My philosophy is “what grows together, goes together,” and passion fruit comes from warm, tropical places. This deep 12-year aged rum has caramel tones, which pair beautifully with the bright acidic passion fruit; it is a gorgeous and simple drink.
For "The Passionista" Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 ounces The Real McCoy 12-year aged Rum
- 1 ounce fresh passion fruit pulp, or 2 ounces passion fruit juice*
- ½ ounce simple syrup (recipe follows)
- Ice
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice, or more to taste if using passion fruit juice
- Lime wedges, for garnish
Method
- In the glass of a cocktail shaker, combine The Real McCoy Rum, passion fruit pulp, and simple syrup; add ice and shake well. Pour into a chilled glass.
- *If using passion fruit juice, omit the simple syrup and add half an ounce of lime juice, or more to taste, and garnish with a lime wedge.
Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Method
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let cool and transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.
For the Carnitas Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder with fat
- 3 tablespoons lard, duck fat, or vegetable oil
- 1 tangerine, quartered
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 dried chipotle chile
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ white onion
- 1 Negra Modelo beer
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Trim the outside fat from the meat and cut it into strips, about 1-inch by ¼-inch.
- Roughly cut the meat into 2-inch chunks; you do not need to be precise.
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Heat the lard or oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. When the lard is warm, add the fat pieces and stir with a wooden spoon; allow to cook until brown at a slow sizzle over medium heat, the oil should not be smoking hot, 7 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove the fat from the pan when it is golden brown and crispy, transfer to a paper towel to drain, and season with salt and a little sugar. These are your chicharrones.
- Thoroughly season the pork pieces with salt and pepper; brown on all sides until a deep golden brown in the hot fat over medium to medium-high heat, about 15 minutes. When deep golden brown on all sides, turn the pan off and wait for 5 minutes. Open the beer and pour into the pan. Add the tangerine, brown sugar, chipotle chile, onion, and garlic, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat; cook at a low simmer on the stovetop or in a 250°F oven, until falling apart, 2 to 3 hours.
For the Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 1 pound tomatillos or tomatillos milpero
- ½ Serrano chile
- ¼ white onion, sliced
- ½ bunch cilantro, thoroughly washed
- Salt
Method
- Remove the husks from the tomatillos and discard. Wash the tomatillos in warm water to remove their film. Roughly chop half of the Serrano chile and reserve the other half for garnish. Roughly chop ¼ of the white onion. Cut 2 inches off the cilantro stems and discard. Then cut the bunch in half. Reserve the leaves for garnish.
- Place the tomatillos, onion, and Serrano in a blender and blend to smooth. Add the stems from half of the cilantro, and blend just until smooth. Add salt to taste, about 1 ½ tablespoons. Transfer to a bowl.
To Serve
Ingredients
- 12 small corn tortillas
- ¼ white onion, finely diced
- ¼ bunch cilantro leaves, roughly cut
- ½ Serrano chile, finely minced
- 1 lime, cut into eighths
Method
- Heat the tortillas on a hot griddle until pliable and steaming, about 45 seconds on each side. Wrap in aluminum foil and a kitchen towel to keep warm.
- Place the chopped cilantro, diced onion, diced Serrano, salsa verde, and chicharrones in individual bowls. Break up the carnitas, just a little, with kitchen tongs and serve in its braising dish.
- Build your tacos by placing a tortilla down, top with meat, salsa, onions, and cilantro; add Serrano if you want a little heat, and then crown with the chicharrones.
One of my favorite memories of Jacques was baking frozen pizzas at 3 in the morning in a New York townhouse after a benefit. We were drinking Champagne and playing boules late into the night. This recipe falls in the spirit of late-night snacks and big fun. It is playful and bright—just like the amazing Jacques!