Poke Tacos and Yuzu Margaritas
(it's tacos and margs month!)
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It’s Tacos and Margaritas month around here! Delicious recipes for both will arrive in your inbox each Friday in May. Last week we had quesabirria tacos and pineapple jalapeno margs. As you know, California Cuisine is a mash-up of many cultural flavors, so expect fun pairings.
Please don’t be intimidated about making cocktails at home! You don’t need any special training, and you don’t even need special equipment. A screw top jar and measuring spoons absolutely work. If you plan on enjoying cocktails once a week (or more!), then think about buying some bar tools like a shaker, strainer, jigger, and muddler. Those are helpful.
Since we are shaking up lots of margs this month, I thought it’d be helpful to talk about how to make the perfect margarita. It’s all about the right ratios and good ingredients.
Making the Perfect Margarita
I got a message recently from a subscriber who was celebrating her anniversary and ordered a margarita at a nice establishment. She told me she was disappointed that it tasted mostly of water. Oh no! Talk about a letdown!
Haven’t we all experienced this, though? I have had plenty of my cocktail expectations dashed at a restaurant. And not to pile on the misery, but those cocktails were expensive as well.
Margaritas, and really cocktails as a whole, need a good foundation of balanced flavors. Drinks just aren’t as tasty when they don’t have that harmony. I learned that it all comes down to ratios.
Several years ago, I worked as a ghostwriter on a cocktail home mixology book. Even though I was familiar with wine, having previously worked in the California wine industry, cocktails were fairly new to me. I liked drinking them but had no idea how they were constructed.
Doing research for the book led me down many interesting and delicious paths. Plus, I learned how to stir and shake great cocktails. In the end, I became a bit of an at-home mixologist myself!
Right Ratios
Something that I saw over and over again in putting together a yummy drinkie was the importance of the right proportions. This is seen in a formula called the Golden Ratio. If you’ve ever read Michael Ruhlman’s excellent guide, The Book of Cocktail Ratios (highly recommended!), you know there is power in these percentages.
Most classic cocktails use the Golden Ratio of 2:1:1. Meaning, two parts spirit, one part sour, and one part sweet.
So, how does this look in a margarita?
2 oz tequila
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz orange liqueur (or 1/2 oz orange liqueur and 1/2 oz simple syrup)
Is it really that simple? Yes, it is! You can shake these ingredients together with some ice and voila! You have a nicely balanced marg to enjoy with your tacos. This ratio also works with zero-proof liquor if you are making mocktails.
Once you get comfortable with the ratios in making a classic margarita, you can play around and add other ingredients to vary the taste. You will discover your preferences (like salt, sugar, or nothing on the rim of the glass) and your tendencies (sweeter or more sour).
Good Ingredients
Quality ingredients make a difference in cocktails, just like in your favorite meal recipe. However, quality doesn’t always mean expensive. There are excellent tequilas and orange liqueurs in all price ranges.
My recommendation: buy what is available to you, what you like, and what you can afford.
What does this mean for making margaritas?
Fresh lime juice is preferable over bottled, but buy what is available to you. It’s easy for me to say “fresh is best” because I live in Southern California, where juicy limes are available year-round. However, if you live in, oh let’s say Sweden (by the way, a sunny hello to my two Swedish subscribers! I’m thankful for you being here), you might not have access to fresh limes in the dead of winter. My Swedish friends, let us know what your lime situation is because I might be totally wrong!
Your tastebuds rule, so buy the orange liqueur you like. Triple sec is an orange liqueur used in many cocktails, including margaritas. Cointreau is a premium brand of triple sec with a higher alcohol content than the cheaper versions, and there is a slight taste difference. One of my dearest friends will only use Cointreau because she prefers the taste and honestly I do, too.
Choose tequila labeled 100% agave. Tequila prices range from cheap to astronomical, but what you are looking for is one made from 100% blue agave with no additives. Technically, tequila only needs to be 51% agave to be called “tequila,” but these are mixto tequilas have added sugar and other spirits, so be aware. I recommend you buy whatever brand of 100% agave tequila you can afford.
Good ingredients make all the difference between a so-so drink and a great one!
Recipes
Poke Tacos
Serves 3 to 4
Time: 15-ish minutes
Inspired by some poke nachos I had at a conference earlier this spring, these tacos are so fresh and full of flavor! Amp up the ahi with a quick soak in a soy marinade then top with spicy mayo and fruity salsa.
Notes:
It is best to purchase sashimi-grade fish for poke. You are eating raw fish, so you want the best quality. Costco and Whole Foods both carry ahi (yellowfin tuna) that is suitable for poke. I got my cubed ahi at Winco Foods in the frozen fish section!
I used mini crispy corn shells for these tacos. I find poke to be quite rich and filling so I prefer smaller servings but use whatever size shell you like. You’re an adult, so you can do what you want!
Poke Ingredients:
2 Tbsp citrus ponzu (or 2 Tbsp soy sauce with 2 tsp lime juice)
2 tsp sriracha
2 tsp sesame oil
1 lb raw ahi tuna, cubed
Spicy Mayo:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 Tbsp sriracha or sambal oelek
2 tsp lime juice
Garnish: crispy corn taco shells, sliced avocado, pineapple salsa (recipe follows below)
Directions:
Stir together the citrus ponzu, sriracha, and sesame oil in a medium bowl. Add the ahi and gently stir to coat with the sauce. Set aside.
Make the spicy mayo by adding the mayo, sriracha, and lime juice to a small bowl and stirring until combined.
Assemble the tacos: spoon poke into the taco shells and top with sliced avocado and pineapple salsa. Drizzle spicy mayo over the top and eat.
Pineapple Salsa
Serves 4 to 6
Time: 15-ish minutes
This bright, fresh salsa is sweet-hot and perfect spooned over tacos or eaten with tortilla chips! I’ve made this salsa for many years and my family goes crazy over it! If you don’t like or have fresh pineapple, sub in fresh mango or watermelon.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
1 cup red, orange, or green bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup jalapeno, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped finely
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss together. Isn’t this the easiest recipe ever?
Cover any leftover salsa and store in the fridge.
Yuzu Margarita
Yields 1 drink
Time: 5 minutes
Tart and tangy! If you like citrus, you will love this margarita! Yuzu is a citrus fruit with a flavor profile that is bitter but subtly sweet, and sharp but floral. I ordered yuzu super juice online from Amazon and found it perfect for mixing into cocktails.
Ingredients:
2 oz tequila (blanco or reposado)
1 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
1 oz yuzu super juice
1/2 to 1 oz agave or simple syrup (choose your sweetness level)
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
Garnishes: coarse salt, dehydrated or fresh lime slice
Directions:
Prepare your cocktail glass by running a lime wedge around the rim and dipping it into coarse salt. Set aside to dry.
Tip tequila, Cointreau, yuzu, agave, and lime juice into a cocktail shaker. Add 3 or 4 ice cubes, cover, and shake until cold, about 20 seconds.
Strain the cocktail into the prepared glass. Garnish with a lime slice and sip happily.
Dessert
A perfect ending to this meal? Grapefruit, Lime, and Tequila Pie is light, tangy, and refreshing with a saltine cracker crust! Find this plus other desserts on my website.
Podcast
Have you caught up with the fun and interesting foodies interviewed on my podcast? I have a new episode coming soon, but in the meantime, please give these a listen:
Rebecca Blackwell is a cookbook author, food blogger, and recipe developer who does it all while traveling North America in an RV! She shares how she cooks in her tiny kitchen on the road and hosts nationwide supper clubs.
Martin Sorge is the winner of The Great American Baking Show, a recipe developer, and soon-to-be cookbook author! He shares his tips on all things baking-related, including making delicious pie crust and using kitchen scales.
Nicki Sizemore is a trained chef, professional recipe developer, long-time food blogger, podcaster, cookbook author, and food stylist. She shares how to find joy in the kitchen and the one skill every home cook should master!
You’ll find these and so many more podcasts on my podcast home page.
Tell Me
Okay friends, are you a raw fish person? I’d love to know what you think of these poke tacos. Please leave me a comment!
Next week: Chicken Verde Tacos and a batch recipe for Fresh Strawberry Margaritas! This one is just for paid subscribers. See you next Friday!
omg the vibrancy of that salsa is giving me life on a rainy day!!!!
Looks and sounds delicious!