El Original Lancero and what else??.....smoked meat.

What a night for smoking meat.  The young man that lives downstairs from me got all A's on his report card this week, and I usually cook some meat for him on that occasion, as this is a regular occurrence around here.  Tonight was Chicken Legs, Chicken Wings, Beef Ribs and Lamb Chops.  As this was going to be a complicated endeavor, I needed a great cigar for the job.  I picked this Lancero up at the Shack Herf last year.  I THINK that it was Hugh that gave it to me.  But suddenly I doubt it.  Another case of inadequate documentation that comes with heavy drinking and 100 people all smoking and trading cigars.

I snipped off JUST a tiny portion of it's pigtailed head, creating a winking eye of a hole.  It drew perfectly.  Game on.  I lit it up in the house and poured a pint of Arrogant Bastard Ale from an intimidating bomber and headed out.   The meat went quickly onto the fire I had started 20 minutes prior.  I simply gathered all the sticks from the yard and created a mound of coals from that cleanup effort.  I added a few coals to that, and placed the meat on the grill.  I had dredged the chicken legs in a Chipotle mojo, shook the wings in a rub, laid the ribs on naked and shook some spice onto them and saved the lamb chops for later.  I closed the lid and smoked that great cigar.

It was nothing special, but very, VERY GOOD!  What's more, it had flashes of brilliance that had it immediately on par with a fine havana.  I tasted cream, nuts, pepper, a light baking spice and a mild toasted tobacco.  The cigar burned spectacularly well with a fine draw.  The beer went down very easily.  It is a strong ale with about a 8-10 percent alcohol level, if I am not mistaken.  It complemented the cigar very well.  The smoke never became boring, and stayed lit even when I was busy with the grill.

After 90 minutes or so of smoking, I opened up the vents and added some coals in order to finish the cooking of the meat at an accelerated pace.  I accidentally burned through my supply of coal before I finished the lamb chops, so I finished them under the broiler to a PERFECT doneness.  I also had dredged them in olive oil, rosemary, balsamic vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper.

A superb meal, a fantastic cigar, and a wicked buzz that I am still feeling as I type this review.  That Arrogant Bastard Ale from Stone Brewing is pretty strong.  It was actually 11.2% ABV.  The bottle is as big or bigger than a bottle of wine, and it is every bit as strong as wine, so I guess I drank a bottle of wine with the cigar, so yeah, I ought to have a buzz.  I was wondering.  I rarely drink at home, and only elsewhere when I have nowhere to drive.  It is rare indeed when I have a bomber of beer for myself.  Great Beer, fantastic even.  As for the smoke, I don't rate non-cuban cigars, but this was a really nice smoke.  I highly recommend it to anyone who likes the long and thin smokes.