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It’s a simple fact: chili and beer are meant to be together, whether you’re sipping a cold one on the side or putting some in the chili itself. Ideally, both! And since there’s a beer chili out there for nearly every type of ale or lager, you can match what you want to drink with what you’re cooking. The best beer chili recipe, then, largely depends on your personal preferences.
Most beer chili recipes call for either pale ales or darker stouts and porters. Sometimes they don’t really specify beyond “a bottle of beer,” but honestly, you can play pretty fast and loose with recommendations anyway. The best beer for chili is the one you like to drink! Lighter, overall less complex lagers can add a nice lift to your chili (and certainly serve as a refreshing way to wash it down), but more flavorful ales will make a bigger impact, taste-wise.
Bottoms UpThe Best Glass for Every Type of BeerIn general, lighter chilis (think white chicken chili or pork chile verde) are particularly well matched with brighter, hoppy, acidic beers like IPA or even pilsners, while richer, darker, beefier chilis are best with roasty stouts and porters; the more robust the chili, the bigger the beer you can get away with, including imperial chocolate porters and cinnamon-spiced stouts.
Somewhere in the middle, nutty brown ales and malty red ales can enhance either style of chili. Play around with wildcards like chili pepper-infused brews too. Even fall’s ubiquitous pumpkin beers can have a place in chili if you want them to.
And beer-adjacent hard cider adds a sweeter note that works in autumnal pumpkin and squash chili. Basically, if you want to drink it, you can add it to your chili (with some exceptions—for instance, there aren’t any readily available sour lambic or barleywine chili recipes, probably for good reason, although you never know what you might like until you try it)!
In any case, just know that the less time your chili simmers, the stronger the beer component will be, in both taste and alcohol presence. Add your beer to the broth after any browning of meat, sauteing of vegetables, and draining of fat is done with, and simmer for at least an hour to help it mellow out and meld with all the other flavors.
Related Reading: The Best Secret Ingredients for Award-Winning Chili
Like other beer-infused treats, these all happen to be perfect for tailgating, but equally welcome on any cozy Sunday night—and some are quick enough for weekdays (even long-simmered ones can bubble away in your slow cooker while you’re at work). Just figure out what you’re in the mood to drink, then make one of these beer chilis with a spare bottle and save plenty for sipping alongside.
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Saisons are not one of the more common beer choices for chili, but their complex flavor profile—yeasty, fruity, dry, spicy, and often a little funky—could prove intriguing, and in concert with the spices and aromatics in this turkey chili, they won’t be too strange if you’re not used to the style. Still, you could always sub in a medium-bodied wheat beer or amber ale if you’re uncertain. Get the Saison Turkey Chili recipe.
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As with other types of beer, there are lots of variations in IPA styles, but they tend to be fairly hoppy and at least somewhat bitter, a great complement to spicy chili (although a beer that’s super resinous or dank might overwhelm). This chili blends the beer with several types of peppers and chili powders, bacon, ground beef, beef chuck, and Italian sausage, among many other things. If that sounds a bit too labor-intensive, here’s an easy IPA chili you can whip up on a weeknight. But if you want something legitimately award-winning, you’ve got to put in a little more work. Get the Eddie’s Award-Winning IPA Chili recipe.
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Stout in all its delicious forms is fun to experiment with in chili recipes, especially the darker, heartier versions that bubble up in fall and winter. Rich chocolate stout is sweet but not overly so, chipotle stout is a dream with chorizo chili, and coffee stout is toasty and a little bitter, making it a perfect match with luscious short ribs and black beans. Get the Short Rib Black Bean Coffee Stout Chili recipe.
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Porters come in a plethora of variations too, and are just as great in stick-to-your-ribs chilis, even if they don’t actually include meat. Using a smoked porter in chili is a smart move, but a standard chocolatey bottle works wonders too, as in this slow cooker butternut squash chili. Its inherent sweetness is amplified by the beer and cut with jalapeño and spices for a balanced bowl. Get the Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili with Porter recipe.
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If you can acquire a bottle of jalapeño-infused pale ale, it only makes sense to use it in a chili—however, a regular pale ale will also work beautifully (in chicken chili too). Get the Jalapeño Pale Ale Chili recipe.
The nutty flavors of a brown ale echo and amplify those of browned beef (but you can also try it in an Instant Pot duck chili if you’re craving a more unconventional bowl). Here, the beer also helps give a quick-simmered chili more depth and nuance. Get the Easy Weeknight Newcastle Brown Ale Chili recipe.
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Toasty, malty doppelbocks (or double bocks) are another good choice for emphasizing caramelized, meaty flavors in chili—this one eschews the beans, although the inclusion of tomatoes technically bars it from being authentically Texan. It’s still tasty, especially with a dollop of sour cream on top and a cold beer on the side. Get the Doppelbock Texas Red Chili recipe.
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‘Tis the season for pumpkin beers, and if you’re a fan, you’ll be happy to know they can be incorporated into chili too. This beefy chili also uses pumpkin puree and cinnamon, but don’t worry, it tastes nothing like dessert. Check out a vegetarian pumpkin chili (with pumpkin beer) if you don’t do meat, and in either case, consider topping your bowl with cheesy pumpkin beer biscuits. Get the Pumpkin Beer Chili recipe.
Don’t forget to check out the best beer subscription boxes to keep yourself in suds.
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Paper towels, paper napkins, paper coffee filters—we throw away a lot of paper when we go about our daily routines in the kitchen. This can really add up; in 2006, over one quarter of U.S. trash going into landfills was paper products. And, globally, we’re the number one country as far as paper towel use goes, outspending every other country in our quest to wipe away messes with quick, throw-away convenience. With long-term cost savings and environmental benefits to be had, why not invest in some more eco-friendly options to help lessen all this waste?
Take a look at these products (some of which are old-hat for other countries), which can help reduce the amount of paper that ends up in our kitchen trash bins!
Let’s kick this off with the heaviest hitter: the cellulose dishcloth! Also known as European dishcloths or Swedish dishcloths, these can be used in place of paper towels and conventional dishcloths. What makes the cellulose dishcloth so great? It’s:
At only $5.99 for three, and with the claim of replacing 45 paper towel rolls, this set of self-proclaimed “magic” sponge cloths might save you almost $40 (if you’re paying about a dollar per roll). Heck, even if it only replaces 10 rolls, you’re saving money!Buy Now
If style is important, spend a little more on these DII Swedish dishcloths, which come in a dozen patterns to match your kitchen, the holiday season, or just your mood. With either option, you get a versatile spongy cloth that wipes up liquids and messes, then rinses, microwaves, or washes clean to be used again and again. And check out the reviews for both products—people love these cellulose clothes! Try them out, and see how much less paper waste you create.Buy Now
When it comes to changing habits, baby steps work better for some. If you are looking to make a change, but can’t quit that roll-on-the-counter, square-ripping action just yet, reusable paper towels might be a good start for you.
These Bambooee reusable bamboo towels come in rolls like paper towels, but are made from bamboo, and can be reused and washed in the dishwasher or washing machine. Amazon reviewers tout how they’ve saved money and reduced their paper towel usage (and waste), even if they still use regular paper towels on occasion.
While these do come in rolls and fit on your paper towel holder, once you’ve torn off a few squares, most likely you’re going to store them on the counter or under your sink (even though one reviewer does try to return them to the roll after washing). This means that you only get that countertop-roll effect in the beginning, but even that may help you with the transition to more eco-friendly habits!
The Tailored Home/Etsy
If you are truly beholden to that paper towel holder and tear-off format, then get ye to Etsy, for some reusable, snapping paper towels. You get 12 reusable cloth towels that snap off one at a time, but cleverly snap back together after rinsing or washing! With so many cloth-and-snap colors and combinations, this is a product that can be suited to your kitchen style and your personal taste. Real paper towel action, but with an eco-friendly soul.Buy Now
Related Reading: The Best Green Laundry Products
When you’re making coffee a few times a day, everyday (it’s not addiction, it’s love!), you’re likely in a routine where you brew, sip, and subsequently throw away a paper filter multiple times each day. While you can compost both the filter and grounds, if you don’t have access to composting services or a bin of your own, you might find that the daily disposal of this paper product quickly fills up your trash bin. The product to remedy that waste is a reusable cotton coffee filter.
With so many sizes and varieties, including types that can be used in a Chemex, you’re sure to find the right fit for your brew style. As with all the other products here, Amazon reviewers love CoffeeSock filters, sometimes noting improved flavor over paper filters. Though the clean up is more involved than just tossing a filter in the trash, reviewers like the eco-friendly aspect of the filter, and the fact that they don’t have to keep buying new paper filters over and over again.
Unlike new-kid-on-the-block cotton coffee filters, metal coffee filters have been keeping paper filters out of landfills for a long time. Some users of metal coffee filters end up returning to paper, citing a taste difference they can’t get over (in which case, they should try cotton ones!); however, for those who prefer easier cleanup, this is the way to go.
Different size options fit different coffee makers, so make sure you choose the right one for your appliance. Since the grates of a metal filter don’t provide sieving as fine as with cloth, using a coarser grind of coffee will help keep grounds out of your cup (as one reviewer recommends).
Taking a step even farther back from some of the newer products, we come to an age-old standard: the cloth napkin. Where once I had a stack of paper napkins near my kitchen table, I now have cloth napkins in a variety of colors. They’re stronger, prettier, and they don’t create any throwaway garbage. And, if you’re having a dinner party, they enhance the look of your table and place settings!
Chow with Me/Etsy
While most department stores carry any number of different cloth napkins, like these Buffalo Plaid Napkins from Target, you’ll find the mother lode for colors, patterns, and sheer variety on Etsy. Say you’re making the switch to cloth napkins, but you don’t want to mess around with picking this fancy set or that matching set—you just need quantity so that you’re not doing laundry every couple of days in order to have clean napkins. Look for something like this set of bulk cloth napkins in shades of blue, which are hardy, washable, and most importantly, numerous! Note: These are 5 by 5 inches, but you can also order them in 8- and 10-inch square dimensions too ($26 and $32, respectively).Buy Now
If you are the type of person to color-coordinate, and you like extra-special details like monogrammed initials, try something like these French linen monogrammed pompom napkins. Deep, bold colors will add some drama and elegance to dinner party place settings, and customized initials are the perfect finishing touch. Paper napkins don’t even come close to creating the same sophistication.Buy Now
Finally, we have the silicone pastry mat, or specifically the brand name, Silpat. While there are certainly pros and cons to using silicone pastry mats over parchment paper, the most important “pro” for this discussion is the fact that the mats are reusable!
If you bake all the time, you might find you’re going through parchment paper like it’s going out of style—in which case, a silicone pastry mat like this could make a difference as far as paper waste goes. Use over and over again, cleaning each time, to avoid continuously buying and throwing away parchment paper.Buy Now
Let’s shake off some of these throwaway-culture habits, sacrificing a little convenience for more quality and less waste. Try picking just one product to replace your go-to paper version, and see how it feels—you might just fall in love with eco-friendly results!
There are far more types of mushrooms than what you usually find in your grocery store. Consider this a visual mushroom guide to our favorites, from abalone to shiitake.
Mushrooms, the fruiting bodies of edible fungi, are amazing things in the kitchen, bearers of flavor that range from nutty to aromatically woody to—naturally—earthy.
Sometimes it’s the texture of a mushroom that strikes you most, other times it’s texture and flavor working in an eerily gorgeous kind of symbiosis. Sometimes a mushroom’s looks are just as captivating.
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We asked Ian Garrone, founder of Far West Fungi in San Francisco, to guide us through the most common (and delicious) culinary specimens.
Garrone comes from a family of mushroom hunters and growers, and his shop in the San Francisco Ferry Building overflows with familiar and exotic species, from the beige buttonlike cremini to the bright orange lobster mushroom, curled like a fist.
And please note: This is a buying guide, not a foraging guide. Leave foraging to the experts (because misidentifying wild mushrooms can kill you), and leave eating and enjoying these amazing mushroom varieties to the rest of us.
Shelf life: 14 days
The shiitake is native to East Asia, but its popularity has led to its cultivation worldwide. It is a good source of vitamin D, niacin, and potassium. Shiitakes are admired for their bold, savory, garlic flavor, and are so fleshy in texture that some people find them too chewy. “Cook for over 10 minutes,” recommends Garrone, and they’ll soften up.
Shelf life: 3 to 4 days
There are a few different varieties of edible oyster mushrooms, including some that are pink or yellow in color, but the tannish-brown tree oyster is widely cultivated and common in grocery stores. Velvety soft in texture, it has a slightly sharp flavor that blends well with chicken and fish dishes. Don’t cook tree oysters for more than four minutes, warns Garrone, or they’ll be overdone.
Shelf life: 7 days
The cremini, an immature portobello mushroom, graces tables worldwide. It’s widely cultivated, has a mild flavor and a traditional mushroom texture, and basically “goes in everything,” Garrone says.
Shelf life: 7 days
A full-grown cremini, the portobello is much larger, with a fleshier texture and muskier flavor. Because of this, it is a popular substitute for meat. Garrone recommends cooking portobellos whole, because “if you chop them up into small portions, you might as well just get browns.”
Shelf life: 2 days fresh
Fresh porcini have a limited seasonal window—they are harvested in the mountains in the spring and on the coast in the fall—but they can be found dried year-round. Eaten within two days of picking, they have a nice crunch and are good shaved over a salad. After two days, they should only be eaten cooked. Garrone recommends looking for fresh mushrooms that are as firm as possible. They’re apt to be buggy, so check them carefully. When dried, porcini take on a bolder, nuttier flavor.
Shelf life: 10 days
This ruffled brown fungus grows at the base of trees, and can reach 50 pounds. Once considered the leading medicinal mushroom, it has gained culinary popularity because of its roasted chicken flavor and slightly meaty texture. It is rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, along with amino acids. Its Asian name means “dancing mushroom,” because, the lore goes, whoever found it would dance for joy. “Cook for more than 10 minutes, almost 15,” says Garrone, “and you’ve got yourself a delicious ingredient for risottos or stir-fries.”
Shelf life: 7 days
A relative of the oyster mushroom, and sometimes confused with the king trumpet, the abalone mushroom has a silky texture along with a mild, buttery flavor similar to the shellfish after which it’s named. Restaurants occasionally substitute abalone mushrooms for porcini because they have fewer bug issues. Breaded and fried, they can stand in for real abalone.
Shelf life: 5 days
Shimeji (pronounced shee-MAY-jhee) refers to about 20 different breeds of oyster mushrooms, the most common of which go by the names brown or white shimeji. Because they often grow on beech trees, they’re also known as beech mushrooms. With a firm texture and a delicate shellfishlike flavor, shimeji mushrooms are ideal for pairing with any kind of seafood.
Shelf life: 3 days
These small orange mushrooms are easily identified by an unusual gelatinous coating that gives them an amber sheen. When you sauté them, the coating also acts as a good thickener for sauces or stews. Namekos have a sweet woodsy flavor and a silky, velvety texture, and they are very popular in Japan, where they are traditionally added to miso soup. Garrone recommends simply sautéing them with soy sauce and serving over rice.
Shelf life: 7 days
A member of the shimeji family, pioppini mushrooms have a flavor similar to porcini but are more peppery. Their firm texture makes them a good addition to a stir-fry; you can use the whole mushroom, stem and all. Garrone says the pioppini has become many people’s favorite go-to mushroom because it has a lot of flavor yet is relatively inexpensive.
Shelf life: 10 days
In the same family as the oyster mushroom, the king trumpet is larger and denser. Its buttery, sweet flavor makes it a good choice for grilling and as an addition to stews. An “all-around good mushroom,” Garrone says.
Shelf life: 5 days
This springtime mushroom is highly prized for its earthy, smoky flavor and light, veal-like texture. Because it’s so strong in flavor, the morel works well with beef and in rich gravies. One popular fresh preparation is to flour and fry morels.
Shelf life: 10 days
Chanterelle refers to a family of mushrooms including the golden, yellowfoot, and white chanterelle, as well as the black trumpet mushroom. In the United States, chanterelles are in season during the fall, but Garrone says they’re available 10 months out of the year worldwide so you have a good chance of finding them any time. With a firm texture and a subtle flavor featuring peppery apricot notes, they’re great in cream sauces.
Shelf life: 4 to 10 days, depending on moisture level
Garrone describes the texture of black trumpets as “very slight, almost like they’re not really there,” but the mushrooms’ aromatic, cheeselike flavor makes up for that. Chop them finely and add them to eggs, stews, or anything that needs a bold flavor pickup. Black trumpets are harvested in late fall and into winter across the United States.
Shelf life: 7 days
The lobster mushroom gets its distinctive red color from a powdery parasitic fungus that grows on its surface, but don’t let that sway you: Its walnut-meat texture and mild seafood flavor have made it increasingly popular. Lobster mushrooms are better fresh than dried, and the best time to find them in the U.S. is September. Check them carefully for bugs. Garrone recommends brushing them with olive oil and garlic and grilling, or using them in lobster bisque instead of the real thing.
Shelf life: 7 days
Picked in the late spring to early fall in Oregon and Washington, cauliflower mushrooms grow in clusters that can weigh as much as 35 pounds. They have the texture of egg noodles and a rainy, lemon-zest flavor, and can be used as a noodle substitute. Garrone recommends chopping and sautéing them as a side dish with herbs and cream. Look for specimens that are as white as possible, in clusters the size of a cauliflower head.
Shelf life: 4 days
A true winter mushroom, the yellowfoot is sought for its earthy, woodsy flavor. Its delicate texture breaks down easily in sauces, and it is usually paired with veal or pork, as well as game dishes such as venison, rabbit, duck, or quail. Don’t confuse it with its relative, the golden chanterelle.
Shelf life: 1 year dried
This fall mushroom is imported from Europe and can be found dried year-round. Its cashewlike flavor makes it ideal for risottos and cream sauces. Garrone also recommends it with fish; he recently made a halibut dish with pecans and fairy ring mushrooms. The dried form of the mushroom has an intense flavor, so just use a little bit.
Shelf life: 2 to 3 days fresh, 1 year dried
Generally only found dried (fresh specimens can sometimes be spotted in December or January in U.S. markets), the candy cap is prized for desserts. It has a distinctive sweet maple scent and flavor that go well in shortbread or cheesecake. Powdered, it can be added to pancake batter as a sweetener for diabetics. It can be expensive, but half an ounce is enough for a gallon of ice cream, says Garrone.
Shelf life: 3 to 14 days, depending on the quality
Extremely popular in Japan, matsutakes are best fresh and can sell for well over $100 per pound. They are a fall variety in the States. Garrone describes the texture as “a little fibrous” and the flavor as “cinnamon pine.” Look for a specimen that is still closed, i.e., one in which you can’t see the gills. Matsutakes grow in sooty soil, so they’ll usually need a lot of cleaning with a moist paper towel. They are aromatic and traditionally served in miso soup or rice dishes.
Shelf life: 4 days (the aromatics will be lost after that)
Brillat-Savarin called the truffle “the diamond of the kitchen.” Valued for their aromatic qualities, truffles vary in taste and smell depending on their age and provenance. They’re generally harvested in northern Italy, Spain, France, and Oregon. Flavors can range from earthy to green apple to savory garlic, while prices can range from $400 to $1,600 a pound. Look for very firm specimens. Usually shaved over warm food, truffles can also infuse foods; stored with eggs, for example, they will flavor the eggs.
Related Reading: What Is the Difference Between Black Truffles and White Truffles?
Ready to eat? These are some of our best mushroom recipes.
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Cooking a curated collection of wild and cultivated mushrooms—chanterelles, cremini, porcini, morels—is a way to appreciate broad and subtle differences in texture and flavor. This classic French recipe takes a diversity of mushrooms and unites them in an irresistible creamy sauce. Get our Wild Mushrooms à la Crème recipe.
Related Reading: 15 Creamy Mushroom Recipes That Don’t Require a Can Opener
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Cremini are a threshold fungus, the variety most like common white button mushrooms. This creamy, comforting, and high-flavor pasta ekes the most out of cremini—they’re sautéed in the pan used to sear chicken, so they pick up all the rich brown goodness. Get our Creamy Rigatoni with Chicken and Mushrooms recipe.
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The ubiquitous portobello gets a fresh identity as a taco filling. They’re sautéed with onion, fresh poblano chile, ground cumin, and dried oregano, then allied elements of classic pico de gallo salsa: tomato, lime, and cilantro. Get our Mushroom and Chile Tacos recipe.
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Drying preserves the deep-forest scent of porcini, and this DIY flavored salt makes that scent accessible to a wide array of dishes. Sprinkle it into scrambled eggs, use it to season roast chicken, or make it the centerpiece of a simple cream-based pasta. Get our Porcini-Parmesan Salt recipe.
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To some, chanterelles are the apotheosis of mushroom flavor, earthy, deliciously wine-y, and delicately textured. This warm spring salad, with new-season fava beans, fingerling potatoes, and a bit of shallot and Dijon mustard, brings out their best. Poached eggs are an appropriately luxurious crowning touch. Get our Warm Fava Bean and Chanterelle Salad with Poached Eggs recipe.
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Morels have deep flavor and a firm, almost chewy texture, two qualities that this classic French recipe takes full advantage of. Fresh spring morels are roasted, then combined with shallots cooked in butter, flamed with Cognac, and served on toast. Get our Morel Mushroom Toasts recipe.
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This earthy vegetarian dish with gai lan (Chinese broccoli) relies on fresh shiitake to provide a meaty kind of heft and the mysterious woodsy flavor these mushrooms are prized for. Brown rice ups both the flavor and texture of this quick, healthy recipe. Get our Gai Lan and Shiitake Stir-Fried Brown Rice recipe.
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Fresh black truffles are a treat; try this fresh pasta recipe to showcase them (though a truffle roast chicken is also divine). Get our Black Truffle Pasta recipe.
Related Reading: A Visual Guide to Pasta Shapes
Original story by Traci Vogel. All photos are by Chris Rochelle/Chowhound.