Our Most Recent Class at the CM Cooking School: Beef and Brews

I've blogged about the Central Market Cooking School before, but it's so good it's worth another post.

Our most recent class was led by one of our favorite instructors, Chef John Tamez. We really enjoy his expertise and teaching style.....and his favorite ingredient is bacon. Definitely a winner in my book!

Our menu last Friday evening included:

• Beef Stew Topped with Black Pepper Biscuit Crust (beer pairing: The Kaiser from Avery Brewing in Boulder, CO)
• Braised Veal with Olives and Herbed Rigatoni (beer: Sisyphus, a barleywine from Real Ale Brewing in Blanco)
• Seared Rib-Eye Steaks with Wilted Greens and Balsamic Vinegar (beer: St. Bernardus Abt 12 from Watou in Belgium)
• Braised Short Ribs (beer: Dogfish Head from Dogfish Brewery)

Oh, and Chocolate Stout ice cream for dessert. (Which should sound a little familiar to you if you've been paying attention to the Hatch thread.)

Everything was delicious, but we knew this would be a heavy meal going in. I brought home two doggie bags. (Two observations about classes featuring beer: 1) Bruce and I are totally mystified as to why non-beer-drinkers take this class; there are always more than a few who pour out their beer samples. 2) The percentage of males in beer classes is significantly higher than in others. :-) )

For most CM classes, you sit classroom-style and watch as the chef prepares the dish, explains all the steps, and provides cooking tips. (Usually all of the CM Cooking School chefs are there to assist, having prepared the meal for the entire class earlier in the day.) There are also hands-on classes, where you get to participate in making the dish; "learn at lunch" seminars, shorter classes during the lunch hour; and frequent classes from guest chefs.

Their new online reservation system makes it easy to see which classes are open and which have a waiting list. (Darn it....my "hands-on tamales" class is sold out.) Many hands-on classes (such as pasta making and tamales) sell out fast, as do classes by popular chefs like Chef Jason Dady (www.twitter.com/chefjasondady). So keep tabs on when they release the calendar and sign up early for these.

One caveat to the online reservation system....Bruce signed us up for four classes when the fall calendar opened, thinking we'd be charged for each one, one at a time. Nope....one big monster charge on the credit card. Just be prepared.

We are ardent foodies, but we learn something every single time we attend. Beginners will learn even more. Sign up today!