You Should Add Wine or Beer to Your Next Dish

While beer and wine are the perfect beverage for a relaxing drink after work with friends, both are actually so much more.

In fact, instead of guzzling down your favourite ale, have you ever thought of using it in your cooking?

According to All Recipes, beer can add a deep, earthy flavour to savoury dishes such as chilli, soup, and stew; while adding a nutty, caramelised flavour to baked goods. Wine, on the other hand, can add flavour to marinades, pan sauces and braises.

From beer chicken to marinating tender meats to even making bread — here are the best beer and wine options for cooking.

Wine

Have you ever wondered the difference between cooking wine and regular wine? Well, a “cooking wine” often just refers to a regular table wine which is well-suited for both drinking and cooking.

Adding a delicious drop to your cooking can enhance the elements of flavour, the aroma, and also add moisture to a dish.

While red wine is used in many recipes to help marinate and tenderise meats, white wine can add a light and crisp acidity. You can also use fortified wines such as marsala, port, madeira and sherry, which are more commonly used in dessert.

It may sound complicated in deciding what wine to cook with, however, it’s much simpler than that. Just cook with a wine that you would drink yourself. If the wine you drink is a little more on the expensive side, then you can opt for a bottle that has been open for a few days, or even a generic bottle.

Here are some options.

Red Wine

Cabernet Sauvignon

Being a full-bodied wine, Cabernet Sauvignon is perfect for braising meats, with leftovers used as a glaze. Delicious!

Try a Winton Road Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon or the Mildara Limestone Coast Cabernet Sauvignon.

Pinot Noir

The Pinot Noir is much lighter and is perfect for a hearty winter stew.

Try the Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir or the Tamar Ridge Pinot Noir.

Merlot

The fruit-forward Merlot is great for cooking with proteins and makes for a yummy pan sauce or reduction.

Try the Wolf Blass Eaglehawk Shiraz Merlot Cabernet or the Hidden Gem Cabernet Merlot.

White Wine

Pinot Grigio

Not only is it a delicious drinking wine, but Pinot Grigio is perfect for cooking because of being dry and crisp.

Try the Zilzie Estate Pinot Grigio or the Rock Paper Scissors Pinot Grigio.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is a great addition to dishes like risotto and can add citrus and herbaceous elements.

Try the Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc or the Rapaura Springs Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Chardonnay

The full-bodied chardonnay adds a buttery and rich flavour to your dish. It is a brilliant choice for creamy pasta sauces or a chicken dish.

Try the Devils Lair Margaret River Chardonnay or the Fat Bastard Chardonnay.

Beer

Beer can be used in just about every cooking technique from baking to braising to deglazing to battering, sauces, marinating, and simmering. With that being said, here’s the best for cooking with beer.

Wheat Beer

Wheat beers are often pale and unfiltered and are fruity and mellow with crisp-edged flavours. This makes them perfect for cooking chicken and seafood.

Try the Bridge Road Hefe Weizen.

Ales, Porters, and Stouts

Ales, porters and stouts are generally heavier and are therefore the best selection for pork, beef, and lamb.

Try the Balter Handsome Elvis stout.

Fruity beers

Fruity beers are surprisingly good to add to desserts due to being fermented with fruit.

Try Matso’s Mango Beer.