Fire Beer Marinade

The yeasty, bittersweet, slightly acidic character of beer makes it a natural base for a marinade. We have inundated it with mild, sweet ancho chile (dried poblano); a spicy, smoky chipotle chile (smoked jalapeño); and the hottest chile of all, a habanero. Starting with a whole ancho pepper and toasting it on the spot, rather than starting with ground ancho chile, makes a huge difference in flavor. Because the chipotle is already smoked, it doesn’t benefit from toasting.