Beer Pairings

Not only are they an appetizing complement to the seared shrimp, but mung beans noodles are chock full of iron and zinc.

Pairing: This spicy noodle dish is terrific with a glass of Orval. The Trappist ale has an unusually light candied-orange flavor that's delicious with the citrusy Sichuan peppercorns flavoring the plump shrimp.

Bobby Flay created this recipe for his wife, Stephanie March, "a Texan who loves brisket and coleslaw."

Pairing: Smoky, full-bodied Texas bock beer: Spoetzl Brewery's Shiner Bock.

New York Times columnist Mark Bittman uses this tangy, salsa-esque Argentinean sauce as a complement to rich skirt steak.

Pairing: Malty English pale ale, like Old Speckled Hen.

Vadouvan is a curry spice blend combining curry leaves, mustard seeds, shallots and garlic. At his new GT Fish & Oyster in Chicago, chef Giuseppe Tentori tops vadouvan lentils with Tasmanian ocean trout.

Pairing: Chef Giuseppe Tentori worked with Goose Island's brewer, Jared Rouben, to create a great beer match, a Belgian-inspired black Squid Ink Saison, which is currently aging in a Bordeaux barrel. Any saison-style beer, like Ommegang's Hennepin from New York state, would also be great.

For this smoky version of eggplant Parmesan, Sam Calagione and Marnie Old looked for a beer and a wine that could stand up to the grilled eggplant without overwhelming it.

Pairing: A roasty, not-too-heavy beer, like Guinness.

For a pretty blend of colors as well as flavors, Sang Yoon lays slices of cumin-spiced lamb on a bed of jicama, carrot and lettuce. "Lamb seasoned with cumin is very Indian, as well as Sichuan and Yunnan. But no one in Asia would serve lamb on a salad; that's just me being Californian," Yoon says.

Pairing: A big Trappist ale like Chimay Blue.

Chef Paul Kahan of The Publican in Chicago has a great trick for heightening the flavor of duck breasts: He ages them on the bone in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Boneless duck breasts can be aged using the same method, although the results won't be as dramatic; if you're short on time, use unaged duck.

Pairing: Chef Paul Kahan pairs this dish with his bright, slightly tart Golden Jet, the Belgian golden ale he made with Goose Island Brewery. Jolly Pumpkin's excellent Oro de Calabaza ale from Michigan would also be a good match.

Bradford Thompson's jerk sauce is loosely based on his wife Kerry-Ann's excellent family recipe; the couple is hoping to bottle it and sell it in stores. The mix of fiery Scotch bonnet chiles, scallions and spices creates a complex, deep-flavored paste that's amazing on grilled chicken or game hens.

Pairing: Jamaicans would drink the local Red Stripe, a mild lager-style beer; for an American equivalent, look for the lightly malty Samuel Adams Boston Lager.

"Goat has just enough richness to combat an IPA's bitterness," he says lamb shoulder makes a great substitute). For an easier-to-find beer alternative, serve this dish with 21st Amendment's Back in Black from San Francisco.

Pairing: Chef Chris Pandel of The Bristol worked with Goose Island Brewery to create a black IPA called A Beer Named Sue, a crisp beer with a dark color that belies its lightness.

These tender short ribs are served in an intense broth made sweet with mirin and brown sugar and dark with soy sauce and sherry. "This is a variation of a Korean dish called kalbi tang," Sang Yoon says.

Pairing: A caramelly dubbel such as Westmalle.

These tasty little nuggets double as an after school snack or a dinner party appetizer, seeing as they're jam-packed with sharp cheddar and delicacies like smoked ham.

Pairing: Rich, nutty, English brown ale, like Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale.

Paul Kahan's pastry chef at Blackbird, Tara Lane, created this ridiculously simple ode to the classic campfire dessert s'mores. "I love hidden flavors," she says, which is why she folds nutty graham cracker crumbs into vanilla ice cream and adds a splash of balsamic vinegar to the luscious brown butter sauce.

Pairing: A lightly sweet raspberry lambic, such as Lindemans Framboise, will echo the ripe berries in this sundae.

For a robust take on the Indonesian fried rice dish nasi goreng, Sang Yoon stir-fries black rice, sometimes called forbidden rice, with bacon and roasted garlic. "You can make it with short-grain brown rice, but you'd miss a lot of the fun," Sang Yoon says.

Pairing: The nutty rice would be terrific with a rich Trappist ale like Rochefort 10, but a sturdy American porter like Anchor Porter would also be great.

This fragrant, exotic dish combines cinnamon, cloves, ground pepper, and sherry.

Pairing: A fruity, peppery Belgian ale, like Orval.

These crispy chicken wings get their heat from Sriracha, the Thai hot sauce that chef Michael Symon says is his favorite in the world. "We always have a couple of extra bottles at home, because my stepson blows right through the stuff."

Pairing: These fiery wings are perfect with a crisp lager beer, like Dortmunder Gold Lager from Great Lakes Brewing Company.