Fresh Pour
A Beer and Burger Smack-down
February 17, 2010
Went to The Bad Apple in Chicago last night. The Bad Apple is justly known for excellent burgers; they are the first in Chicago to use Pat LaFrieda’s ground beef, he’s the New York butcher who custom-grinds meat for Shake Shack and Minetta Tavern in New York, two of the better burgers in that town.
Last night I skipped the excellent burger for a ham sandwich, but not just any ham sandwich. Ebel’s Weis Ham is a pretzel roll stuffed with charred ham slices, gooey melted Swiss, pungent Dijon and house-pickled onion. Oh, and Anaheim peppers too. I’ve often said hoppy beers are tough to match with food, but last night I had a definite winner. I had started the night with Daisy Cutter pale ale from Half Acre Beer Co., located just across the street. Daisy Cutter is what I love about small independent brewing, it’s a full mess of American hops, aromatic and pretentiously crisp. There’s malt in there too, I’m just not sure where. The beer is unfiltered and it’s super fresh, as expected from a brewery not a block away.
Does the pairing work? Well, yes it does. Rule one in pairing good food and beer is to match flavor intensity. Both the sandwich and the beer are very high on the strong flavor scale. The salty charred ham, cheese, the tartness of pickled onions plus the heat from the chili will overwhelm most beers, but not Daisy Cutter. Consider it more of an even stand-off than a symphony of flavor. The beer and sandwich respect each other like members of opposing footballs teams, evenly matched. Each time you take a bite, the ham side slips ahead, only to be countered by the next sip of ale, with the raw taste of bright hops overpowering all. This match is a draw, although as the diner, I was the clear winner last night.
