11/03/2012

FABPOW Chili and Leikeim Steinbier

There has been some talk recently on steinbier; so when I spotted a bottle of it in my local(ish) off licence I picked it up. 
I decided to pair it with some chili and guacamole. I'm vegetarian and the recipe is vegan, but if you're a real carnivore you can always add some frying steak/mice after the onion has been softened.

Recipe

For the Chili 
1 large onion 
3x cloves of Garlic 
3-5 tins pulses (your choice) 
1 tin chopped tomatoes 
Chili (fresh or powder form) 
Optional 
Bell Pepper 
Tomato Puree 
Smoked Paprika 
Marmite

Fry the onion until transparent. Add the smoked paprika and mix well. Drain and rinse the pulses and add to pan along with chopped tomatoes. Add tomato puree and water as necesarry to adjust consistency. Generous squirt of marmite to get that umami and vitamin B in your meal. Add the chilis and bell peppers and wait until softened. It tastes better if left out overnight to absorb the flavours. 

For the Guacamole
2xAvacados
1xshallot
1 large tomato
1 tbs lime juice
half x jalapeno
bunch fresh corriander

Fairly simple this one, roughly chop the ingredients then blend with a hand-blender. Season to taste.

I like to make this in bulk and used 6 tins of beans this time around. The key is to vary the size and colours of the beans for more interest in the bowl and a variety of flavours and textures. My favourites include kidney beans, butter beans, flagolets and black beans but any can work well. You can of course use dried beans, but that takes some forward planning as they need to soak overnight and require longer cooking.

I don't really have any traditional German glasses for the beer so went with my Tui glass instead. How does the beer taste? It pours hazy amber with peachy and sweet caramel nose. Fairly light bodied for its ABV with spritzy carbonation, a fairly faint maltiness with a little acridity in the finish which I guess comes from the steins.

Withe the chili those smoky notes work well with the smoked paprika and the fruity flavours accentuate the fresh chilis. Overall it has a cooling effect on the palate akin to sour cream, one for those who can't bear the intensified heat of chilis when hop-forward IPAs are bought to bear.

Leikeim website here (if you can speak German)

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