PLATES & PINTS


Pair and Share Alike Local epicure Nate Soroko brings beer, food and like-minded gour- mands together By Brandon Hernández


W 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.


hen it comes to the local craft brewing commu- nity, its members often


talk about how a rising tide floats all boats. Camaraderie has been a key contributor to San Diego’s suc- cess on the craft beer front. Brew- ing contemporaries in America’s Finest go to great lengths to make sure the local industry excels by offering beer fans not only the experience, but the utmost in qual- ity. Often it comes at zero profit or even a nominal expense, and one recent example of for-the-greater- good sacrifice comes courtesy of Pizza Port co-owner, Gina Marsa- glia.


Marsaglia handed over her kitch- en and its reins to Nate Soroko, a cook who’s logged time at Liar’s Club, the Del Mar Racetrack Turf Club, Soleil at K and now splits time between Pizza Port Ocean Beach and Toronado in North Park. Soroko’s mission is to celebrate the endless pairing possibilities that ex- ist between beer and food, and he’s doing that through pairing events at Pizza Port OB (as well as Torona- do). Already, he’s opening minds, enlivening palates and becoming a cult hero of sorts in the San Diego suds scene.


Aptly enough, Soroko’s beer- and-food pairing journey started off in the company of brewers. “We did a dinner for brewers and Pizza Port employees and followed that up with a brunch. Both of them went really well,” said Soroko. So well, in fact, that the events have gone prime time in the form of din- ners that take place on Pizza Port OB’s rooftop dining area. Another sign of growth: Soroko’s getting plenty of help in the kitchen. Fit- ting for this industry, he’s collabo- rating with fellow chefs like Kyle Bergman from The Lodge at Torrey Pines, friend and associate Felix Contreras, and fellow Pizza Porter, John Hooper.


The team’s work was on display at Soroko’s latest event on August 27th (visit westcoastersd.com for event coverage). The menu was varied and included fried green tomatoes, grilled beets and citrus whipped cream paired with Pizza Port Flying Hawaiian Hefeweizen; grilled octopus and shell beans in tomato broth paired with Alpine Ale; finished with a raspberry and Nutella trifle paired with Ballast Point Sea Monster Stout. When preparing for an event, Soroko asks brewers for the beers they’d like to spotlight, then builds his dishes around them. “It’s easier to start with beer and move to food. Beer is a set flavor, but you can change a recipe; omit an ingredi- ent and throw something else in to change the flavor profile,” said Soroko. Each possess unique char- acteristics depending on the hops, malts and flavor enhancers used in the brewing process. “You can have four different stouts, but different flavors like vanilla, chocolate and chipotle will play off of them all differently. But that’s the fun of it. ” To that end, an all-stout dinner is on Soroko’s list of upcoming events, including an all IPA dinner, and a six-course Alpine Beer Com- pany dinner (dates announced on westcoastersd.com as they come). A list of future guest cooks, includ- ing Marsaglia’s husband and Pizza Port’s co-owner, cooking fanatic Vince Marsaglia, and many others are in the work. Perhaps Peter Zien, AleSmith owner and cheese- maker will bring his CheeseSmith creations to Pizza Port soon? “Every person I’ve met in craft beer is a foodie,” says Soroko. “It just goes hand-in-hand.” Despite a respect for classic tech- nique and exotic ingredients, Nate likes to keep things simple and approachable. “I’m a big proponent in only using five or six ingredi- ents per dish. I like stuff people


Brined Pork Chops Yield: 4 servings


2 cups sherry vinegar ¾ cup kosher salt 2/3 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup honey


1 Tbsp black peppercorns 1 Tbsp mustard powder ½ Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes


1 pound ice cubes 4 pork chops


Heat the vinegar in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When the vinegar is warm, mix all of the remaining ingredients together except for the ice cubes and stir into the vinegar until the honey dissolves completely. Add the ice cubes and allow to cool. When cooled, transfer the mixture to a deep container and add the pork chops, making sure that they are completely submerged. Refrigerate for 2 hours.


Prepare the grill. Remove the pork chops from the brine, pat dry and grill until they reach medium doneness (145 F), 13 to 15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes and serve with Swiss chard and potatoes.


2-


Chef Nate Soroko puts together some devilishly delicious dishes for Pizza Port’s 2nd Annual Brewbies Festival back in February


can recognize, but adding an element so it’s like, ‘oh, that’s different.’ That’s one of the coolest elements of cooking.”


Stay in the Pizza Port beer-and-food pairing loop by checking out their website (www.pizzaport.com). In the meantime, try your hand at the recipes Soroko provided for brined pork chops with Swiss chard & Yukon Gold potato confit. This dish pairs well with a Flanders sour or a hoppy red ale, according to Soroko.


Swiss Chard olive oil


1½ cups pancetta, small dice


¼ cup white wine 1/3 cup chicken stock juice of 1 lemon


1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and cut into ½-inch lengths and leaves cut into 1½- inch lengths


salt to taste


Lightly coat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add the pancetta and sauté until brown and crispy. Remove it, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Add the wine, stock and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and reduce by a third. Add the chard and sauté until the leaves are wilted, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and serve.


Yukon Gold Potato Confit


4-5 large Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 2-inch cubes


4 stems fresh rosemary


5 cloves garlic olive oil


salt to taste 1 bunch parsley, minced


Place the potatoes, rosemary and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and submerge in olive oil. Bring the oil to the point where it shimmers, but does not begin to boil. Cook until a toothpick inserted into the potatoes goes in easily, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave the potatoes in the oil until cooled.


When cooled, remove the potatoes from the oil. Coat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat with oil. Add the potatoes, season with salt and sauté until browned, about 8 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.


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