Porter Beer Mustard

Mustard is one of the world’s oldest condiments; it’s been ground into paste with water, or wine, for thousands of years. Mustard mixed with beer emerged on the food scene hundreds of years ago, though the history is a little murky. Food historians agree that beer mustard, the condiment as we know it, came about some time in the 20^th century in the American Midwest, though it developed out of German culinary tradition—perhaps not a “recipe”, per se, but more the knowledge of what to do with beer and mustard in a kitchen. We created a recipe here that’s super-simple to make, though it does require two days to brine the mustard seeds in beer and vinegar before it’s ready to eat.

Because beer is used to steep the mustard seeds and takes the place of vinegar, the brine is less acidic than one used for a standard mustard. This leads to a spicier finished product, since acids temper the chemical reaction in a cracked mustard seed that creates heat. The beer you choose also adds its own character to the mustard, so go for something with great flavor. 

Once all the ingredients are finally soaked and boiled and cooled accordingly, put everything in a blender or food processor. Once you start blending, sit back and let it blend. You need to let the seeds emulsify in the liquid, and it’s going to take a while--longer than you might think--to go from a watery mix with seeds, to the thick, grainy consistency that we’re after. Great as a dip for crackers or vegetables, or smeared on a bit of toast with a gorgeous slice of creamy Havarti cheese. We thought it was a natural on New York Style Hot Dogs, with the spicy bite of mustard playing off the snap of sauerkraut and some rich, seasoned onions.