Today marks a small anniversary and a new anniversary (hopefully a big one down the road) so I thought I would address both in one tidy post.
The first thing to touch on, and this will be the last I talk about this in this space, is my “one year later” recap of my Beer Drinker’s Diet. This year has proven to be tougher than the last, and with tougher financial situations, things like gym memberships and riding your bike to work fall to the wayside. That being said, the weight loss I saw the previous year did not continue, as I finished at 255 this year. I like to blame the decreased activity, but I’ve been allowing myself to fall back into poor eating habits.
I realize this is a beer blog, and not a diet blog, but someone once told me (over a pint actually) that I shouldn’t take my success losing weight for granted and make light of the difficulty others might face. Having put this out there, it’s not something I want to give annual updates on, so my weight will no longer be a topic here. Just try to guess based on pictures I post.
In news that should be celebrated from here on out, I have officially become a published beer writer. The Northwest Brewing News has started appearing at better drinking establishments and you’ll find a new Bay Area correspondent: me. I’m pretty stoked, as this is hopefully the beginning of more to come.
The theme of the latest issue of Northwest Brewing News is “outdoor Cooking with Beer.” Since I was under a pretty short deadline, I didn’t think to try and tie my piece in with the theme, so I will do that here. For your reading and hopefully culinary pleasure, I present a must have at any BBQ.
Rubio’s Chili Beans
Warning: the recipe is very loose and not professional. That’s on purpose, this dish is about feel and individuality and should never taste the same twice.
- Start by browning various ground/diced meats over medium heat in a 2-1/2 quart pot. I like a spicy italian sausage (casing removed), ground pork, ground beef and ground lamb. Season with salt and pepper.
- Toss in 2-3 cloves of chopped or crushed garlic, one chopped yellow onion, 2-3 jalapenos, 1 pasilla and dried oregano.
- As the veggies begin to soften, toss in 2 handfuls of pinto beans and stir.
- Turn the heat to high and add a can of sliced stewed tomatoes. I like to give them a quick dice for more bit sized tomatoes.
- Let the new stew of meat, veggie and tomato juices get a quick boil going then add a bottle of your favorite amber beer.
- Add chili powder and a dash (or two) of cumin before filling the pot with water.
- Boil and simmer for 2 hours. Add a can of kidney beans in the last 10 minutes.
There you have it. You can find some variation of this at just about any Mexican family BBQ. I prefer this served right on top of your favorite grilled meat and goes perfectly with sliced tri-tip.
