At the Bar: Creative Margaritas
Culinary Culture
Recipes
With Cinco de Mayo approaching, we’ve got margaritas on our minds. Tart, bright, and slightly sweet, this classic cocktail is the essential patio drink and the perfect pairing to Mexican cuisine. Outside of its traditional recipe: tequila, Cointreau, and fresh-squeezed lime or lemon juice served on the rocks, margaritas can come in many variations including fruity and frozen. The key is to use fresh, quality, and even seasonal ingredients.
With the season in mind, our mixologist has another creative idea for margaritas that can add a twist to your parties: using fruit-flavored ice cubes as part of the drink element. Fruit ice cubes are a simple, fun, and healthy way to add dimension to your margarita. Throw your fresh or frozen fruit into your blender, add a teaspoon of water (add more if needed), blend, then pour into ice cube trays and freeze for about three hours. When ready to serve, pour your fruit ice cubes into a glass and pour your margarita. As your ice melts, your cocktail will infuse with the flavor of your fruit. Watermelon and strawberry are both refreshing and easy ways to start, but your options are unlimited. Also, try mixing purées to create even more unique flavors.
Fruit Margarita
Recipe
2 ounces tequila
1-ounce lime juice
.5 ounce Cointreau
Several frozen fruit purée ice cubes
Drop several frozen fruit purée ice cubes into your favorite glass — we recommend an old-fashioned glass, the classic margarita-style coupette, or the popular glass drinking jars — then simply pour, cheer, and enjoy.
Tip: To make a batch, take the cocktail’s ratio of ingredients and apply them to larger measuring portions such as cups, pints, or gallons.
Sofrito Braised Barbacoa Taco
Recipe
Yield: 16 tacos
4 dried guajillo chilies
2 teaspoons cumin seeds (toasted)
1/8 whole cloves (toasted)
2 cups or beef or chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon ground ancho chile powder
Two medium onion 1½ quartered and ½ small diced)
1 cup red pepper (diced)
1 cup green pepper (diced)
3 plum tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro
6 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 whole limes (wedges)
1 (four pound) boneless beef chuck roast
2 bay leaves
Season roast with salt, oregano, thyme and pepper. Heat oil in a roasting pan. Sear roast. Remove roast and set aside. Add onions to the roasting pan and saute until brown. Add the red pepper, green pepper, tomatoes, garlic, and chiles and cook until soft. Add cilantro, cloves, chili powder and cumin. Add the water. Bring to a simmer.
Return the roast to the pan, add vinegar and cover with plastic wrap and foil. Roast at 290 degrees F until internal roast temperature reaches 160 degrees F (approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours for 3 to 4-pound roast). Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove roast from cooking liquid and cool. Once the roast is cool, shred meat and place in a mixing bowl. Puree the sofrito (cooking liquid) mixture in a blender and adjust with seasoning. Fold the sofrito into the shredded meat and serve with corn tortillas, chopped cilantro, white onions and fresh limes.