The recipe for a baseline spicy tequila marinade barbecue works brilliantly if you're cooking outdoors over fire in the warmer months or in a grill skillet in colder weather.
Spicy, nicey...
This recipe for spicy tequila marinade barbecue isn't a recipe for a whole meal as such, but a baseline marinade that can be deployed in numerous ways.
Over the summer, the little gang that are the founding and only members of Pasta Club!—no, we don't have a funny handshake—opted to take it outdoors. Some of us know the sheer joy of cooking over fire. So, together with the other member raised on the joy of barbecued food, I plotted to give things a little Mexican twist. No, not authentic Mexican cuisine, but a general nudge in that direction.... The other members—always up for something interesting—concurred. We even welcomed honorary members to join for this summer jaunt.
Thus, chargrilled corn, fire-warmed corn tortillas and all the usual BBQ fare were brought together: no less than three versions of potato salad, Fiona's amazing home-baked focaccia and a myriad of other culinary treats to be enjoyed outdoors. And, of course, those SAFA prerequisites that even the Pasta Club! members who have not been further south than Sicily have come to expect and demand—boerewors, come on down! Two kinds, in fact; the good stuff that Chrys tracks down like a bloodhound.
I emailed my recipe for this marinade to my mate Fiona. By the time we all congregated to set the world alight on an unusually lovely British summer's day, prime steaks had been marinaded to perfection overnight. But, if you don't like steak, fear not: check out the other options below.
Use the remaining marinade in the marinading dish for basting during barbecuing. Save whatever remains for other uses, storing in the fridge and using within two or three days or immediately freezing it—remember, it's had raw meat sitting in it for a protracted period. For example, stick it in the freezer, then defrost and cook it, reducing it with red wine and/or stock, the next time you fancy a special sauce with steak or chicken.
These quantities produce enough marinade for four to six steaks. Adjust quantities proportionally according to your needs.
Shopping list
for the spicy tequila marinade
Juice, zest and pulp of 2 limes
3 double shots of tequila (or mezcal)
1 fresh red chilli (more is you prefer spicier)
4 shallots (or a small/medium onion), finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic
2 smoked chipotle chillies (or equivalent in flakes)
½ tspn sweet pimentón
2 tbspns concentrated tomato purée (or tomato ketchup—I kid you not)
A generous clutch of fresh coriander
1 sprig fresh rosemary (leaves plucked from stalk)
1 tspn dried parsley (NB. do NOT use fresh parsley; better leave it out)
2 tbspns guava jelly/jam (or quince membrillo)
A little sunflower oil, only if needed
Cooking Method
Finely chop all the solid ingredients in a mini-chopper or by hand
Add the "liquid" elements and the guava jam and blend in. Use a little more tequila, sunflower oil or lime juice if it remains too thick
Using a brush or clean fingers, work the marinade over all surfaces of the meat. Marinade in the fridge overnight or, ideally for 24 hours.
Place over hot coals and watch those babies sizzle...
Alternatives
This is a highly adaptable marinade. If you don't fancy beef, opt for chicken or even rabbit. On the pescatarian front, it's great with monkfish, large shrimp, prawns or lobster. NB, if doing the poshy lobster version, cut vertically—yes, use force!—down the back of the exoskeleton so that the marinade can reach the flesh. But, my personal tip is whole squid tubes marinaded in the manner of the beef.
The marinade itself is vegan. Thus, options for vegans and vegetarians are numerous, but, you have to "play it by ear" according to the ingredients themselves. Thick slices of butternut squash, pumpkin or Quorn "steaks" work best when marinaded for a long time as with animal proteins. Thick slices of aubergine, corn on the cob or very large mushrooms—such as Portobello mushrooms—should not be marinaded for more than about four hours to achieve optimum texture or else they turn soggy.
Potatoes are the vegan "wild card". Scrub their skins clean and marinade them for as long as you would the meat. Then, wrap them in foil, basting liberally with the marinade before sealing the foil and cook on the coals themselves. Delicious!
Pairings
If you want wine, all of Karel's oenological wisdom relating to monkey gland sauce wine pairing applies. Check it out here.
But, what would a braai be without beer? And, I don't even usually drink beer! To be honest, I was too busy cooking to pay attention to the locally sourced hipster craft beer that was circulating (Thank you, Rose!) but it worked extremely well. Otherwise I suggest you opt for Modelo Especial, my crafty go-to option if I'm turning the leftover marinade into the best sauce for chicken strips served in tortillas with salad and guacamole...
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