This entire week at the sharpshooter house has been dead quiet, unless the dogs yap at something.  I don’t know what to do with myself.  I am living in a manner that I do not understand.  I am…

 

…temporarily unemployed.

This is my review of Lagunitas Willetized Coffee Stout aged in Rye Oak Barrels.

Unemployment Day 1:  Its cold for Phoenix this morning.  Below freezing.  I have warm winter clothes, but sadly I lack the drive this morning to dig them out of the closet–hey, I have coffee.

…Nothing on the agenda today, I’ll just go to the gym.

…The Monday morning crowd at the gym is…different.  A lot of women in their 40’s and 50’s and an old guy.  They’re looking at me like I am some kind of new guy.  I’ll show them by throwing a spin kick on this Thai Bag; the murder kick after all is not something for a new guy…

Save money on hiring Mexicans, by being Mexican yourself!

“Jesus, what was that?”

“Sorry, I’ll just go over here.”

That didn’t go well.

…I need to replace the attic ladder!  That’ll take me a couple hours, if I force myself to use hand tools.

…wait!  When I get to the point where I put in the temporary planks to hold the frame in place HOW DO I GET OUT OF THE ATTIC?  Well, I guess I can grab some beer.

…I figured it out.

…That’s going to trigger somebody in the neighborhood.  This will probably trigger a lot more people.

Unemployment Day 2:  It’s still cold for Phoenix. Slightly above freezing.  I am out of coffee.

…nothing on the agenda today.  I’ll just go to the gym.

…I suck at this unemployment thing.  Lets make some tacos.

First I took thawed out my winter solstice holiday gift for a day.  Whether or not Wagyu beef is suitable for tacos, it was a thoughtful gift from another Glib.  You know who you are, you (((magnificent))) bastard!  Then I took my usual fare for a marinade when making Carne Asada.  Some fish sauce, soy amino, lime, cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, onion, garlic.  I set them all in a bag in a sous vide for several hours and put it in the fridge when it was done.  It creates a better sear when cold.  I also grilled jalapeños because I like jalapenos, especially when grilled.

Carne Asada is type of taco typical of the Northern Mexican state of Sonora.  It is a style defined by grilled beef on a flour tortilla (as opposed to corn). It is a style popular there for one obvious reason:  they have cows, lots of cows.  You know how when you go to Texas there’s a steakhouse on every corner?  Same reason.  Its also a relatively high desert, which makes grilling outdoors a pleasant activity for eight months of the year, with the other four being outside grilling preferable to making the kitchen unbearably hot.

Mexican food is often overdone when made by Americans.  I can point my finger at a lot of people and Taco Bell for ruining it, but its best to keep it simple, as it is deliberately simple food.  Even though I have the traditional flour tortillas, I like corn tortillas.  I made elotes while I was at it, because it is easy.  My family also has a habit of making a ton of beans once every six months and freezing them whole (but cooked) so I can make beans whenever I get the idea to make tacos.  Here’s the result.

Unemployment Day 3:  HOW THE HELL DO PEOPLE DO THIS ON PURPOSE?

Relax, I go back to work on Monday.  This beer is quite good.  It is a classic milk stout dominated by roasted malts, resulting in a rich coffee, cooked berry (think subtle raspberry), and chocolate flavor.  They then put the whole thing into rye barrels, resulting in the rye spiciness, and a bit of oak on the nose.  If you think I am crazy for this description, Swiss Servator happens to agree.  Its quite good, and at a very reasonable price. Lagunitas Willetized Coffee Stout aged in Rye Oak Barrels:  4.3/5.