pepper

Sear the meat on all sides in 1tbsp butter/1tbsp oil in a large non stick sauce pan. Remove from pan.
Toss in onions, garlic, carrot, celery, mushrooms, potatoes and brown a bit on high heat - deglaze with some mead.

Put the veggies in a pot with a cover that can go in the oven. Heat the pot first on the stove - add the meat and pour in the rest of the mead. Let it boil off the alcohol for a few minutes, adding about the same amount of water. The acidity of the mead should help the meat tenderize, and break down the fat.

Cook for 3 hours at 210F- and enjoy!

 

[wayneb]

I regularly cook with my dry meads instead of wine. I don't really do recipes; I tend to throw things together and taste until I'm satisfied. But your barised short rib recipe sounds good!

Now, what's for dinner...? ;D

 

[Oskaar]

I use meads in recipes for marinating, salad dressings, deglaze-ing, sautée-ing, sauces, slow cooking, etc. Mead is very versatile as an ingredient, and as Wayne alluded to in his post dry, semi-dry, sweet and sweet can all be used in various capacities and quantities. I really like what a sweet mead does for a pork tenderloin and what a spiced mead can do for sautéed carrots, rice, curry dishes, etc. The possibilities abound.

 

[gavinonymous]

Looks like I've found another reason to love mead! It didn't last nearly as long as it took to cook but having made this recipe a few times with red wine, I have to say I'm converted. It is by far the best it has come out yet.

I've been told that honey is good for tenderizing meat - but didn't expect results this good from mead. The meat was so juicy and the gravy was so delicious there wasn't any left over! Some sweetness from the honey mixed really nicely with the carrots and the rosemary, I'm definitely doing that one again!

 

[pugsquasher]

This call's to mind the moral of Oskaar's experience with his infamous "Beef Jerky Mead" : Just because a mead is not particulary drinkable, does not mean it cannot be made to serve another purpose. The only bad mead, is the one you throw away. So, if my first batch of JAO turns out less than perfect, I already have an idea for a chicken dish to try.


Cheers,

The Hamster

 

[Teufelhund]

Oskaars "I'm Sauterned On" goes great with pork chops, sliced, sauteed apples and onions. Add either beef or chix stock, cover and simmer 2 hrs.

Take any stock, 1 C, reduce by 3/4, add 1 C mead. Reduce again by 3/4 for an excellent demi-glace for meats.

Try "Joes Ancient Orange" on duck breasts. Heat over med heat and add butter to thicken and use as a sauce. Adding tarragon and/or cream is also good.

OR

1 C "Joes Ancient Orange"
1 C sugar
2 Oranges, sliced very thin

Add all to pot and bring to boil. Slowly simmer until it becomes very sticky and tacky. DO NOT BURN. At this stage, you'll need to stir constantly. Remove from heat and put on a heavily sugared wax paper sheet tray. Toss to coat. Now you have all natural spicey orange munchies.

:cheers:

DD