Allagash: The Cookbook

Allagash: The Cookbook

It will come as no surprise that Allagash Brewing Company’s artisan beers have gained a reputation for being high quality with a nuanced structural complexity and flavor, but they are also recognized for being uniquely suited to pairing with fine food. This seminal cookbook offers home chefs an unparalleled opportunity to work with recipes designed for ten of Allagash’s most celebrated creations. With award-winning dishes created for these beers over the years, chef James Simpkins has created a culinary tour of the United States, showing off the versatility and wide gastronomic range of each beer. Tantalizing imagery, created for Allagash: The Cookbook by noted photographer Brian Smestad, complements each selection and creates an unequaled visual ambience.

Whether eating fresh lobster near the brewery’s New England headquarters, crab cakes in the Carolinas, or a thin-crust vegetable-laden pizza in the West Coast style, readers everywhere will be able to experience in their own kitchens just how well these beers pair with the emblematic regional foods that make up our inimitable American cuisine.

“Allagash Cookbook? Yes, please . . .”Lew Bryson, Seen Through a Glass

“And may I say, the cookbook is ah-maze-ing! I’m in love with it.”Chelsea C., Facebook

“This is all I want for Christmas.”Rich C., Facebook

Meatloaf
3 pounds ground beef (80/20)
½ cup basil, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, medium chopped
1 cup cooked bacon, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, small dice
¾ cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound raw sliced bacon (for the top of the loaf)

Filling
12 ounces spinach, steamed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese (or about 8 slices medium chopped, if fresh)
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon saltSauce
1 cup Heinz ketchup
1 cup spicy chili sauce (like Sriracha)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons dijon mustard

Serves: 8
Beer Pairing: Allagash Interlude
Recipe Region: Heartland

Spicy Bacon-Chili Meatloaf

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix all meatloaf ingredients together until uniform and set aside.

Mix all filling ingredients together until uniform and set aside.

On parchment paper, spread meat mixture into a large rectangle, approximately 11 by 14 inches, then cover the top with the spinach filling. Roll the mixture up, jelly-roll style, using the parchment paper to help form. Place in a baking dish with the “seam” facing down.

Wrap the top of the meatloaf in bacon, slightly overlapping the slices. Bake for 30 minutes.

Sauce
In a mixing bowl, stir together sauce ingredients.

After meatloaf has baked for 30 minutes, remove from the oven. Pour half the sauce mixture over the meatloaf, spreading to coat, and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Pour over and spread most of the remaining sauce and bake an additional 15 minutes to set the sauce and finish cooking. The meatloaf is fully cooked through when it reaches about 165°F.

Once the meatloaf is fully cooked, remove from the oven and give a final brush of the sauce over the top. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes before serving.