Lagunitas - Hop Stoopid Marinated Chicken Tacos

Tonights BeerCraft mealtime creation comes courtesy of my cooking fiend of a friend Kasper.  Earlier in the week Kasper was telling us about the delicious meals he crafted over the weekend.  It included bacon wrapped steak tenderloin medallions marinated in an amazingly complex sauce that I couldn't even begin to describe.  He also cooked a full slab of brisket and marinated a bunch of chicken and ground beef for tacos throughout the weekend.  While all of that sounded delicious and made me want to drive down to Kansas City immediately, the marinated chicken sounded the best to me at the time.  So I figured I would take Kasper's creation and modify it to include beer!  Because we all know everything is better with beer.

Suzy and I started this meal the night before.  We made a marinade for five chicken thighs, bone-in with skin.  The marinade consisted of lime juice, cumin, cayenne, chalotes, fresh thyme, sage, a bit of rosemary, salt, pepper, a shot of Tres Generaciones Anjeo and half a 750ml of Lagunitas Hop Stoopid IPA.  We threw the chicken in some plastic bags with the marinade and let them sit overnight.  Its a well known fact that if you dont marinate your meat in a plastic bag then you think too highly of yourself.  If you don't believe me, just ask these guys.  After about 24 hours in the marinade it was time to cook!  We sauteed some bell peppers and chalotes before adding the chicken and marinade in the pan.  We brought it up to a boil and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the chicken was done.  The marinade turned into a nice creamy sauce and the peppers were nice and soft.  The chicken was removed from the bone and placed into my hard shell taco.  Add a little Mexican cheese and some bell peppers and you have yourself a delicious beer taco!

The chicken was tender and full of flavor.  The cumin, lime juice and herbs played the main role in the overall flavor.  The cayenne gave hit a bit of heat and the Hop Stoopid was there to provide some citrusy support.  After being boiled down the hoppiness of the beer feel out more than what I would have liked.  Next time I think Ill be adding some fresh beer after the chicken is done marinating.

As for the beer, it was delicious on its own.  Lagunitas makes some decent beers but I have always liked this one the most.  The aroma is extremely inviting with a sticky citrus and pine hop mix.  The color is a pale gold/amber hue with a off white head that recedes rather quickly.  Drinking this hop bomb is a treat.  Its almost all hops with hardly a malt backbone in play.  Those citrus hops play the primary role with a hint of caramel malt in the bitter finish.  The mouthfeel is smooth with hardly any alcohol showing up throughout the drink.

Overall, this was a great meal and well worth the time and preparation.  I would have done a few things differently with the chicken after it was done marinating.  I would have added some fresh beer and herbs to accentuate some of the flavors and bring them center stage.  I would have also used soft shells but thats just preference.  I think the Hop Stoopid was a great beer to use.  Its not too expensive that you cant buy two bottles for both days and the flavors it provides play nicely with the herbs and spices used in this taco creation.  Give it a shot for yourself.  Its easier to cook than it sounds!

Hop Stoopid - 102 IBUs, 8% ABV, 1.085 OG.