There are 3 attributes for food pairing. Kompliment, Kontrast & Kleanse. The good news is that beer ticks all three of these boxes!
Kontrast: To make an ideal pairing by contrast, choose a beer or dish that has one strong, dominant flavour, such as sweet, rich, or oily. You want a dish that has a distinct taste that can shine through without being overpowered. An example of a good contrast pairing is stout and oysters. Oysters have a strong, briny flavour that can stand up to the rich texture and chocolatey notes of the stout.
Komplement: Complementing flavours is one of the simplest ways to make a delicious food and beer pairing. Match rich foods with beers that have a heavy and rich flavour, like stouts or porters. Pair light-tasting salads and fish with light beers or wheat beers with desserts like fruit tarts.
Kleanse: You can also use your beer as a palate cleanser. This type of beer pairing is ideal for dishes that have strong or overpowering flavours, like spicy Indian food or fatty fried food. For example, you can use the cool and refreshing flavour of light beer to wash down the heat of Korean fried chicken. This pairing also works in the opposite way, and you can use fatty foods, such as french fries or nuts, to cut through the bitterness of an IPA.
Avoid Overpowering Flavours: Keep in mind the levels of flavour in your food and beer. Many medium and dark beers have a rich and powerful flavour that can overpower certain types of food. For example, you wouldn't want to pair salmon with a pint of stout because the flavour of the beer will completely cover the taste of the fish.