Beer Braised Mussels with Chorizo

I first tasted mussels during the summer of 2012. I had recently become a fan of bivalve molluscs after slurping a few dozen pacific northwest oysters in Seattle (side note: here's why you may feel a bit fluffy after eating Seattle mussels). I had tried gulf oysters before but they can't hold a candle to their cold water cousins. The delicate texture and buttery-sweet flavors of small cold water oysters make the meaty, oversized gulf variety reminiscent of old man ears.

When I spotted beer-steamed mussels on the menu of the Schlafly Tap Room, I thought "Why not?". These were small, manageable creatures. Maybe I'd enjoy them as much as I did the Cascadian oysters. One bite and I was hooked. 

This recipe is inspired by that experience.

You'll need:

• 1/2 lb of chorizo
• 3 sliced shallotts
• 2 sliced jalapeños
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can of Mexican lager
• 2.5 lb of fresh mussels
• 2 tsp of chili seasoning or seafood seasoning
• 2 tbsp of butter cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
• 1 roma tomato, diced
• juice of 1 lime 
• 1 loaf of french bread

Using a 10 inch cast iron skillet, cook the chorizo over medium-high heat while breaking apart with a wooden spoon. You can use any heat source you like. Once browned, sauté the shallots and jalapeños. After about 4 minutes add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Pour in the can of Mexican lager and allow to simmer. Add in the Mussels and season with the seasoning of your choice. At this point you are braising the mussels. Most mussels you order in restaurants are steamed but since I don't have a proper lid for my cast iron skillet, I braised them in the beer broth. This requires a little bit of stirring to ensure even cooking. Once the mussels have opened up, continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.

Finish the mussels with the butter, cilantro, tomato and lime juice and serve with toasted slices of French bread. 

Look at yourself in the mirror and behold the awesomeness.