Saveur Cooks Authentic American - Editors Of Cook's Illustrated Magazine [67]
Mastering Muddling
Muddling sugar and citrus peel is a technique called for in many classic punch recipes. First, use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel of a lemon or an orange in ¾-inch-wide strips, taking care to avoid the bitter white pith. Next, add the strips to a small, heavy bowl along with the amount of sugar specified in the recipe. Finally, use a muddler—the small, baseball bat–shaped stick used by bartenders—or a pestle or wooden spoon to vigorously crush the sugar and citrus peel together. The abrasive sugar helps rupture the citrus’s cell walls and release the flavorful oils within. You’ll know that’s happened when the sugar takes on the color of the peels and becomes moist, slushy in texture, and intensely fragrant. The result is a concentrated, aromatic base that cuts the astringency of the alcohol in the punch and lends a bright, pleasing taste.
Six Texan Cocktails
Michelada
This peppery and refreshing beer cocktail, a particular favorite in Austin, Texas, is also popular throughout Mexico.
1 lime wedge Kosher salt, to taste
1 oz. fresh lime juice
½ tsp. Worcestershire
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
5 dashes Tabasco
1 12-oz. bottle or can of Mexican beer, such as Tecate or Pacifico
Makes 1 drink
Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a pint glass and dip the rim in salt. Add lime juice, Worcestershire, pepper, and Tabasco. Fill the glass with ice and beer.
Kentucky Club Margarita
Most historians agree that the Kentucky Club, just across the border from El Paso in Juarez, Mexico, is the birthplace of the margarita. Unlike its sugary frozen cousin, this elegant shaken margarita is more tart than sweet.
1 lime wedge Kosher salt, to taste
1½ oz. silver tequila
¾ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
½ oz. Cointreau
Makes 1 cocktail
1. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a chilled margarita glass and dip the rim in salt to coat.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine tequila, lime juice, Cointreau, and 1 cup crushed ice. Cover and shake vigorously to chill. Strain the drink into the glass.
Book Club Sangria
Red wine and ginger ale make a tasty base for this fruit-filled punch, popular among members of the Junior League of Houston in the 1970s.
¾ cup sugar
1 750-ml bottle fruity red wine, such as pinot noir
¼ cup brandy
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1 cup ginger ale
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
4 thin slices each of orange, lemon, and lime
1 fresh peach, pitted and sliced
Serves 6–8
Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan. Let cool and transfer to a pitcher; add wine, brandy, and citrus juices. Chill. Before serving, add ginger ale, pineapple, citrus slices, and peaches. Stir and serve over ice.
Longhorn Bull Shot
This is the Texan cattleman’s answer to the bloody mary, with beef broth in place of tomato juice and plenty of Tabasco.
6 oz. beef broth
1½ oz. vodka
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice Worcestershire, to taste Tabasco, to taste
Makes 1 cocktail
Combine the broth, vodka, lime juice, Worcestershire, and Tabasco along with a few ice cubes in a tumbler. Stir to combine.
Cucumber Cooler
The bartenders at the Gage Hotel in Marathon, Texas, make this fresh-tasting cocktail with cucumber and thyme from the kitchen garden and Texas-made Tito’s vodka.
1 2-inch piece cucumber, thinly sliced crosswise, plus 1 additional slice for garnish
1/8 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1½ oz. vodka
½ oz. simple syrup
Makes 1 cocktail
1. In a cocktail shaker, combine the cucumber slices, thyme, and ¼ cup crushed ice.
2. Using a muddler, crush ingredients until slushy. Add more ice, vodka, and simple syrup. Cover, shake vigorously to combine, and pour contents into a glass garnished with a slice of cucumber.
Chico
The Chico, an old cantina