Bottoms up: 15 great uses for beer

Maybe you've just hosted a party and you have several beer bottles left over, or you just really enjoy the refreshing taste beer lends to any dish. Either way, try these 15 brew-inspired dishes tonight.

1. For better-tasting bread, replace the water in a basic egg-bread recipe with full-calorie beer. Use these proportions: 520 grams (four cups) flour, 50 grams (1/4 cup) sugar, 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) baking powder, a 350 millilitre (12 ounce) bottle of beer, 10 millilitres (two teaspoons) salt and two beaten eggs.
2. For tastier corned beef and cabbage, add half a bottle of brown beer to the simmering pot.
3. To make a quick marinade for pork tenderloin, mix dark beer, molasses, herbs, onion, garlic and freshly ground black pepper.
4. To make everyone's favourite tailgating dish, grill bratwurst until browned all over. Mix together a 350 millilitre bottle (12 ounce) bottle of beer, one thinly sliced onion, one seeded and thinly sliced green pepper and a 400 gram (14 ounce) can of sauerkraut in a large aluminum pan. Sink the browned brats into the mixture and put the pan on the grill. Cover the grill and simmer on low for 30 minutes or up to three hours. Serve the brats on buns with kraut, onions, peppers and mustard.
5. For Belgian-style steamed mussels, simmer them in a covered pot with beer (lager or ale is best, not dark beer), clam broth, chopped tomatoes, garlic, onions and fresh basil or parsley.
6. Make marinated steak fajitas. Combine 175 millilitres (six ounces) beer, one can seeded, deveined, sliced jalapeño peppers and 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) Worcestershire sauce. Drop in a 750 gram (1 1/2 pound) thinly sliced flank steak. Marinate for four to eight hours. Grill or pan-fry steak slices and serve with grilled onions and peppers.
7. For a delicious corn side dish, simmer corn kernels in beer for two minutes, then drain and stir in butter and seasonings.
8. For a new spin on lemonade, use beer instead of water. Mix together beer, lemon-lime soda, fresh lemon or lime juice and sugar.
9. To give fried fish a shot of flavour, add beer. Mix together 200 grams (1 1/2 cups) flour, salt, cayenne pepper and a bottle of dark beer.
10. For Southwestern chicken fajitas, mix 175 millilitres (six ounces) beer and a 450 gram (15 ounce) can of red enchilada sauce. Add 750 grams (1 1/2 pounds) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs and marinate in the refrigerator for four to eight hours. Grill or broil the chicken along with chunks of onions and seeded green, red or another colour peppers. Slice the chicken and veggies and serve in warm tortillas with salsa and sour cream.
11. To deepen the flavour of stews and chilis, stir in 175 millilitres (six ounces) beer along with the broth in your favourite recipes.
12. To doctor up store-bought barbecue sauce, stir in 50 millilitres (1/4 cup) dark beer per cup of sauce.
13. For a twist on boiled shrimp, use beer as the ­simmering liquid. Combine 175 millilitres (six ounces) beer, 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) fresh lemon juice, four minced garlic cloves, 45 millilitres (three tablespoons) unsalted butter, 45 millilitres (three tablespoons) chopped fresh parsley and two millilitres (1/2 teaspoon) lemon-pepper seasoning in a deep, 30 centimetre (12 inch) skillet. Add 500 grams (one pound) peeled and deveined shrimp, then cover and simmer until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about five minutes. Dust the shrimp with paprika before serving.
14. For drunken pulled pork, simmer it in beer. Cut boneless pork butt or shoulder into cubes and put in a Dutch oven with beer, onions, chili powder, cumin, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover and simmer until the pork is fork-tender. Shred the pork with two forks and stir in the bottled barbecue sauce, simmering until heated through.
15. To make a spicy marinade for spareribs, combine 175 millilitres (six ounces) beer, 275 millilitres (1 1/4 cups) barbecue sauce, one drained can sliced jalapeños and Worcestershire and hot-pepper sauces to taste.

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