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If it is unavailable, you might substitute less authentic (but still delicious) spinach leaves. It is often referred to as pigweed, and is quite tasty and nutritious. **And about the amaranth: The leaves are a common vegetable throughout many parts of Africa, Asia and Central and South America. The boiled option often produces a certain mucilaginous texture many people find objectionable, so my preference is grilled. Wash them thoroughly and boil or grill them for any number of uses. Spring and summer are the common harvest times, so look for them then. It is widely available in bodegas and should be obtained as fresh as possible. *A note about nopales –the leaves or pads of the genus Opuntia from the Cactaceae family, or what is commonly known as the prickly pear cactus. Adjust the heat level to your tastes by adding or omitting as many as you wish. Gary's fondness for this dish of his adopted homeland, which he affectionately refers to as "The Stinkin' Hot Desert," mandates its inclusion here, but it would have been necessary anyway for its foundational use of the cherished chiltepin in two forms–dry and red as well as fresh and green. For purposes such as the recipe below, it is widely available pre-shredded. It retains its popularity for similar uses to this day. My grandpa used to call it "cowboy meat" due to its ubiquitous presence in saddlebags in the Old West. It is, in essence, what Americans would call jerky. It utilizes machaca, a form of dried beef brisket popular in the Sonoran Desert of north-central Mexico and southern Arizona. This recipe is, in a sense, a more rustic (and genuine) version of the fajitas popularized in modern chain restaurants across the United States. Of course, drying meat had already long been a practice in these same cultures combining the two strategies must have seemed what we now refer to as a no-brainer. One of the reasons chiles gained popularity around the globe so quickly after being brought to the Old World from the New is their usefulness as a preservative for meat. Serve with flour tortillas and a side of pinto or tepary beans. Taste for salt, although usually the dried meat provides plenty. Add the oregano, grilled nopales, amaranth leaves, onion, garlic and cilantro, stirring until the onion is browned.Īdd the tomatillos and soaked meat and continue to cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes or until the tomatillos have softened. If too dry, add some of the reserved juices from above.Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the green chiltepines, being careful about the fumes, which can burn or choke you if directly inhaled. Add meat, stirring over medium heat to brown. Add onion and tomatoes and saute briefly, then add garlic puree. NOTE: At this point, the meat can be covered and refrigerated for later use. Roast meat until brown, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread shredded meat in a single layer on a large cookie sheet and sprinkle with lime juice mixed with garlic puree. With fingers, shred meat along the grain into ½-inch wide strips.
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Remove meat and set aside until cool enough to handle. Skim off scum, reduce heat and simmer about 2 hours, or until meat is tender, remoing scum frequently. Add ¼ cup garlic puree and meat and bring back to the boil. In an 8-quart stock pot, bring water to the boil. Meat prepared this way has endless uses as fillings for burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, chalupas. But a similar product is obtained using the following recipe. The way we make carne seca at El Charro requires special equipment - and Tucson's sun - and is impossible to duplicate at home. Drain, if necessary, and store in a tightly closed glass jar in the refrigerator. Put the peeled garlic in a blender with about 2 cups of water, and puree. Place the chopped tomatoes and Serrano pepper into the skillet. Let it brown a little at medium heat stirring frequently. TO BROWN AND DRY MEAT TO FRY MEAT * Garlic Puree - peel 8 whole heads of garlic by smashing the cloves with the side of a wide knife the peel will slip off easily then. Heat the oil in a medium heat skillet, add the onion and sauté for about 4 minutes.