Discovering New Culinary Compositions at the Sokołów workshops

Once again, Sokołów has invited bloggers to culinary workshops. This time, the main theme of the meeting was discovering new combinations of seasoned beef and various types of craft beers. The participants got an opportunity to visit the Brofaktura brewery in Siedlce and learn about the beer-making process. During the second part of the workshops, they could prepare exceptional, grilled dishes.

- The idea behind the Sokołów workshops is to create new culinary trends and popularise creative approach to combining flavours – says Aleksandra Chalimoniuk, Sokołów S.A. Company Director, PR and Communications. – Responding to the immense and ever-growing interest in local and craft beers, we wanted to show how to introduce them to our kitchens in an interesting way. We have used beef, but instead of wine — which is usually associated with this kind of meat — we have combined it with original flavours of beer.

The workshop started in an unusual place. It was the Brofaktura brewery — a restaurant brewery located in the old Market Hall in the centre of Siedlce. Bartłomiej Imieliński — chief brewer — guided a tour of the facility and provided details on each step of the brewing process. Everyone had a chance to taste the barley malt with its delicate caramel taste, as well as a distinctive and specific taste of pressed hops. The guests were served different types of beer brewed in Brofaktura which composed perfectly with Sokołów meat snacks.

The second part of the workshops was held in a casual garden party atmosphere at the Wola Suchożebrska Manor. Chef Dominik Moskalenko told about the secrets of seasoning of beef and presented how to cut it, providing step-by-step instructions. He stressed that the quality of a dish in influenced not just by the marinade — it's the quality of meat that is crucial. The most highly valued type of beef is the maturing type, and that’s just what Sokołów has in its product range. The workshop participants had a chance to try dry seasoned beef. Marinated and served with sauce along craft beers, it proved ideal for such grilled dishes, as: Oriental roast beef shish kebab with cucumber salad and marinated white radish, beef sirloin with crunchy salads, and burger with reduced malt beer. The guests have also tried new, exceptional beer types presented by Sokołów S.A.’s Rafał Batorowicz, beer enthusiast in his spare time. He explained that a sip of lager pale ale or a Guinness can considerably enhance, or even change, the taste of the dish. Roast beef seasoned for 8 weeks served with Russian Imperial Stout has conquered the taste buds of even the biggest beer sceptics. Another positive surprise was a combination of a strong and sweet lager with beef burgers, or matured sausage with Belgian Lambic which has an intensive raspberry flavour.

- Those meetings serve as a reminder that cooking together and then eating without haste can be very joyful experience – sums up Aleksandra Chalimoniuk, Sokołów S.A. Company Director, PR and Communications. – It’s a moment of pause in the everyday rush, a breath of fresh air that allows us to discover richness of tastes anew. It’s good to take advantage of those moments.