Golden Valley's Locally Sourced Ingredients

Golden Valley got bold when it created a dessert course for its latest brewmasters dinner. A trio of beers accompanied an espresso chocolate creme brulee at the end of the night. Each brew was an imperial stout aged in wine barrels from Panther Creek. Photos by Emma Browne

By Andi Prewitt
Of the Oregon Beer Growler

Golden Valley’s cattle live life to the fullest. Brewery and restaurant founders Peter and Celia Kircher’s high standards for quality, freshness and sustainability help ensure the Angus are housed in ideal conditions and the beef that ends up on customers’ plates is exceptionally tender.

In 2003, the Kirchers purchased one of the oldest homestead ranches in Yamhill County. On 76 acres of rolling, green pastures, you could find cattle grazing freely without the stress of a feedlot setting. The Angus also make good use of one of the breweries byproducts: spent grain. Since the barley has been malted and cooked during the production process, it has 25 percent more protein than regular grains. The brewery says it’s easy for the cattle to digest and they are apparently quite fond of the sweetness of the malt. Dark brew grains used to make porters and stouts are particularly popular. And while beef may be a highlight on Golden Valley’s menu, the ranch also has a garden that provides the restaurant with 5,000 pounds of fresh produce. Both beef tenderloin and vegetable sides were on display at a brewmasters dinner in late March. Six courses were paired with eight Golden Valley beers to underscore how locally crafted brew can complement locally sourced ingredients.

The appetizer reception kicked off the evening of eating. Scotch eggs, salmon on savory shortbread with crème fraiche and chives, and Cashel Irish Blue cheese were all paired with Old Relic Scotch Ale. The beer was made with a strong, smoked malt reminiscent of the unadorned woodsy flavor of a Scotch whisky and then flavored with oak chips before cask conditioning. Aside from the name, the Scotch egg partnered well with the ale because the richness in the fat produced candy-like characteristics that complemented the caramel tone of the malt. Additionally, the egg’s spicy mustard contrasted with the molasses flavor of the beer. The salmon starter was smoked to ensure it would match the malt. And, naturally, beer and cheese always make a glorious couple. In this case, the Cashel was a great palate scrubber with its extra sharp bite given the high alcohol content of the beer.

A lighter dish followed the quite rich and delectable appetizers. Seared scallops were served on a bed of produce and paired with Valee d’Or Saison. The melt-in-your-mouth scallops were brightened by the slightly spicy and citrusy components of the beer, which also contrasted with the sweetness of the seafood. However, grapefruit in the garnish intensified similar flavors in the saison while the arugula brought out the bitterness. And while fennel might not be everyone’s favorite, since it’s often compared to black licorice, the herbal notes in the beer match those present in the bulb of the plant.

The next beer was quite unique since you might not normally think of a blond when it comes to barrel-aged styles. Golden Valley’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Beaverton Blonde had a slight peach flavor for a very good reason — the beer spent its time resting in barrels that Hair of the Dog had used to age a beer with the local fruit. After receiving the donated barrels, Golden Valley brewmaster Jesse Shue wanted to age a light and delicate beer to pull interesting flavors from the environment that couldn’t be done with a darker, more aggressive beer.

The blond was paired with a salad, and the citrus in the dash of vinaigrette dressing played well with the beer’s peach notes. Sweet pecans intensified the syrupiness of the bourbon and fruit flavors. And the hard-to-resist sweet and salty mix provided by the pancetta induces thirst, and a lighter beer feels like a perfect way to cleanse the palate with this ingredient.

Course four featured duck breast, dried cherry sauce and farro risotto with a Belgian Bald Peak IPA. The beer is different from Golden Valley’s house version because it was fermented with a Belgian yeast and then bottled conditioned, giving it tighter bubbles and leading to a creamy sensation on the tongue. The duck meat was savory, bold and stood up to those big IPA flavors. However, the risotto and cherry sauce are somewhat sweet — contrasting with the sourness of the IPA’s citrus elements.

The second-to-last course presented diners the opportunity to taste the restaurant’s famous Angus beef that’s processed and dried for 21 days at Carlton Farms. A roasted tenderloin was drizzled with bordelaise sauce and served next to celery root gratin, which could’ve easily passed for creamy mashed potatoes. The brewery’s Pinot Noir Barrel Aged Tannen Boom is a strong ale, which holds up well with intense, roasted dishes. Also, the beef and gratin were hearty but simple, so they didn’t overpower the complexity of the beer. The Belgian yeast used in the beer produces sweet and spicy flavors that are perfect companions for the plum-like taste of the sauce.

Brewmaster Shue tends to do a lot of barrel aging because he seems to genuinely enjoy the experiment. No two beers will turn out the same through this process. And that’s part of the fun. Golden Valley has now started sourcing barrels from Yamhill County winery Panther Creek. The three — yes three — beers paired with the dessert course all spent time in those vessels, hence the name Black Panther for the Original Imperial Stout, Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout and Pinot Barrel Aged Imperial Stout. The trio of brews accompanied an espresso chocolate creme brulee at the end of the night.

Several of the unique beers featured at the dinner are being sold as part of  the brewery’s new 750 milliliter bottle fermented series. Tannen Boom and Valee d’Or Saison, which is Gold Valley’s first of this style, are part of the initial lineup. Other varieties include Prune Bomb, which is Tannen Bomb aged in pinot noir barrels with 80 pounds of Italian plums, and Grizelda Belgian Pale Ale soured with Brettanomyces, a funky yeast.

The seared duck breast was savory, bold and stood up to the big IPA flavors in the Belgian Bald Peak. The sweetness in the cherry sauce contrasted well with the sourness of the beer's citrus elements.

Seared Duck Breast with Farro Risotto and Dried Cherry Sauce
Paired With Golden Valley Belgian Bald Peak IPA
By Chef Seth Rook

INGREDIENTS
For the duck:
4 duck breasts, 5-6 ounces, boneless

For the sauce:
2 small shallots, sliced
1 cup dried Bing cherries
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups pinot noir
Balsamic vinegar

For the risotto:
2-3 small shallots, minced
½ cup white wine
1 ½ cups farro
9 cups chicken stock, hot
Heavy cream
Parmesan cheese
Fresh rosemary
Fresh thyme
Salt and white pepper

DIRECTIONS
For the duck:
*Score the skin diagonally several times being careful not to cut into the meat. Season with salt and pepper.
*In a saute pan, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan over medium heat and place the duck skin side down. Let the fat render out, being careful not to burn the skin. Look for a nice golden-brown, crispy skin with most of the fat rendered out. Pour off excess fat if necessary.
*Once you have reached “GBD” (golden brown and delicious), turn the breasts and brown the other side. Remove from the pan and hold until ready to finish in the oven.
*To finish the duck, place in an oven proof pan, skin side up, and roast to an internal temperature of 120 F. Pull the duck and let rest 10 minutes in a warm place before slicing.

For the sauce:
*Soak the cherries in the pinot noir until soft.
*Brown the shallots in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat.
*Drain the cherries and add the wine and sugar to the shallots. Simmer until reduced by half. *Combine cherries and wine sugar mixture and process until smooth. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Hold warm.

For the risotto:
*Sweat the shallots in olive oil until soft but not colored. Add the wine and reduce until almost dry.
*Add the farro and stir for 2-3 minutes. Ladle in enough chicken stock to cover. Reduce until most of the stock is absorbed, stirring frequently.
*Add more stock to cover and reduce, stirring frequently. Continue to add stock and stir until the risotto softens but is still a little chewy.
*Season the salt and white pepper to taste. Add a splash of heavy cream, a small handful of grated parmesan and the chopped herbs.
*To plate, spoon the risotto onto the center of the plate, slice the duck on a slight angle and fan it down the center of the risotto. Spoon the sauce around and garnish with more fresh herbs.

Coffee Chocolate Creme Brulee
Paired With a Trio of Black Panther Imperial Stouts:
Original Black Panther, Bourbon Barrel Aged and Pinot Noir Barrel Aged
By Chef Seth Rock

INGREDIENTS
For the creme brulee:
16 ounces heavy cream
2 ounces espresso
1 tablespoon Kahlua or Tia Maria
6 large egg yolks
2 2/3 ounce superfine sugar

For the ganache:
1 ½ parts semi-sweet chocolate chips to 1 part heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
For the creme brulee:
*Preheat the oven to 300 F.
*Place 4 coffee cups or creme brulee dishes in a roasting pan.
*Put the cream in a heavy-based saucepan and heat slowly to scalding point, then stir in the espresso coffee and liqueur.
*Beat the egg yolks in a bowl until pale and creamy. Pour the hot steaming coffee cream on to the egg yolks, a third at a time, whisking well. Then whisk in the superfine sugar. Strain this liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug.
*Pour the mixture into the coffee cups or brulee dishes, dividing it equally. Add hot water to the roasting pan, filling it half way up the sides of the cups.
*Bake for about 45 minutes until custards are lightly set on top: the center should still be slightly wobbly.
*Remove from the oven and allow to cool; the mixture will thicken on cooling. Chill at least two hours or overnight if possible.
*Using a pastry bag with a small round tip, squirt a little of the ganache into the center of each brulee until the custard starts to dome slightly.
*When ready to serve, sprinkle a teaspoon of Turbinado sugar evenly over the surface of each custard and caramelize with a blowtorch. If you don’t have Turbinado sugar, don’t worry. Granulated sugar will work. Serve as soon as possible with a few chocolate covered coffee beans if you like.

For the ganache:
*Place the chips in a bowl.
*Heat the cream to the boiling point and pour over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth.
*Allow to cool to room temperature.

Golden Valley Brewing
McMinnville
[a] 980 NE 4th St.
[p] 503-472-2739

Beaverton
[a] 1520 NW Bethany Boulevard
[p] 503-972-159
[w] goldenvalleybrewery.com