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tigerdog
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Machaca
Ever made your own machaca? Here's a recipe that is so easy to make and so superior to ground beef for nearly any Mexican food requiring a filling
that I can't imagine why anyone would choose hamburger once they've learned about it. It is beef that has been braised until tender, shredded, then
cooked in its juices until the desired consistency is achieved, which can be dry, medium or soupy according to personal taste. Like meatloaf or chili,
no two recipes are alike.
BEEF MACHACA:
I like to make a big batch of machaca and freeze most of it in ziploc bags for later use (there are just the two of us, so we get several meals out of
this). It comes in very handy when you don't feel like cooking. I like mine a little soupy but DH likes his dry, so we have compromised on a medium
texture. This basic recipe will get you going, and you can adjust it any way that pleases you.
INGREDIENTS:
2-3 pound beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into large pieces
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 small poblano pepper (or substitute 1 green bell pepper), diced
Several cloves of garlic, to taste, minced or pressed
6 peppercorns
1 fresh Jalapeno pepper, minced
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes or tomatoes with green chilies (a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes works well)
1/2 cup beef broth
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for searing the beef
DIRECTIONS:
In a large heavy pot, heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Place a few pieces of beef at a time in the hot
oil and sear until they (and the pan's bottom) have developed a rich brown color. Repeat until all the meat has been nicely browned; remove beef from
pan.
Add the onions, peppers, and garlic to the hot pan and saute for a few minutes, stirring constantly until the onions are translucent. Place the beef
back in the pan and add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a slow boil, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low,
cover and braise at a slow simmer for about 2 hours. The meat should be tender enough to easily fall apart when tested with a fork.
Remove pot from heat, remove peppercorns, remove meat to a cutting board and let it cool a bit. Shred meat with a pair of forks, then return to the
pot and bring back to a simmer, uncovered. Reduce the liquid until it is as thick/dry as you prefer. Add salt, pepper and additional "heat" to taste.
You can serve it right away or refrigerate (or freeze) for later.
Some history and a bit more info can be found on my blog if you are interested. http://rptides.blogspot.com
Buen Provecho!
\"You know Hobbes, sometimes even my lucky rocket-ship underpants don\'t help.\" - Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes
Visit me at Rocky Point Tides
http://rptides.blogspot.com/ |
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tigerdog
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It used to be, and you can still find commercially packaged "carne seca" in Mexican tiendas to rehydrate and pound until it's tender. But since the
advent of refrigeration, that process has lost favor and cooking a tough piece of meat to make your own has become the defacto method.
Many people marinate the meat before cooking it, but I'm usually too lazy or impatient to go through that step first. 
\"You know Hobbes, sometimes even my lucky rocket-ship underpants don\'t help.\" - Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes
Visit me at Rocky Point Tides
http://rptides.blogspot.com/ |
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vandenberg
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Machaca is still dried meat, whether burro, beef or pork and can be purchased at almost any store in Baja.
I prepare beef and pork your way all the time, mainly for burritos, but it's not machaca.
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capt. mike
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that is a great start but i agree with 'berg that it needs to be dry with a hint of edge crispness.
so what works for me is to prep it pretty much as you've laid out - then spread it on a cookie pan or pizza stone and back it low for a while to dry
and sort of toast the meat on one side - that usually does it for me.
i'd like to do it in a wood fired oven sometime...yumm
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
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Pompano
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Thanks for the great recipe and I agree on the good eating part.
One of my Mulege amigos, Manuel Cuesta, makes machaca from roosterfish..pez gallo. Very good stuff. Been eating that for many years. Other ways are
beef, pork, mantaraya, etc. It's the process that makes it machaca...improvise and have fun with anything edible.
I've made it pretty much the same way from moose, elk, deer, antelope, goose, duck, and sandhill crane.
The crane recipe I call Crane Candy. Now you should really try some of that...stop by after next fall's hunting season is over and I'll have some
here.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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tigerdog
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| Quote: | Originally posted by vandenberg
Machaca is still dried meat, whether burro, beef or pork and can be purchased at almost any store in Baja.
I prepare beef and pork your way all the time, mainly for burritos, but it's not machaca. |
You're a purist. 
\"You know Hobbes, sometimes even my lucky rocket-ship underpants don\'t help.\" - Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes
Visit me at Rocky Point Tides
http://rptides.blogspot.com/ |
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Russ
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It all sounds too good. I just got a pork loin from our pork guy and will work with the ideas mentioned tomorrow for a camping trip after Samana
Santa. Thanks to all.
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Paula
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Tigerdog, that is a great sounding recipe for carne deshebrada-- shredded beef, or pork, or whatever.
Machaca is machaca, a whole different and delicious thing. Just buy it from a good butcher, and then fix it as you like it. It's really good cooked
with onions, garlic, chiles, tomatoes, and shredded cabbage, and a little water, then rolled into burritos.
Hmmm... I wonder how it would be if you replaced the water with beer... anyone tried that?
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Hook
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
Thanks for the great recipe and I agree on the good eating part.
One of my Mulege amigos, Manuel Cuesta, makes machaca from roosterfish..pez gallo. Very good stuff. Been eating that for many years. Other ways are
beef, pork, mantaraya, etc. It's the process that makes it machaca...improvise and have fun with anything edible.
I've made it pretty much the same way from moose, elk, deer, antelope, goose, duck, and sandhill crane.
The crane recipe I call Crane Candy. Now you should really try some of that...stop by after next fall's hunting season is over and I'll have some
here. |
Actually, whooping crane is even better, but it's gotten rather pricey on the black market. I guess they are getting harder to find
than................well, than sandhill cranes.
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Bob H
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Tigerdog... I don't care what it's called.. the receipe looks very tasty.
My favorite marinade would be to soak the meat overnight in Mojo Criollo marinade sauce!
I may try this recipe this weekend.
Bob H
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Cypress
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Carne seca aka jerky can be found in nearly every grocery, quick stop, truck stop, etc.
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vandenberg
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While we're on the subject of dried meat, how many of you Nomads make your own jerky?
I've been making it for eons, here and up north and found that the local beef is excellent for making jerky.
Just stringy and tough enough.
Curious about your recipe/marinade and drying technique.
[Edited on 4-10-2009 by vandenberg]
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Bob H
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| Quote: | Originally posted by vandenberg
While we're on the subject of dried meat, how many of you Nomads make your own jerky?
I've been making it for eons, here and up north and found that the local beef is excellent for making jerky.
Just stringy and tough enough.
Curious about your recipe/marinade and drying technique.
[Edited on 4-10-2009 by vandenberg] |
Hey, that would make for an interesting new thread. Why don't you start a "home made jerky" thread?
Bob H
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vandenberg
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob H
| Quote: | Originally posted by vandenberg
While we're on the subject of dried meat, how many of you Nomads make your own jerky?
I've been making it for eons, here and up north and found that the local beef is excellent for making jerky.
Just stringy and tough enough.
Curious about your recipe/marinade and drying technique.
[Edited on 4-10-2009 by vandenberg] |
Hey, that would make for an interesting new thread. Why don't you start a "home made jerky" thread?
Bob H |
Your wish is my command
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fixtrauma
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I haven't made a lot of Jerky but have made a lot of Summer Sausage. Last batch was 1,200 pounds. All stuffed in 3 foot long sausages and cured for
8 weeks in my shop. Best smelling shop in the state of Oregon. Obviously that amount was for several of the family who got together to stuff sausage
and have a good time.
Should have brought you a chunk by the other day if I had my head on straight.
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capt. mike
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'trauma - do you sell mail order?
i'm a sucker for home made summer sausage.
had some elk in colo that i still drool over in my mind's tongue....
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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LOSARIPES
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Tiger... that ain't machaca... ask the local BCS people what the real thing is... rumor has it the best machaca is made out of burro... burro
meat, that is..
but seriously, what you describe is a delicious "carne deshebrada" or shredded beef...
Aripes
God bless America
and Baja tambien
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tigerdog
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| Quote: | Originally posted by LOSARIPES
Tiger... that ain't machaca... ask the local BCS people what the real thing is... rumor has it the best machaca is made out of burro... burro
meat, that is..
but seriously, what you describe is a delicious "carne deshebrada" or shredded beef... |
OK, OK,  I yield.
I will say though that I got the initial recipe many years ago from the chef at a hotel in Los Cabos. He cooked it until it was very very dry, almost
crispy, and he called it machaca and it was listed on the menu as such. He was from some small town in Sonora (I can't remember its name) and claimed
it was his mother's recipe. He showed me how to make Huevos Rancheros and a couple of salsas, too (I was new to Mexico at the time and eager to
learn). He was a very nice young man (well, he wasn't actually any younger than I was, but looking back I think of him as young) and a very good cook.
Also in my defense, I did mention in the original posting of this recipe on my blog that machaca is traditionally made from dried, spiced meat (most
commonly beef) that had been rehydrated and pounded to make it tender AND that such carne seca is still commercially available in many tiendas.
http://rptides.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-to-make-beef-machaca...
I didn't figure I'd need to explain that to Nomads, though, y'all being seasoned Baja/Mexico hands and all.
Oh, and yes I do know that the word machaca comes from the verb "to pound".
[Edited on 4-12-2009 by tigerdog]
\"You know Hobbes, sometimes even my lucky rocket-ship underpants don\'t help.\" - Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes
Visit me at Rocky Point Tides
http://rptides.blogspot.com/ |
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capt. mike
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Oh, and yes I do know that the word machaca comes from the verb "to pound
cool - now i have a new term to use.
machaca arena, pendejo! not you t-dog, just when i would otherwise tell someone to #$%^ off.
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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BajaNuts
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Here's what I did based on the recipe. I started with a rump roast. When it came time to shred the beef, I just used the potato masher and did a
smash-and-twist kind of motion. I had to add a bunch more seasoning, I think the roast was close to 5#.
The kid says it looks like barf in the photo but it actually tastes really good! Hubby thinks it tastes good also.
What do ya think? Is this how it's supposed to look?
(once again, missing the smell-a-vision to share with y'all)
[Edited on 4-12-2009 by BajaNuts]
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