Oktoberfest Beer Mustard

09.22.14

While living in Austin, Texas I would wake up early every Saturday morning to beat the crowd at the Farmers Market. Showing up any later than 9am meant the menu board at Dai Due, a local butcher shop, would include mostly sold out signs. Everything they made was obsessively local, seasonal, and perfectly prepared – from the pickles and fresh sausages to the hot breakfast offerings – and, at the time, it was only available from their market tent. If there was anything worth rolling out of bed hungover for, it was their biscuits with sausage gravy. Three years have passed since I left Texas, but I still dream about those tender, flaky biscuits smothered in luscious white sausage gravy.

In August 2011, I was lucky enough to take a whole hog butchering class with the Dai Due owner, Jesse Griffiths. The day included my first boudin blanc (life changing) and head cheese (incredible), all accompanied by a mustard they made in house and sold at their market stall. It was one of the first recipes I tried that highlighted beer as an ingredient.

The recipe that follows is inspired by and loosely based on theirs. It’s incredibly easy to make and only gets better after a few days in the refrigerator. Serve with cured meats, cooked sausages, slathered on a sandwich, or with soft pretzel bites.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mustard seeds
  Use any combination of yellow (mild) and brown (sharper mustard flavor)
• 2/3 cup Oktoberfest
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ tsp. allspice
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Steps

1. Add beer, brown sugar, garlic, shallot, and spices to a small, non-reactive pot; bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 15 minutes until reduced by half. Strain over a bowl filled with the mustard seeds, pressing against onion and garlic to extract as much flavor as possible. Stir in apple cider vingear; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 36 to 48 hours. During this time, the flavors will meld and the mixture will thicken.
2. To prepare, place in a food processor or blender and pulse to desired consistency. Adjust seasonings to taste. Store refrigerated in an airtight container. The mustard is ready to eat! But an additional day or two will round out the flavors.

Variations

Slightly Sweeter
Add honey or molasses to taste before pulsing in food processor. Up to a 1:1 ratio of can be used.

Tags: condiments • cooking with beer • craft beer • dijon • homemade • mustard • oktoberfest • recipe

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