Despite what some party-hardy leprechauns might think on St. Patrick’s Day, all beers are not created equal and not all dishes made with beer are really a good idea.

It takes research, taste tasting (lots of taste tasting) and really good recipes to introduce beer into your menu and make the dish better than the sum of its parts. With a little help from yours truly, I aim to make this one of the best culinary St. Patrick’s Days ever (if you were expecting corned beef recipes, sorry).

Beers fall into three categories: lagers, ales and specialty beers. Ales are usually higher in alcohol content and have a more complex flavor. Lagers are usually lighter in color and can be somewhat drier than ale. In specialty beers, just about everything but the kitchen sink goes. The specialty beers I drink; I don’t cook with them.

Beer can be used in marinades to tenderize meat, as well as with sweeter vegetables like onions, carrots and corn. It gives them an earthier flavor, but you may need to add just a touch of sugar or honey to the vegetable dish to counteract the bitter component of the beer. The yeast in beers is also terrific when used as a leavening agent in baking or in batters.

So what type of beer works best for cooking? I suggest you start with pale ale; it’s the most adaptable for the following recipes.

For those of you who don’t imbibe alcohol, you can use non-alcoholic beers and get pretty much the same results.

Beer Marinade

This marinade is great for grilling chicken, beef and shrimp.

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 cup chopped onion

1 red pepper, finely diced

1 bunch parsley, chopped

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons honey

8 ounces beer

2 tablespoons black pepper

2/3 cup lime juice or rice wine vinegar

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Makes generous 2 cups of marinade.

Ale Apple Fritters

12 ounces amber ale

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 1/2 cups oil

8 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/3 -inch thick rings soaked in ice water until ready to use

Cinnamon-sugar mixture for dusting

In a large bowl, whisk together ale, flour, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and melted butter. Set the mixture aside. Pour oil into Dutch oven or deep cast-iron frying pan. Heat the oil to about 350 degrees to 360 degrees. Pat the apple rings dry and then dip into the batter and coat them evenly. Fry the apple rings in small batches. Turn once to cook evenly. Skim the extra pieces out of the oil and add more oil as needed. Be sure to keep the oil hot. Let the cooked apple fritters drain on paper towel for a few minutes then sprinkle them with the cinnamon-sugar mixture and serve. Serves 8.

Ribs in Beer

6 to 8 boneless ribs

Salt and pepper

2 onions, chopped

1/2 cup beer

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon mustard

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2/3 cup hickory brown sugar barbecue sauce

Salt and pepper both sides of the ribs. Spread the chopped onions over bottom of a roasting pan or slow cooker. Put the meat on top of the onions. In a bowl, combine the beer, ketchup, mustard, pepper flakes, brown sugar and barbecue sauce and mix to combine. Pour the mixture over the meat, cover and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 4 to 5 hours or in the slow cooker on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours. To serve, place the meat on a platter and cover. Let liquid sit for a few minutes, skim off the fat and pour the gravy over the top. The gravy will be kind of thin. To thicken the gravy, mix together a little cornstarch and cold water, add it to the gravy and heat for 2 minutes. Serves 4.

Quick Self-Rising Beer Bread

I’ve had this recipe forever and my kids love it.

3 cups self-rising flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup grated cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese

6 to 8 green onions, chopped

12 ounces beer

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and really grease the bottom and all the sides of a loaf pan. Set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour and sugar together. Add the cheese and chopped green onions. Mix to combine. Add the beer and mix until the ingredients are combined but be careful to not over mix. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the loaf is golden brown and makes a hollow sound when thumped. Cool on a rack and then serve. Makes 1 loaf.