PLATES & PINTS The Other Other White Meats


Urge American Gastropub’s Recipes for Success By Brandon Hernández


I Photo: Kristina Blake


Brandon Hernández hated beer and had never even heard the term “craft beer” until his first trip to O’Brien’s Pub in 1999. There, in a dark yet friendly space rife with the foreign smell of cascade and centennial hops, he fell into line with the new school of brew enthusiasts courtesy of a pint-sized one-two punch of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot and Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale. Those quaffs changed his perception of all beer could and should be and he’s spent the past decade-plus immers- ing himself in the local beer culture -- living, learning, loving and, of course, drinking craft suds. He’s since taken up homebrewing and specializes in the creation of beer-centric cuisine. A native San Diegan, Brandon is proud to be contributing to a publication that serves a positive purpose for his hometown and its beer loving inhabitants. In addition to West Coaster, he is the San Diego cor- respondent for Celebrator Beer News and contributes articles on beer, food, restau- rants and other such killer topics to national publications including The Beer Connoisseur, Beer Magazine and Wine Enthusiast as well as local outlets including The San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Magazine, The Reader, Riviera Magazine, Pacific San Diego, Edible San Diego, Dining Out San Diego, Rancho Magazine, North County Times and SanDiego.com.


’m not one to hold a grudge. I used to live in Rancho Bernardo or, as I bitterly referred to it, “Beer No Man’s Land.” I’d muse with anybody unlucky enough to have to listen about how well a beer-and-food- geared restaurant would do if they’d take a chance on RB. People would smile politely and move on and, eventually, I did too. Not three months after beating a path out of town, what should touch down less than a half-mile from my old place? Urge American Gastropub. Timing is a cruel mistress. However, if I still lived in RB, I concede that Urge would be a cruel mistress of a different type. The beer selection includes an extensive, quality selection of draft and bottled brews – includ- ing one-offs and rare numbers – combined with beer themed cuisine. Chef Marc Liautard has worked with proprietor Grant Tondro to put together a menu that’s unlike any of San Diego’s beeriest eateries and, quite frankly, unlike many other eateries period (know of any other place using Unibroue Quelque Chose sour cherry ale as the base for their barbecue sauce?). Like many restaurants nowadays, comfort food done well is the name of the game, but Liautard has found ways to make his offerings unique, most obviously and effectively through the use of beer as an ingredient and the utilization of lesser-used proteins like rabbit and wild boar.


Adding to my remorse over


Urge’s late arrival to my old ‘hood is the fact that rabbit, a meat that I greatly enjoy, is at the forefront of not one, but two dishes. The first is the Mac Rabbit, a hunk of mac ‘n’ cheese that’s tossed in the deep fryer, then topped with a rich beer cheese soup and served with


The wild boar burger at Urge pairs well with many different styles of beer


rabbit sausage. Enough to give Bugs a heart attack (he’d go with a smile), this is my pre- ferred bunny option, but I’m in the minority. Most Urge regulars have fallen hard for the Hassenpfeffer Hopper, a burger made from ground rabbit that incorporates fresh herbs in place of grease to provide a flavor profile that’s completely different from any beef burger (just to be clear, I have absolutely noth- ing against the fulfilling flavor of rich animal fat). Thanks to these herbs there’s a downright garden freshness to this burger that makes it a great change of pace to traditional pub grub, if nothing else.


The bottom line is that it takes guts to lead with a set of rabbit ears and Liautard should be commended for not only being different and taking a risk, but for creating widespread inter- est in something most would find outlandish via a delicious dish. Unfortunately, the supply of rabbit has become a bit scarce for Urge’s distributors, meaning they are currently not able to offer it as a full-time menu item. But rather than go the all-beef route while they tap into another source for Grade A thumper, Liautard’s put a


Wild Boar Burger Yield: 2 patties


1 pound wild boar, ground ½ cup panko bread crumbs, roasted until browned


2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped Pinch fresh thyme, finely chopped Pinch fresh sage, finely chopped Salt and pepper to taste


2 large artisan hamburger buns (preferably from Bread & Cie Bakery), lightly toasted


Ur-Bock Aoili (recipe follows) 2 slices Ewephoria Gouda cheese (or Gouda to substitute) 4 slices crisp bacon


Combine the boar, bread crumbs, herbs, salt and pepper until they are completely incorporated. Form the mixture into two round patties and cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until the burger reaches the desired level of doneness (recommendation: medium, 4 to 5 minutes on each side). Spread the aioli on both sides of the burger buns. Top the bottom bun slices with burger patties, followed by the cheese and two bacon slices each. Serve immediately.


4-


wild boar burger on the menu in the interim that’s topped with Ewephonia sheep’s milk Gouda from Holland and dressed with a Rauchbier-infused aioli (smoky mayo, that is). Urge was kind enough to provide us Liautard’s recipe for the new burger and aioli, and it is included below for your at-home kitchen plea- sure. Liautard and Tondro note T&H Prime Meats in San Marcos as a good place to head to for these rarer types of proteins. “Both of these meats are great delivery vehicles for a lot of other flavors, and you can really play around with a lot of fresh, garden spices to find a combination that works for you,” says Tondro.


Speaking of the garden, be on the look- out for a new “Market” section of the menu, which will debut this month and feature offer- ings that will change monthly as items come in and out of season. If the recipes below aren’t enough to get you cooking, visit westcoastersd.com (search “Brandon”) and you’ll find Chef Liautard’s recipes for Sculpin mustard (that uses Bal- last Point Sculpin IPA as a base), chislic, and chipotle aioli.


Ur-Bock Aioli Yield: 14 ounces


10 ounces mayonnaise 3 ounces cultured buttermilk 1¼ ounces Ur-Bock Rauchbier (or other smoked beer to substitute) Salt and pepper to taste


Whisk all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl until they are completely incorporated.


Serve or store, refrigerated, for up to 10 days.


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