Tomato Beef

Blanco Tequila, Basil Eau-De-Vie, Buzz Button Tincture, Tomato Water, "Not Lime," Pink Peppercorn Syrup

Bartender William Tsui of Viridian | Oakland, CA

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Adapted by StarChefs | october 2022

INGREDIENTS:

Buzz Button Tincture:
Yield: 1 liter
Buzz buttons
1 liter Everclear

 Tomato Water:
Yield: 250 milliliters
1.5 pounds ripe tomatoes

 Not Lime:
Yield: 600 milliliters
18 grams citric acid
12 grams malic acid
2 grams ascorbic acid
400 milligrams tartaric acid
100 grams phosphoric acid solution (1.25% phosphoric acid:100 grams water)
2 grams salt
20 grams sugar

 Pink Peppercorn Syrup:
Yield: 600 milliliters
3 cups sugar
1 stalk pink peppercorns

 To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
1 ¼ ounces blanco tequila
¼ ounce basil eau-de-vie
Salt
Pink peppercorn sprig or bay laurel

METHOD:

For the Buzz Button Tincture:
In a nonreactive container, combine buzz buttons and Everclear. Let macerate 1 week. Strain and discard buzz buttons. Filter the remaining tincture through a coffee filter. Distribute to dropper bottles.

 For the Tomato Water:
Add tomatoes to a food processor. Pulse until mostly blended, but not liquified. Line a strainer with several layers of cheesecloth. Strain the blended tomatoes, allowing the tomato water to drip through the cheesecloth naturally. Once completely drained, strain the tomato water through a coffee filter. Repeat once more with a fresh coffee filter, if necessary. Reserve.

 For the Not Lime:
In a large, nonreactive container, combine all ingredients and 500 milliliters water. Stir until acids have fully dissolved. Reserve.

 For the Pink Peppercorn Syrup:
Heat the water bath of an immersion circulator to 131°F. In a pot, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. Remove leaves and peppercorns from the stalk and place in a vacuum bag. Add the sugar mixture. Seal. Cook sous vide at least 1 hour. Remove from heat. Strain the syrup through a chinois, discarding peppercorn leaves and peppercorns. Strain once more through a coffee filter. Reserve.

 To Assemble and Serve:
In a mixing glass with ice, combine tequila, basil eau-de-vie, 1 ounce Tomato Water, ½ ounce Not Lime, ½ ounce Pink Peppercorn Syrup, 3 drops Buzz Button Tincture, and a pinch of salt. Gently stir until chilled. Strain over a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with pink peppercorn sprig.

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