Beer & Sausage Risotto

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage pieces and saute 3-4 minutes or until slices are begining to brown and render some of their fat. Remove sausage slices to a plate, add another teaspoon of oil (if needed) and increase heat to medium-high.
When fat is just shy of smoking, add celery, onion and green pepper; saute 2-3 minutes then add garlic and cook until vegetables are starting to soften and are well browned. Stir in cumin, thyme, chili powder, Old Bay seasoning, and rice; saute 2-3 minutes or until rice begins to look translucent around the edges. The bottom of the pan should be pretty dark and funky right now – this is good!

Add the beer to the hot pan, stirring vigorously to scrape all the fond (the brown bits stuck on the bottom) from the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring vigorously until about 3/4 of the liquid is evaporated. The remaining liquid should be very dark brownish-red (and delicious).

Add chicken stock, tomato sauce, and sausage to skillet along with 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir well and bring to a boil. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is al dente and only a bit of liquid remains in the pan. Taste for seasonings, adding salt and pepper if necessary, and serve.