Sixpack Sez

June 22, 2007 | Beer, briquettes, barbecue: bee-yoo-ti-ful

A BAG OF BRIQUETTES, a case of beer - do you need any more than that to make it through the summer?

Without argument, outdoor grilling and beer is the greatest union ever devised by man, and I'm including bacon and eggs, fast cars and loose women and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Fire and fermentation: It's the heroic achievement that separates us from monkeys. It's part of our DNA, this primeval passion for flames and altered reality.

Also, it tastes good.

OK, I realize I'm preaching to the choir here. If you've got a beer fridge, I'm guessing you've got a Weber. I mean, grilled, beer-soaked sausages are so universal, the people who make Jennie-O turkey sausages now carry bratwurst infused with Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat.

Most of us just accept the happy union of beer and grilling (or barbecue) as a gift from the gods.

But Lucy Saunders, author of "Grilling with Beer" (F&B Communications, $21.95), has given the matter some thought and has come to the conclusion that there's some actual gourmet science at work here.

The barley malts in beer, Saunders told me over beers on a visit to the city recently, add to the flavor of grilled food, often caramelizing on its surface. Wash down a bite, and the citrusy hops will cut through the fat. Take another gulp, and the carbonation completes the refreshment.

"There are so many different flavors in beer, it's not very hard to find styles that add to the flavor of food," she said.

A good example: Brined Grilled Eggplant. Just dunk a bunch of peeled, sliced eggplant into a Belgian-style trippel (say Chimay or Victory Golden Monkey) along with herbs (mint, basil, marjoram) and let it sit an hour before grilling.

Yeah, I know, eggplant: b-o-r-ing.

But Saunders promises that "it's an unbelievable dish. All these herbal flavors play really well with the complex flavors in the beer."

I made it the other night and washed it down with a Troegs Dreamweaver Wheat. The two played off each other like Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley.

The other thing that's clear from paging through Saunders' book is that many of us underestimate how much beer can enhance grilled food. Throw some in your barbecue sauce, splash it on your sizzling burger, maybe that famous beer-can chicken - but what else?

How about marinating a bucket of shrimp in a pint of stout? Or grilled sausages and mussels in a stew made with brown ale?

"Of course, you're going to want to wash that down with beer," Saunders said, "so there's your opportunity to get your guests to try something new."

A beer-drinker who would otherwise turn his or her nose up at lambic might actually enjoy a funky Boon Kriek if it's served with chicken that's been basted in a sauce made with apricots and peach lambic.

"I'm always going, 'Here, taste this sauce, and try this beer,' " Saunders said.

Here are a few more grilling-and-beer tips from Saunders:

-Try grilled appetizers when the fire is hot. Grilled shrimp skewers soaked in bock and orange juice will keep your guests happy while you're roasting that chicken.

- Cook with flavorful beer. A plain Yuengling Lager might taste OK with sausages, but try a Yuengling Porter next time and watch the links turn golden brown.

- Add beer to side dishes: India pale ale in cole slaw, new potatoes grilled with barleywine, baked beans with smoked porter.

- Turn off the gas. Use charcoal or, even better, fruit wood. I don't care what anyone says, it tastes and smells better than PGW. Says Saunders, "I pick up cherry wood, applewood, etcetera, and use a combination because I like the real wood smoke aroma."

You can find more, including recipes, at Saunders' Web site, www.grillingwithbeer.com.

And here's an easy one, from Lucy's book, for the next time you throw a brisket onto the grill.

FLYING FISH HORSERADISH MARINADE*

24 oz. Flying Fish Belgian Abbey Dubbel

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons finely minced garlic

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon horseradish

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together, reserve one-third cup for basting sauce while grilling. Makes enough to marinate 2 to 3 pounds of beef.

*Source: Gene Muller, founder of Flying Fish Brewing in Cherry Hill, N.J.