BOSTON — Today, the brewers at Samuel Adams and artisanal meat purveyor Jake Dickson unveil the innovative Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cut, the perfect beef counterpart for Samuel Adams Boston Lager. The partnership between the brewers and Dickson, owner of Dickson's Farmstand Meats in New York City, marks the first time a brewer and specialty meat purveyor have teamed up to design an original cut of beef. Samuel Adams Boston Lager is the perfect pairing for the Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cut; the brew's upfront malt flavor matches the caramelized flavors of the meat, and its hoppy finish prepares the palate for the next bite.
Cut from the cap to the top sirloin, the Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cut has a tender texture and big beefy flavor. The Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cut runs at a 45 degree angle to the rest of the muscle, yielding a tightly grained steak perfect for grilling and slicing. This carving method optimizes the Cut's cooking properties and flavor potential, enhancing the pairing capabilities. The beef and beer intersect with great caramel notes and sweetness, while the elegant hoppiness of Samuel Adams Boston Lager finishes the lingering meaty flavor of the Cut. To achieve the recommended medium-rare to medium temperature and make the most of the cut's beefy flavor, Dickson suggests searing the steak on high heat for four to five minutes per side. For a more well done cut, follow the searing with four to five minutes of indirect heat in the oven.
"Twenty five years ago, people thought the ultimate food and beer pairing was a 6-pack and a pizza, but today people think of craft beer more like wine. At Samuel Adams, we've always been committed to elevating people's perception of food and beer," said Founder and Brewer Jim Koch. "I think working with specialty food purveyors, like Jake, to isolate very specific types of food pairings, like beef and craft beer, is taking that passion to the next level."
In many ways, the growing appreciation for American craft beer parallels the development of appreciation for American wine thirty years ago. Beer's complexity, offset by its core ingredients, hops and malted barley, provides layers of flavor to dishes and with pairings that wine could never achieve. A full-flavored beer, like Samuel Adams Boston Lager, often pairs better with bold, flavorful meats, than wine does. The brew's complexity, malty sweetness and intense hop notes, pair well with and are not overpowered by rich flavorful foods or caramelized grilled flavors.
"Since the Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cut is tender and flavorful on its own, all it needs is a little salt and pepper to bring out its natural beefiness," said Dickson. "I recommend searing the cut to reach the sweet spot of tenderness, and of course pairing it with a Samuel Adams Boston Lager to balance the intensity of the meat."
Available now, the Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cut is the perfect steak for any beer lover's grill this summer. The Cut is currently being sold at Dickson's Farmstand Meats in Chelsea Market and will be available at select David Burke restaurants. A similar type of cut can be ordered through specialty butcher shops by requesting a three-quarter inch cut from the cap to the top sirloin. The "fat cap" should be left on to aid in cooking the cut properly. When cut correctly, it will resemble a leaner New York Strip or Shell Steak. While this cut is specially designed to be the perfect pairing for Samuel Adams Boston Lager, the full-flavored craft brew pairs well with any type of beef dish from burgers to steak and everything in between.
THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY BACKGROUND:
The Boston Beer Company began in 1984 with a generations-old family recipe that Founder and Brewer Jim Koch uncovered in his father's attic. After bringing the recipe to life in his kitchen, Jim brought it to bars in Boston with the belief that drinkers would appreciate a complex, full-flavored beer, brewed fresh in America. That beer was Samuel Adams Boston Lager®, and it helped catalyze what became known as the American craft beer revolution.
Today, the Company brews more than 21 styles of beer. The Company uses the traditional four vessel brewing process and often takes extra steps like dry-hopping and a secondary fermentation known as krausening. It passionately pursues the development of new styles and the perfection of its classic beers by constantly searching for the world's finest ingredients. While resurrecting traditional brewing methods, the Company has earned a reputation as a pioneer in another revolution, the "extreme beer" movement, where it seeks to challenge drinkers' perceptions of what beer can be. The Boston Beer Company strives to elevate the image of American craft beer by entering festivals and competitions the world over, and in the past five years it has won more awards in international beer competitions than any other brewery in the world. The Company remains independent, and brewing quality beer remains its single focus. While Samuel Adams is the country's largest-selling craft beer, it accounts for just under one percent of the U.S. beer market. For more information, please visit www.samueladams.com.
ABOUT JAKE DICKSON:
After working in marketing for a number of years, Jake Dickson became determined to make a career switch and find something more fulfilling. Researching food-based businesses he found that the market for high-quality, humanely raised meat was lacking, and saw an opportunity to marry his passion with his life's work.
Working on multiple farms, in butcher shops, and at a small slaughterhouse outside Albany, Jake soaked up as much information as he could, determined to provide consumers with the best product available. Dickson's Farmstand Meats began as a small scale retail operation, with Jake filling online orders around New York City and at local farmer's markets out of his truck. Over time the demand grew and Jake brought his operation to the well-known food destination, Chelsea Market, in the fall of 2009.
Now with his first storefront, Jake has been able to expand his offerings, adding poultry, house made sausages, charcuterie, and prepared foods. He can be found at the butcher shop on a daily basis, offering recipe tips, facts about varying cuts and providing insight into the meat industry. For more information, please visit www.dicksonsfarmstand.com.
Source: Samuel Adams
