CLICK HERE if you are having trouble viewing these photos on a mobile device
Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery in Bend is celebrated for its award-winning beers, from Pacific Wonderland Lager to Mirror Pond Pale Ale. But it’s also known for its brewery restaurant near the wild and scenic Deschutes River – the source of the pure, volcano-filtered water that goes into all their beer.
Malty, hoppy bevs are the perfect complement to food, of course — but even more so when they’re in the food, too. Executive chef Chad Berg, now in his 13th year at Deschutes, specializes in the combo with dishes such as Cheddar Cheese Beer Soup and Beer and Mushroom Risotto. You’ll find many of those recipes on the brewery website. Naturally, we had questions — about Berg, Deschutes and the recipes that use beer as a key ingredient.
Q. What’s your culinary background?
I grew up in northwest Indiana, where my family had property out in the country. I basically learned cooking from my mother. We grew food and my family has owned a restaurant for 47 years. I started there, my sister and I both, around the age of 13, dishwashing, then eventually in the kitchen.
I never went to school for cooking, but I’ve worked at various kitchens in almost every style — diners, country clubs, hotels, bakeries.
Q. How would you describe your own style?
I don’t really have the terminology for what I’d call it. Maybe it’s new-age experimental with some old-school flair. I try to keep things interesting and experimental, but not go too far off the radar.
Q. Let’s talk about the brewery and restaurant. What’s the vibe, if you will?
It’s very Northwest. Everything’s scratch-made. We’re extremely family oriented here, and a lot of employees have been here a long time. Some of the prep cooks have upward of 17 years, lots of the server staff almost 15 years. Everyone is dedicated to the craft of what we do, not just the beer.
Bend has always been a smaller community. Over the last four years or so, it’s been attracting a lot more tourists, which has benefitted us. The brewery has expanded since I’ve been here. We expanded our main seating area and basically tripled in size about six years ago.
I’ve been a member of the (Bend) sustainability group for a few years now. We’ve been doing a composting program that’s been really successful, even used by the city as a model for other businesses. We’ve seen a lot of decline of trash to the landfill, a lot more to the compost yard to turn into soil, which I then purchase every year when I do my gardens. So it comes full circle.
Q. How do you use beer in your recipes?
When we use any kind of beer, we’re looking at what the malt is, what the hops are, what the yeast strain is, the flavor profile. We don’t want to overly cook the beer. There are only a few sauces where we actually heat the beer, and it’s usually a darker beer, (such as) Obsidian Stout, reducing it down for a steak sauce. I did heat up an IPA to make a brine to pickle cucumbers or vegetables.
Mostly our beers are incorporated into dressings and sauces. We have an IPA Caesar dressing that gives it that floral, hoppy sort of flavor. We use seasonal beers to make mustards. Our Black Butte Porter goes into our brewery mustard — it’s exclusive to the pub and a local favorite. Our Mirror Pond goes into our jalapeño cheese dip. We also use Mirror Pond in beer batter for our fish and chips.
Details: Deschutes Brewery: 901 S.W. Simpson Ave., Bend, Oregon; www.deschutesbrewery.com.
Deschutes Jalapeno Dip
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
1 small can diced green chiles
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
6 ounces Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale
1 pound cream cheese
½ pound shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup fresh spinach, cooked, drained and chopped
Directions:
In a sauce pan over medium heat, sauté jalapeños, green chilies, onions and garlic in butter until translucent but not browned. Season with cumin, oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add beer and cream cheese and bring to a low simmer until cream cheese is melted. Add the Monterey Jack and spinach and stir until fully incorporated. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips or crusty baguette slices.
Fresh Squeezed Vinaigrette
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon garlic
½ bunch fresh parsley
½ bunch fresh parsley
¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
¼ cup clover honey
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon mustard
12-ounce bottle Deschutes Fresh Squeeze IPA
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
Mince the garlic. Chop the herbs. Combine all the ingredients except the oil, whisking to combine. Slowly stream in the oil, whisking all the while, until smooth.
— Chef Chad Berg, Deschutes Brewery
