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La Palapa Recipes You Can Create at Home

What is more appropriate to enjoy on National Tequila Day than an authentic Mexican culinary experience you can accomplish at home with the direction of Barbara Sibley, chef-owner of New York City’s La Palapa Cocina Mexicana. She graciously provided us with three exceptional and easy to replicate recipes that either call for tequila, or another flavor equally indigenous to Mexico, hibiscus. Viva La Palapa!

Flor Chelada and “the sweet spot” (art of sipping Chelada)
Pepito – tequila/lime marinated skirt steak sandwich
La Dona – tequila-hibiscus-citrus cocktail, perfect for summer sipping

Flor Chelada

You will need Wild Hibiscus Flower and Syrup, hibiscus flower salt, lime juice and your favorite beer (preferably Mexican!).

Dip the rim of your glass into wild hibiscus syrup and then into hibiscus flower salt.

Fill 3/4 glass with ice.

Add 3/4 oz of Wild Hibiscus syrup and the juice of ½ lime (1 tablespoon) to bottom of glass.

Carefully top with your favorite beer.

La Palapa recommends Pacifico or any Mexican lager.

Garnish with edible Wild Hibiscus Flower.

[Tweet “Like cheladas? Try the Flor Chelada with Wild Hibiscus!”]

Watch Barbara Sibley of La Palapa create the Flor Chelada:

Barbara Sibley explains The Chelada “Sweet Spot”

Layered Mexican beer cocktails such as Cheladas and Micheladas, are served in a tall glass rimmed with flavored salt and filled with ice. Delicious flavorings are then added. For the Flor Chelada we use hibiscus syrup and fresh lime juice. To complete your chelada, slowly top with beer. The sweet spot is where the syrup, juice and beer meet. To get the best mixture of ingredients, sip the beer through a straw, dipping lower or higher for a stronger or lighter flavor. Typically there’s enough flavoring to accommodate an entire 12-oz beer, so top off your chelada as needed and enjoy with that hibiscus-lime ‘sweet spot’ lingering at the bottom. Delicioso!

The Pepito

is a traditional Mexican torta sandwich of grilled skirt steak that’s been marinated in a tequila and lime mixture and layered with fresh avocado, lettuce, tomato, plus pickled jalapeño and smoky chipotle crème. Here is a marinade for 3 pounds of steak.

Marinade:

Combine 1 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup tequila, the juice of 2 limes, and 1 tablespoon each of sugar and salt.

Marinate for no more than half an hour, or the tequila will make the steak too soft.

(If you prefer chicken, check out this marinade recipe using Hornito’s Lime Shot.)

Serve with Flor Chelada or La Dona cocktail.

[Tweet “National Tequila Day calls for a Pepito! Try this recipe – “]

La Doña

2 oz of tequila (La Palapa uses Espolon Blanco)

3/4 oz triple sec (Combier or Cointreau)

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

Splash of agave nectar

Splash of orange juice

1 oz Wild Hibiscus Syrup

Put all ingredients together with ice in a cocktail shaker.

Shake vigorously and pour strained into a glass that’s rimmed with hibiscus chile piquin salt.

Garnish with a twist of lime and wild hibiscus flower.

[Tweet “La Doña: Class in a class. Try this recipe using @EspolonTequila Blanco – “]

Editor’s note:

Wild Hibiscus Flower Company just launched an exclusive line of all-natural, concentrated floral extracts and syrups:

b’Lure (ba-lure), made from the sensual blue butterfly pea flower, offering delicate sweetness and magical color-changing properties
Rose + Hibiscus, a fragrant blend of highly prized Bulgarian rose oil and fresh hibiscus juice
Hibiscus Flower, fresh hibiscus juice infused with premium dried hibiscus flowers for intensely brilliant red color and deep berry flavor

National Tequila Day Giveaway!

– Win a complete set of Wild Hibiscus products – Original, Rose, Heart-Tee, Hibiscus Pyramid Salt Flakes and NEW Floral Extracts, along with a signed copy of Chef Barbara Sibley’s beautifully photographed cookbook, Antojitos, Festive & Flavorful Mexican Small Plates, a collection of her restaurant La Palapa’s best-loved recipes. (Continental USA – excluding Alaska – Only). $65 value.

Visit the Wild Hibiscus Flower Company’s Facebook page on National Tequila Day (July 24) for details!

Visit the Wild Hibiscus Flower Company’s Website today for more great recipes!

[Tweet “National Tequila Day Giveaway from Wild Hibiscus Flower Company”]

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Lack of Limes

Severe rain and disease have driven the cost of limes to triple in value. When it’s essential to your food and beverage menu, what do you do?

For Barbara Sibley, owner and executive chef of La Palapa Cocina Mexicana, necessity quickly becomes the mother of invention.

Using less lime in food garnish and beverage—while obliging customers with an extra squeeze in their cocktail if desired—has helped keep costs in line.

“We’re known for our fresh lime margaritas and won’t compromise its quality and authenticity. My solution was to create a No Lime Hibiscus Margarita. It delivers that delicate balance of zesty tartness and floral aroma similar to lime our customers crave and enjoy.” Viva La Palapa!

No Lime Margarita

(Created by Barbara Sibley, chef/owner of La Palapa Cocina Mexicana, NYC)

1 oz pure hibiscus Heart-Tee, chilled

1-1/2 oz Tequila Corazon Blanco

½ oz Cointreau

½ oz fresh orange juice or blood orange juice

Garnish with –

Hibiscus-chile piquín salt

Edible candied Wild Hibiscus Flower

In one cup of boiling water place 3 hibiscus tea bags and steep for 15 minutes. The tea will be a deep red color and very tart. Chill for at least half an hour. In a shaker full of ice combine 1 oz hibiscus tea with tequila, Cointreau and juice. Serve on the rocks in high-ball glass rimmed with hibiscus-chile piquin salt and garnish with candied hibiscus flower.