Chili-Pineapple Margarita - from Christopher Kimball's MILKSTREET at www.177milkstreet.com

pkfloyd

SAH mom, dear husband, dear daughter, dear twin sons, floppy eared fur-baby. Love to teach, garden, cook, sew and craft, occasional computer geek for children!!

The smooth, round flavor of reposado tequila worked best with the chilies. Steep the peppers no longer than 15 minutes or the syrup will be too spicy.

1 cup plus 1½ teaspoons white sugar

1 cup water

4 1-inch strips lime zest

4 1-inch strips orange zest, plus 1 orange wedge

1 jalapeno chili, halved

1 habanero chili, halved

1 tablespoon kosher salt

¾ teaspoon chili powder

4 ounces (½ cup) reposado tequila

2 ounces (¼ cup) pineapple juice

1½ ounces (3 tablespoons) lime juice (1 to 2 limes)

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the water, both zests and both chilies. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat and steep for 15 minutes. Strain into a jar, discarding the solids. Let cool.

While the syrup cools, in a small bowl, stir together the salt, chili powder and remaining sugar. Spread the mixture on a small plate. Use the orange wedge to moisten the rims of 2 rocks glasses, then dip in the chili salt, turning to coat.

In a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila, pineapple juice, lime juice and 1½ ounces (3 tablespoons) of the chili syrup. Add 2 cups of ice cubes and shake vigorously, 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into the prepared glasses.

Habaneros in particular. The fiery sunset-orange pepper is native to the Yucatan Peninsula, the foods of which define the cooking of chef Eric Werner. We love the way he incorporates habaneros in his pina margarita, a drink that is a study in balance: chili-pepper fire tamed by sweet acidic juice, neither cloying nor scorching. At Hartwood, the habanero steeps in tequila over 36 hours. That’s fine for a restaurant, but too long for a cocktail at home. So back at Milk Street, we wanted a more efficient way to get that same kick. Our solution? A chili-infused simple syrup. It gave us the same flavors in just 20 minutes. But we didn’t streamline the shaking, which produces a frothy head on the drink. That is thanks to bubbles created by the trails of air the ice leaves behind after agitation. Those bubbles are stabilized by the sugars in both the juice and syrup. Habaneros in particular. The fiery sunset-orange pepper is native to the Yucatan Peninsula, the foods of which define the cooking of chef Eric Werner. We love the way he incorporates habaneros in his pina margarita, a drink that is a study in balance: chili-pepper fire tamed by sweet acidic juice, neither cloying nor scorching. At Hartwood, the habanero steeps in tequila over 36 hours. That’s fine for a restaurant, but too long for a cocktail at home. So back at Milk Street, we wanted a more efficient way to get that same kick. Our solution? A chili-infused simple syrup. It gave us the same flavors in just 20 minutes. But we didn’t streamline the shaking, which produces a frothy head on the drink. That is thanks to bubbles created by the trails of air the ice leaves behind after agitation. Those bubbles are stabilized by the sugars in both the juice and syrup.

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