Three meats, three chefs, and one hell of a cause. The Brooklyn Brewery ended their week long DC Mash Tour with the Three-Headed Beast competition at Blind Whino Sunday October 11th. All proceeds from the event went to The Food Trust, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide everyone with affordable and nutritious food.

Who was on the guest list? Self-proclaimed foodies and beer enthusiast who spent the better half of a Sunday skipping brunch in favor of the promised ‘nose-to-tail’ dishes. No vegetarians with gluten allergies allowed. What was on tap? Brooklyn Lager, Oktoberfest, Defender IPA, Post Road Pumpkin Ale, East IPA, all of which are delicious and perfect for a fall afternoon.

Beer and good times aside, everyone was there for one, well three, things: meat, meat, and more meat.

Hosting the competition was Head of Culinary Programming at Brooklyn Brewery, Chef Andrew Gerson. His beast of choice was lamb. Filling his niche of slow cooked, the braised lamb was perfectly seasoned with Szechuan pepper, ginger and star anise. Pairing the lamb with roasted delicata squash and Romanesco atop a butternut squash puree was a subtle nod to Gerson’s love for Italian cooking. The East IPA was suggested to be most complimentary to the lamb’s seasoning, making it the perfect fall pairing.

Chef Kwame Onwuachi took a break from preparing for the highly anticipated opening Shaw Bijou. His beast of choice- Goat, head included. Drawing inspiration from a blend of cultures, the Bronx native serves his curry braised goat on msemsen bread topped with Kashmiri chili sauce and anticucho yogurt. Jealous? Seconds were had. The Defender IPA wasn’t a first choice but the right choice to amplify every spice in Onwuachi’s creation. The Defender IPA is your cousin who is Ivy League educated and also happens to be part of a female fight club. It’s more than just a red.

We’ve all been there for the whiskey, but Chef Russell Jones is the true gem of Jack Rose Salon. His beast of choice was pig. Staying fresh and keeping classic, the smoked pork shoulder and tail were topped with the best chow chow north of the Carolinas. A house-baked Parker House roll was served alongside true, good ole fashion pork rinds, and yes, the spice was just as good as the crunch. A classic dish calls for a classic beer for a classic girl with food all over her face. The Brooklyn Lager and pork rinds were a perfect combination.

All three chefs were winners of the Three Headed Beast competitions. “This is a perfect way to end, on a perfect day like today,” Gerson, toasting a Brooklyn Lager in the air to crowd.

-HGP (Haylee)

Editor’s Note: We’d like to mention that Kwame and 2 other local chefs (Chefs Marjorie Meek-Bradley and Garret Fleming) will be representing DC in the upcoming Top Chef season. Good luck guys!