El Trío de Aguas Frescas
El Trío de Aguas Frescas·(el TREE-o de AH-gwas FRES-cas)
Chapter 5 — Drinks, Sides & Desserts: Completing the Spread
If you are going to eat half a pound of lard-braised carnitas and hot, suet-warmed tortillas, you need the abrasive, ice-cold salvation of a real taqueria beverage program to reset your palate. These are not delicate teas; they are potent flavor concentrates of horchata, jamaica, and tamarindo that you build days ahead of time, ready to be splashed over ice in massive barrel jars the moment your guests arrive.
Before you start
Make the concentrates days before your taco party.
The Jamaica and Tamarindo will keep for weeks in the fridge, while the dairy-heavy Horchata concentrate should be used within four days.
Ingredients
- long-grain white rice1 cup
- Mexican Ceylon cinnamon stick1 large
- hot water2 cup
- sweetened condensed milk14 oz
- evaporated milk12 oz
- Mexican vanilla extract1 tbsp
- kosher salt1 pinch
- dried hibiscus flowers2 cup
- whole tamarind pods1 lb
- water12 cup
- white sugar3 cup
Method
- 01
Soak the rice and crumbled cinnamon in the hot water overnight.
This cold-extracts the surface starches and essential oils to build that signature chalky, floral mouthfeel essential to real horchata.
- 02
Pulverize the soaked rice mixture in a blender and force it through a cheesecloth-lined strainer.
Discard the gritty paste left behind, and whisk the resulting starchy liquid with the condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, and salt to finish the horchata concentrate.
- 03
Vigorously boil the rinsed hibiscus flowers in six cups of water for ten minutes.
Jamaica can take the heat; a hard boil extracts the maximum amount of color and tartaric acid needed to cut through heavily marbled carne asada.
- 04
Strain the crimson hibiscus liquid into a bowl and whisk in half of the sugar.
Press on the flowers to extract every last drop before discarding them. Stir until 1 1/2 cups of the sugar is fully dissolved to finish the jamaica concentrate.
- 05
Boil the peeled tamarind pods in the remaining six cups of water until the sticky pulp swells and softens.
Simmer for about 20 minutes. If you are using a block of seedless tamarind pulp as a shortcut, simply boil until it falls apart into the water.
- 06
Massage the cooled tamarind pods directly in the water to separate the thick brown pulp from the seeds.
Force this mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to maintain its rustic texture, discard the seeds, and whisk in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar to form the tamarindo concentrate.
- 07
Dilute the individual concentrates with cold water and pour over ice when ready to serve.
Think like a taquero: use about four cups of water per batch of concentrate, adjusting to taste. Stir the tamarindo vigorously as its natural pectins will cause it to settle at the bottom of the pitcher.
Notes
Never use American Cassia cinnamon for horchata.
Cassia will result in a harsh, spicy candy flavor. You must use soft, flaky Mexican Ceylon canela to achieve the correct floral profile.
These drinks are a culinary necessity, not an afterthought.
The acid and sugar provide the perfect counterbalance to the rich, heavy pork fat of traditional taqueria meats like carnitas.