Cheers and Happy Father’s day to my dad, who simply called it beer and clam. Little did I know as a youth that his afternoon summertime drink actually had a name. The Michelada is a Mexican cocktail with many variations, and while I’m no expert in this area, I do know you’ll love this Zesty Michelada with Clamato juice and spice just as my own father enjoyed his “beer and clam”.
Although a little spicy and salty, the Zesty Michelada is quite thirst quenching and goes down easy on a hot day. For those who aren’t familiar with the original Clamato juice, it’s basically a blend of tomato juice, spices and clam juice. You may think clam juice and beer is an odd combination, and I suppose it kinda is. Yet the clam gives it a bit of brininess that makes it perfectly “slurpable” over a chili spiced salted rim.
Don’t forget about the garnish either! It’s a cocktail that can balance all you can through at it. I personally like shrimp and celery but go on and try chunks of spicy sausage, cherry tomatoes and or lime. I think a little wedge of cheese could also work. There’s no rules and that’s the fun of it, so enjoy!
In a flat shallow dish combine salt, chili powder and lime zest. Cut one wedge out of the whole lime and run along the rim of 4 tall beer glasses to wet the edge. Dip each glass rim into salt to rim the edge. Set aside.
Measure Clamato juice into a 2 cup liquid measure and add lime juice from remaining lime, hot sauce, Maggie seasoning and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine. Fill the salt rimmed glasses 1/3 full of ice and pour Clamato mixture equally between glasses and top with beer. Garnish as desired and serve immediately.
Caraway Crusted Pork Pot Pie is comfort food at its best. Beer braised pork shoulder and vegetables nestled beneath a flaky caraway pastry is warming and hearty. While this recipe may not be the most time friendly, the outcome is certainly worth every minute it takes to make.
Chunks of pork shoulder braised with beer and stock until tender and surrounded by all the pot pie veggies you’d expect makes this dish perfect for fall and winter. The caraway crust is flaky and a little cracker like from the baking powder, making it the perfect golden crown on this braise.
Be aware…. if you’re gonna taste the braising sauce after adding the beer, you will get a mouthful of bitterness. Only when the beer has had a chance to cook out and meld with the other ingredients does that bitterness turn into something savoury and slurp off the spoon worthy. So by all means taste, but don’t judge too hastily. In about an hour you’ll wonder if it’s the same pot of food you started with…..that’s the beauty of a braise. Just a little patience and you WILL be rewarded!
I love this Caraway Crusted Pork Pot Pie recipe because the pancetta adds just the right amount of salt if using homemade stock. The pork is soooo tender and delicious and the caraway crust gives a buttery and flaky chew to each bite. Enjoy!
Caraway Crusted Pork Pot Pie
Print Recipe
Beer braised pork shoulder and vegetables nestled beneath a flaky caraway pastry crust.
Servings
6people
Servings
6people
Caraway Crusted Pork Pot Pie
Print Recipe
Beer braised pork shoulder and vegetables nestled beneath a flaky caraway pastry crust.
In a food processor bowl add flour, salt, baking powder, caraway seeds and butter. Pulse until the butter in broken down and crumbly. Add sour cream and pulse until just starting to pull away from sides. With processor running, add water and mix until just combined. Dump out dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a flat disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Mixture may still appear crumbly when dumping out onto plastic wrap, however once you start to form the dough it will start to come together. Chill for at least an hour, but can be done a day in advance. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes prior to rolling.
Pork Pot Pie
Heat a large heavy bottom dutch oven over medium high heat, add pancetta and cook until rendered and starting to crisp. With a slotted spoon remove pancetta to a paper towel lined plate, reserving fat in the dutch oven. Over high heat add half the pork, searing meat on all sides. Scoop out pork leaving the fat behind and set aside. Repeat with remaining pork.
Preheat oven to 350℉. Add enough butter to the existing fat to equal approximately 6 tbsp, add garlic and sauté for one minute over medium low heat. Add flour and stir to combine, cooking over medium heat until bubbling and starting to turn a light caramel colour. Stir in beer and whisk until smooth and bubbling. Whisk in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Add pork, pancetta, mushrooms, bay leaf, sugar and pepper. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Add pearl onions and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes until pork is tender. Add potatoes, celery, carrots and dill. Bake for 20 minutes or until vegetable are just tender. Remove from oven and discard bay leaf. Stir in sour cream and peas and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle a scant 1 1/2 cups into 6 ramekins or cocotte dishes.
Increase oven to 400℉. Roll out pastry to at least 1/8" thickness. Cut rounds slightly bigger than couchette dish and lay each round on top of stew. Cut 4 slits in each pastry. Whisk egg with 1 tbsp of water and brush each pastry round with egg wash. Place cocotte dishes on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for approximately 25 minutes until golden. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
When adding the vegetables to the braise, remember to take pastry out of the fridge and allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
This pot pie can also be made in a 9"x13" pan if desired.
Any leftover pastry can be re-rolled very thin and cut into rounds or squares and baked on a parchment line baking sheet at 350℉ for 12-15 minutes for caraway crackers.
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