Beer-melized Onions

I said awhile ago that I would post about how to make beer-melized onions. It is truly quite simply, but makes intensely flavorful and savory onions. I utilize them mostly for panini and pizza, but really, they could be used anywhere cooked onions are used.

So...slice up an onion into 1/4" thick slices. Put onions into a sauce pan with a little olive oil and start to sweat the onions over medium-high heat (I use a nonstick one for ease of removing onions, but it isn't necessary).

When onions begin to soften, add beer and drop the heat to medium-low, cooking until the beer is evaporated/in the onions.

How much beer? Depends on how much onion you have. For a small-medium onion, use about 2 ounces. For a large-huge onion, 3-4 ounces. What kind of beer? Pretty much any ale will do. General rule is that you don't want something that is too hoppy. Too many hops in a beer will impart an unpleasant bitter flavor in this preparation. I've used everything from red ale, to brown ale, to saison, and plenty in between. If it has a good malty base, it works well for this. Last night I used Smuttynose Brown Dog Ale, and I'll be trying this with an Octoberfest soon.
The first photo is of when the beer is first added to the onions,the second photo is half-way through cooking, and the third are the finished onions.