Pineapple & Serrano Chili Margarita with a Homemade Chamoy and a Salted Tajin Rim

Every trip to Texas I come back with new Tex Mex recipes. I have to admit, I had never heard of Chamoy, but once I started reading up on it, I was so excited to add this savory, sweet, salty and a bit tart concoction to my go to repertoire. In Mexico the use of homemade Chamoy is widely used in different dishes. It is very popular and used in street food frequently. It is also used as a dip for fruit or vegetables and it is also added to a very popular mango drink served with or without tequila.

This drink, which I could not get enough of at Hecho en Waco in Texas is my favorite and the first place I go for my Tex-Mex every time I visit. The restaurant did not give me the exact recipe but they did tell me all about the condiment Chamoy and it’s use. I feel like in life we must never stop learning. I have traveled the world, tried all kinds of cuisine. I have taken cooking lessons with the best from Vietnam to Thailand to India to Barcelona and I absolutely love when I find a new “thing" to experiment with and I have never stopped learning. I believe we all just need to keep evolving, making ourselves better at whatever our passions are. Cooking is mine.

For this drink, you will need two essential ingredients. In Miami it is very easy to find Tajin spice. It is very popular here to serve with cut vegetables. First the crunchy, raw veggies are enhanced with a squeeze of fresh lime and then they are dusted with Tajin. It is so fresh tasting. But, in other places you may need to order this spice online. You can also order Chamoy already prepared online, but it is fairly easy to make. Ingredients such as dried apricots, dried prunes and dried hibiscus flowers are simmered for 30 minutes, then partially cooled and blended together, then fresh lime is added. It is pretty healthy too. The sauce will keep for a couple of weeks and you may enjoy it as a marinade or as in other ways discussed.

Prep Time Margarita : 5 minutes

Prep Time Chamoy from scratch: 5 minutes

Cooking time Chamoy: 30 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients Margarita:

4 cups pineapple juice

8 ounces good tequila

4 ounces triple sec

1 cup ice

1/4 cup simple syrup

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 serrano chilis, sliced

1/2 cup pineapple chunks

4 pineapple slice wedges

Tajin for rim

Ingredients Chamoy:

½ cup dried prunes

½ dried hibiscus flowers

¾ cup dried apricots

3 cups water

6 Tbs Tajin

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup fresh lime juice

Directions:

Prepare Chamoy. Combine all the ingredients with exception of the lime juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Simmer 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Blend until smooth in a blender. Stir in lime juice. Refrigerate for later use.

Combine the tequila, triple sec, pineapple juice, lime juice and simple syrup in a pitcher. Sprinkle Tajin on a small plate, add some chamoy to another plate. Dip serving glass in chamoy, then dip again in tajin. Put 1 tsp of chamoy in the bottom of each glass. Put 2 Tbs of chopped pineapple and 3 thin slices of serrano chili in each glass. Muddle all together. Add ice, pour the margarita over the muddled fruit and peppers. Serve with a pineapple wedge.