Del Papa brews up program for beer-food pairings

GALVESTON — Karla Mock and Russell Sullins have what many people would consider dream jobs. They spend much of the average workday thinking about beer. In their case, though, that focus is part of their longtime employment at Del Papa Distributing.

Recently, their thoughts have turned to pairing various beers with foods that complement their flavors and have won acclaim from both their parent company and local grocers for their Beer Gourmet program.

“Many of our beers have a distinctive flavor profile, whether it’s clean and crisp, or a pronounced hops flavor, or more of a citrusy, fruity taste,” Sullins said. “The strategy is to pair that flavor with the key flavor elements in food, whether they are aromatic, fruity, rich or smoky, for example.”

Inspired by an Anheuser-Busch cookbook, Sullins, now a warehouse manager at Del Papa, saw the potential for bringing the pairings directly to the consumer. He took his idea to Karla Mock, graphic design coordinator at Del Papa Distributing, and she began developing store displays that would promote a beer-food pairing in the grocery sections, as well as the beverage aisle.

“One of the exciting aspects of the Beer Gourmet program is that it puts us throughout the store,” Sullins said. “We can help educate the consumer about pairing beer and food while they’re still in the food section.”

Mock’s eye-catching displays combine the elements of the pairing, with copies of the featured recipe on hand. One recent pairing links an ultralight beer with roasted-poblano guacamole, and the in-store display consolidates the peppers, avocados, chips and appropriate beer in one spot.

Not all the pairings are as intuitive as chips and beer, though. Cuban sandwiches, paella and even crème brûlée meet their match.

One of the most extensive pairing guides suggests the most appropriate matches of cheese and fruit for more than 60 varieties of beer. Pale ale complements a firm Gouda cheese, while a dark beer highlights the strong flavors of Roquefort, Gorgonzola or Stilton cheese.

“Anheuser-Busch has published a very detailed food pairing manual,” Sullins said. “I’ve tried to simplify it a bit for our consumers through the Beer Gourmet concept.”

Positive feedback from stores and consumers has led to the expansion of the Beer Gourmet program. Anheuser-Busch recently sent a video crew to interview Mock and Sullins, documenting their ideas in order to share them with other wholesale distributors.

“It’s going international,” Mock said. “I’ve worked with Anheuser-Busch representatives to translate the recipes into Spanish.”

Mock and Sullins have both been with Del Papa Distributing since 2002. Mock, a BOI with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Texas Tech and master’s degree in jewelry and metal smithing from the University of Houston, is also a jewelry artist who shows her work at local galleries.

Sullins, a native of Oklahoma, has worked in almost every area of the beer distribution business, including account merchandiser, salesman, sales coordinator and development manager.

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Amberbock Crème Brûlée

1 teaspoon Michelob Amberbock 6 large egg yolks 6 tablespoons sugar 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 6 teaspoons sugar (or 8-12 teaspoons packed brown sugar)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Whisk yolks, beer and 6 tablespoons of sugar in medium bowl to blend. Scrape in seeds of vanilla bean. Gradually whisk the cream into the sugar-egg mixture.

Divide mixture among six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins.

Arrange dishes in a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dishes.

Bake about 35-40 minutes, until custard is set. Do not overbake or your custard will be rubbery.

Remove the pan from the oven and remove custard cups from the water.

Allow custards to cool before placing in the refrigerator and chill overnight.

Two hours before serving, preheat broiler. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar on top of each custard. Place dishes on small baking sheet.

Broil until sugar just starts to caramelize, rotating sheet for even browning, about 2 minutes.

Chill until caramelized sugar hardens, about 2 hours.

— Recipe courtesy of Del Papa Distributing and Anheuser-Busch

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Kickoff Chili

3 tablespoons olive oil 1 ½ cups chopped onion 8 large garlic cloves, chopped 2 pounds ground chuck 1 envelope taco seasoning or ¼ cup taco seasoning 1 teaspoon dried basil ½ teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon dried thyme 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce 3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

Heat oil in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté about 8 minutes or until onions or translucent.

Add chuck and cook until brown, breaking up meat with a spatula as it cooks.

Add taco seasoning, basil, oregano and thyme. Stir 2 minutes.

Mix in tomato sauce, chicken broth and tomato paste.

Simmer until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about one and a half hours.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate until cold, then reheat over low heat when ready to serve.

Serve with grated cheese and tortilla chips for dipping.

— Recipe courtesy of Del Papa Distributing and Anheuser-Busch

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Garlic-poblano Guacamole

6 garlic cloves, unpeeled 1 red bell pepper 1 poblano chile 1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and coarsely mashed 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, whites and tender green parts 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Wrap the garlic cloves in aluminum foil. Bake until soft, about 15 minutes.

Let cool slightly, then remove the skins. Place the roasted garlic in a serving bowl and mash with a fork.

Preheat the broiler.

Place the bell pepper and chile on a baking sheet and broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat source until the skins are blackened all over, about 8 minutes. Remove from the broiler.

Place in a paper or plastic bag and close tightly. Let stand for 10 minutes, then peel, stem and seed the pepper and the chile, and chop finely.

Add the pepper, chile, avocado, green onions, cilantro, lime juice and salt to the mashed garlic, stirring well.

Serve with tortilla chips.

— Recipe courtesy of Del Papa Distributing and Anheuser-Busch