The Secret Ingredient for the Final Summer season Margarita: Grilled Pineapple

When the nice and cozy climate lastly settles in for the spring and summer season months, I’m exterior cooking nearly all the pieces on my grill—even my cocktails. If grilling for firm, my mentality is that I could as properly put these scorching coals to good use and give you a artistic grilled drink for everybody, which is how this big-batch smoky pineapple margarita recipe was born. 

This margarita will get its distinct golden hue and smoky candy taste from charred pineapple rings and limes which can be blended with normal margarita elements like good high quality 100% agave blanco tequila (or reposado should you choose and have the funds) and triple sec (ideally Cointreau) earlier than it’s strained and chilled for serving. It’s a batch-sized cocktail that’s massive sufficient for a gathering, however you’ll be able to simply scale the recipe in half to make sufficient for simply a few margaritas.

When you’re a margarita purist, now might be the time you must click on away and take a look at our basic margarita recipe. However, should you method your margaritas with a “extra is extra” mentality, that is undoubtedly a riff you must strive.

Fruit-forward margaritas could be cloyingly candy and overshadow tequila’s nuanced, grassy, floral, and delicate citrus taste. The important thing, then, is to make a fruity, enjoyable margarita the place the added flavors really improve the tequila, and do not cowl it up. Grilling the pineapple and limes over a scorching hearth with smoldering wooden chips imparts a scrumptious charred and smoky taste. The fruits caramelize and sweeten whereas growing a refined and sophisticated smokiness, for a drink that’s fruity and festive, with out being too candy.

The Grill Setup

I’ve written this recipe with directions for each a charcoal and gasoline grill setup. However the fact is the grilling of the fruit works simply as properly should you’re utilizing the final of the smoldering embers of your grill, and even proper while you’re firing up the grill. The fruit wants only some minutes to cook dinner, so it is easy to do it whereas grilling different meals. 

Whether or not utilizing a charcoal or gasoline grill, one of the simplest ways to realize the smoke is to make a foil packet with wooden chips and place it instantly over the warmth supply. For a charcoal grill, that is on the recent coals, and for a gasoline grill that is over the first burner (that’s the burner that ignites first on the grill). Enclosing the wooden chips in a foil packet is only a neater, simpler approach so as to add the unfastened wooden—simply make sure that to chop a number of vent slits roughly two inches in size on the highest so the smoke escapes in a gentle stream. After all, you possibly can skip this smoking step totally and nonetheless have a scrumptious, although sweeter charred-fruit margarita.

A Be aware on the Smoke

My favourite ingredient on this margarita is the one not even listed: The smoke. You is perhaps questioning why I did not simply name for mezcal given the smoky taste I used to be chasing.The reply is that the smoke imparted on this grilled drink is softer and extra refined than that of most mezcals. So whereas you need to use mezcal, I discover it overtakes the smoky notes from the grilled fruit and shifts the drink in a really completely different course

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