dee’s margarita

Shaken Or Stirred : Let’s Drink

The culinary art of the margarita is about as varied as a color wheel. Fruity, tart, lime green, burgundy, blue, frozen, on the rocks… and just about everything else in between!

It’s truly hard to believe this cocktail is not even 100 years young! I don’t remember when or where I was the first time I had my very first margarita but such is the luck of a Texan. Nowadays the margarita is one of the classic essentials we hold near and dear (and trust me, I clutch my margaritas close to the heart and even closer to the lips)!

The Marvelous Margarita

A unique slice of my history lands me back to Dallas circa 2005 and my favorite watering hole Mariano’s Hacienda, which was born in 1971. This is a place I’ve spent many a day and night enjoying Tex-Mex delights including Queso Mariano, table side guacamole, brisket tacos, mesquite grilled fajitas and without a doubt their “potent but polite” margaritas. Just to name a few things.

It was the restaurant’s founder Mariano Martinez who, like me, dreamt of only the coldest of margaritas. Ironically at the time my client was 7-Eleven and their prized frozen drink machine inspired Mariano to adapt a Slurpee machine to fashion what we know today as the frozen margarita! Soon thereafter the marvelous margarita machine helped catapult the iconic taste of Texas across the world and now the frozen margarita machine has a forever home in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

It’s been a few years since I’ve been back to enjoy my BFFF (Best Frozen Friend Forever) but if you’re in Dallas swing on by 6300 Skillman Street and after successfully ducking past the giant stuffed bear guarding the entrance send our biggest howdy to the staff from me, with love. (Umberto, if you’re reading this M.P.H.!) While Joe and I always preferred to sit on the patio the bar was not to be missed! It had a concrete top with a cold trough to place and keep your margarita frozen – even in the glass! I’d like to nominate that invention to the Smithsonian as well!

Click on the pics for the full-on view!

Home Alone

When you can’t enjoy the margarita outside the home why not handcraft your own? It’s remarkably easy given that top shelf margaritas are often $12-$15/each these days! A bottle of tequila served homeside pays for itself it just a couple of sips!

I hope you enjoy Dee’s Margarita – it’s a simple margarita that will dial the Texas heat down to a fantastically enjoyable sensation.

Foodie Tips

❤  Margarita Rule #1: Nobody likes a lukewarm margarita! These puppies are best served icy cold so make sure and have a freezer and ice handy.

❤  Margarita Rule #2: Kick the bottle. Always use freshly-squeezed lime juice. Trust me on this!

❤  Cointreau vs. triple sec? Your wallet might notice a distinct difference between the two but will your taste buds? Martha helps us understand the differences in this really helpful article.

❤  Love margaritas? You’re not alone! Try out my spicy margarita recipe that I invented with one secret weapon – the heartfelt jalapeño! Hold onto your sombreros!

i. Time

Total prep: About 15-20 minutes.

ii. Ingredients

1 ounce  |  tequila
½ ounce  |  triple sec or cointreau
2 ounces  |  sweet and sour mix*
to garnish  |  a salted glass rim and a lime wedge

* Sweet and sour: If you don’t have sweet and sour mix on hand you can fashion your own by combining ⅓ cup each: freshly-squeezed lime juice, lemon juice, water and sugar. Heat it all together over medium heat. Chill and voilà!

iii. What To Do

1. Place your margarita glasses in the freezer for at least 10-15 minutes to chill them up good. Be bold. Go cold! Beforehand, I often rinse my glasses and leave them a little bit wet so folks know they are fresh from the freezer. Ice is nice!

2. In a cocktail shaker place a giant cube of ice (I make ’em with these) and the tequila, the orange liqueur of your choosing, and the sweet and sour.

3. Shake, shake, SHAKE!

4. Remove your glass from the freezer and line the rim with a slice of lime and dip and rotate the edge of the glass in salt (kosher salt works great).

5. Optional Step: You can put some crushed ice or a giant cube in your glass. On super-hot days I dial it down 1,000%. 

6. Strain the margarita into your frozen glass and serve with a lime wedge sidekick.

Sip and savor this sensational drink!

Yield: 1 grande or two “meh” grande margaritas (shown). Go for the grande!

~ Patrick

Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook

A Scan Of Dee’s Margarita Recipe
(penned by my Mom Betty)

Who is Dee?

It’s funny how I remember random things from my childhood. “Dee Martinez” was a friend of my Mom (Betty). I’m not sure I ever met Dee but I remember my Mom often talking about her, so I know she was a dear friend. So while Mom’s recipe is missing her last name I’m noting it here for those to know. :)

I’m still researching to see if I can find out how my Mom and Dee were connected but in the meantime let’s raise our margarita glasses to Dee for sharing this recipe with the rest of us!

And the “Mexican Emmy” Goes To…

OMG with the amount of time and money we spent at Mariano’s, Joe and I should have been invited to this party!