When my dear friend Lila sent me a link to Kitchen Play’s super beefy February recipes sponsored by Canadian Beef, I knew immediately I was going to have to make the Moogarita. A cocktail made with beef stock and garnished with a piece of beef jerky? Um, yes please.
The Moogarita is made with beef stock, tequila (we used Patron), homemade ginger lime syrup, thinned tamarind paste (tamarind is a sweet, date-like fruit used in Asian and Latin American cooking) and homemade beef jerky. It does take some effort– making the syrup, thinning the tamarind paste, marinating the jerky and then drying it out in the oven. Here’s the thing, though- it’s totally worth it. I know the thought of a cocktail made with beef stock is enough to make many of your stomachs turn, but hear me out for a moment.
Several classic cocktails combine stock or bouillon cubes with liquor, and while I’ve seen recipes for these cocktails before, I’ve never really felt the desire to make one. What drew me to the Moogarita was the combination of sweet and meaty. Reading the recipe, I could actually picture it tasting good. And you know what? It was delicious. The beef stock was barely detectable, but added a slight meatiness under the tangyness of the lime, the spiciness of the pepper and the sweetness of the tamarind. And the beef jerky made the perfect garnish the cut the sweetness of the drink.
If you’re not a vegetarian, listen to me now: make a Moogarita. Impress your friends.
The Moogarita (makes 1 drink) via Communal Table
1 oz tequila
1 oz good quality beef stock (unsalted and as pure as possible)
½ oz ginger-lime simple syrup (see recipe below)
½ oz thinned tamarind paste
Ice cubes
To thin tamarind paste, put about a tablespoon of it into a bowl and whisk in about a tablespoon of warm water, a little bit at a time until you get a smooth, thin, syrupy consistency. Set aside.
Put 3 or 4 ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Add tequila, beef stock, ginger-lime simple syrup and tamarind. Shake well. Pour into a highball or margarita glass and garnish with jalapeno-lime beef jerky and a slice of fresh lime.
Ginger-Lime Simple Syrup:
½ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
Bring lime juice to a boil in a small saucepan. Add sugar and ginger, and lower heat. Simmer and stir for 5 minutes, or until sugar dissolves and ginger infuses syrup. Let cool and strain.
Jalapeno & Lime Beef Jerky
3/4 lb flank steak
1 jalapeno, half of seeds discarded, chopped
1/3 C fresh lime juice
1/2 C tequila
¼ C tamari soy sauce (or regular soy)
4 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
Slice beef against the grain, into long, thin strips.
In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, tequila, tamari soy, brown sugar, salt and pepper until the sugar dissolves. Stir in jalapeno.
Place beef strips in a glass baking dish (or other non-reactive receptacle) and pour marinade overtop. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours (overnight is best).
Preheat oven to 175 C. Remove marinated beef from the fridge, and place slices on paper towel. Remove any jalapeno seeds stuck to the beef if you want a milder beef jerky. Using more paper towel, pat the pieces dry to remove excess liquid.
Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Arrange beef slices flat on sheet without overlapping. For a more stylish-looking jerky, twist the slices of beef before placing them on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and place in oven.
After 1.5 hours, remove the baking sheet and flip each piece of meat over. Put back in the oven for another hour.
After another hour, check to see how dry the beef is, flip slices again, and put back in the oven for an additional half an hour if needed. The goal is for the jerky to be as firm and dry as possible, without getting too brittle.
When sufficiently dried, remove jerky from oven and let cool. The beef will dry further as it cools so make sure not to overcook/over-dry in the oven.
photos by Shawn Poynter
