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presents from Mexico - any suggestions for their use?

RRP
RRP Posts: 25,887

Today I received a big package of food items from Mexico from an appreciative customer there. While I recognize the mug,  honey and candies there are items that I didn't have a clue how to use. I GOOGLED them so now I at least have an idea what to ask. =) The first is this big package of carne sea de res which I discovered is a form of dried beef. Looks like it is to be re-hydrated and added to scrambled eggs. Does anybody have other ideas? Also the jars of sal de mar con chile habanero appear to be coarse salt and something black. 

I'd appreciate help as these items are really foreign foods to me!
Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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Comments

  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    Google will answer lots of the questions, however why not ask the sender what his thoughts are, Buena Suerte! maybe Beli has some suggestions, IF you can find him somewhere in the world.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I would blend everything together and put it on tacos.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Sal de mar con chile habanero  = sea salt with habanero chiles
  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    I would ask the sender for advice
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,749
    The Carne for Machaca....Google it, Machaca and eggs are a favorite 
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,887
    Just to set the record straight he did tell me to use the beef in scrambled eggs and the salt for a rub. From several email conversations we have had I realize we have a bit of a language and translation issue. I just thought with the vast experience on this forum and the normally friendly offers to help each other that I'd ask for recommendations. 
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    Take it from the "gifters" mouth, roll with suggested then adapt to personal preference.  

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,749
    RRP said:
    Just to set the record straight he did tell me to use the beef in scrambled eggs and the salt for a rub. From several email conversations we have had I realize we have a bit of a language and translation issue. I just thought with the vast experience on this forum and the normally friendly offers to help each other that I'd ask for recommendations. 
    I'll be in Mexico next week and bringing that carne back...if you like Machaca , shredded beef jerky works 
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    Perhaps this will help you on your quest.
    Enchiladas, Beef, Machaca, Chipotle Sauce, Mexican

    One of my favorite things to do with machaca is make enchiladas. Once you have the machaca, it’s really easy. I like a fairly hot sauce with this, so I make a nice sauce out of chipotle peppers, canned diced tomatoes, and beef broth. It’s easy to make your own sauce, but if you are in a pinch for time you can also buy canned sauce from the store.

    INGREDIENTS:
    10 corn tortillas
    1/2 cup vegetable oil (Or you can use a deep fryer)
    1 1/2 cup Machaca
    2 cups Chipotle Sauce (Recipe Follows)
    1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
    Chipotle Sauce for Enchiladas
    1 14oz can beef broth
    1 14oz can diced tomatoes
    1 medium yellow onion, diced
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    2 chipotle peppers from a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
    1 Tbs vegetable oil
    salt and white pepper to taste

    PROCEDURE:

    1. Heat the oil in skillet over medium high heat (or in your deep fryer at 350degF). Quickly fry the corn tortillas one at a time by submerging in the hot oil just until soft, about 5 seconds. Tongs work great for this. If you cook them too long, they start to get crisp and this is not what you want. You want them to be a little soggy from the oil. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Do this to all the tortillas. This does two things. It makes the tortilla soft, and it gives a nice texture to the exposed ends of the tortillas after baked. For those that are worried about fat intake, you can also achieve a similar result by dipping the corn tortillas in boiling chicken broth for a few moments. This will moisten and soften the tortillas. But seriously, try the oil. You will use less fat then what is in a typical serving of salad dressing.

    2. When the tortillas are cool enough to handle, fill and roll each with about 2 ½ tablespoons of machaca. Roll tightly. Place the enchiladas side by side in the pan, seam side down. Cover across the middle with the chipotle sauce and top with the cheese. Bake at 350degF until the cheese is melted, the sauce is simmering and the enchiladas are heated through, about 20-25 minutes. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and pinto beans or refried beans.

    3. Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat and sauté the onions until soft. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes. Place the sauce in a blender and blend until smooth. Check the thickness of the sauce. It should be the consistency of gravy. If the sauce is too thin, return to a simmer and reduce to desired thickness. If it is too thick, add more stock to thin it out a little. Once you have the right consistency, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

    4. Quesadilla Machaca

    Recipe Type: Main Dish

    Source
    Author: David Bulla is a chef living in Austin, Texas.
    Source: Internet, David Bulla

    Author Notes
    Still have some machaca? Well, try a quesadilla made with 2 flour tortillas, 1/4cup grated cheddar cheese and about 2 tablespoons of machaca. Cook like a grilled cheese sandwich in a skillet over medium high heat until the tortilla is golden brown and crispy and the cheese is melted through. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and your favorite salsa. Enjoy!***********************************

    Beef, Roast, Machaca, David Bulla

    In the wheat fields and cattle ranches of Sonora, Mexico, we can find culinary history that is a major influence in Tex-Mex cuisine today. In Sonora, wheat flour tortillas and traditional Machaca come together to make burritas. They are an everyday type of taco there. Machaca in its traditional form is the Mexican equivalent of beef jerky. It is basically beef that has been marinated, cooked, shredded and dried. The drying process preserved the beef, made it easy to pack on the trail, and it also gave the machaca a unique texture when prepared in the traditional fashion. In Tex-Mex cuisine, an adapted version of the traditional machaca is a staple that can be served alone with tortillas and taco fixings, or as the basis for many other dishes. Many people still call it machaca, yet it also shows up on menus as “shredded beef.” The main difference being that the beef is not dried after cooking. There are many subtle differences in how it is prepared from recipe to recipe. Much like meatloaf, it is hard to find two recipes exactly alike. Machaca is a great example of cooking with one of my favorite cooking techniques called braising. Braised dishes use a combination of cooking methods. You start with a high heat sear to develop flavor and add texture and color, then add moisture and reduce heat to a low simmer. The long slow simmer breaks down connective tissues and fats, resulting in a very tender, moist and flavorful product when it’s all said and done. I put Machaca in the category of chili. When the weather outside is right, I like to make a batch of it so that I have plenty to freeze and use when I don’t have time to cook. It’s great for tacos, burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, quesadillas, taquitos, chili rellenos, and any recipe that calls for taco meat. In my opinion, machaca is so superior in flavor and texture to ground beef taco meat that it makes me wonder why anyone would use ground beef for tacos. It is also very easy to make. So, leave the ground beef tacos to your local fast food joint, and make a batch of machaca for your favorite Tex-Mex dishes.

    INGREDIENTS:
    ********Marinade*********
    1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
    Juice of two limes
    1 tsp garlic powder
    1 tsp ground cumin
    1 tsp chili powder
    1/2 tsp salt
    1/2 tsp black pepper
    1/2 cup vegetable oil or olive oil
    *********Machaca********
    2-3 lb Chuck Roast or Skirt Steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4 lb portions.
    1 Large Texas Sweet Onion (yellow onion) diced
    1/2 green bell pepper diced
    4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
    1 Fresh Jalapeno Pepper, minced
    1 14oz can diced tomatoes or tomatoes with green chilies
    1/4 cup beef broth
    1 Tbs dried oregano
    1 Tbs ground cumin
    1 tsp hot pepper sauce such as Tabasco
    salt and pepper to taste
    Vegetable oil for searing the beef

    Procedure:

    1. For the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a bowl then whisk them to form an emulsion. Add the beef making sure every piece is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate.

    2. Marinate the beef overnight in a bowl in the refrigerator. Before preparing, drain thoroughly and allow meat to come up to room temperature for about 30 minutes.

    3. In a large soup pot, heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Sear the beef a few pieces at a time to develop a rich brown color on all sides as well as on the bottom of the pan. Do this in several batches if the pot is too crowded.

    4. When all the beef is browned nicely and removed from the pan, add the onions, peppers, and garlic to the hot pan. Sauté for a few minutes then add the remaining ingredients to the pan along with the beef. Bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer slowly for about 2 hours. The meat should be very tender and should easily fall apart when pricked with a fork.

    5. Remove from heat, remove meat to a cutting board and shred with a pair of forks. Return to the pot and bring to a simmer, uncovered. Reduce the liquid until very thick, almost dry. At this point, adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and whatever additional heat you want to add if any.

    6. Serve with tortillas, cheese, salsa, lettuce and guacamole for a great beef taco. Portion and freeze the remaining machaca in zip lock bags for later use.

    7. One of my favorite things to do with machaca is make enchiladas. Once you have the machaca, it’s really easy. I like a fairly hot sauce with this, so I make a nice sauce out of chipotle peppers, canned diced tomatoes, and beef broth. It’s easy to make your own sauce, but if you are in a pinch for time you can also buy canned sauce from the store.

    Recipe Type: Meat

    Source
    Author: David Bulla is a chef living in Austin, Texas.
    Source: David Bulla

    Author Notes
    This is a basic machaca recipe. You can add to it or take away from it. Spice it up a little by adding chili powder or chili paste. Finish with some diced potatoes for “Machaca con papas.” You could also make a version of this recipe with leftover roasts or fajitas. Skip the marinade step and the searing step. Simply simmer the meat with the other ingredients until it is falling apart then shred it.






  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,887
    WOW! Thank you Richard! See? You are walking, talking proof that there is help from friendly folks on this forum! Seems like lately the comment comes too quickly from some here of "well, just Google that for help" or "that has been asked hundreds of times so do a search". If this forum is to remain friendly and helpful to both newbies and older eggers like me, then we should be able to tolerate questions.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,022
    edited April 2017
    RRP said:
    WOW! Thank you Richard! See? You are walking, talking proof that there is help from friendly folks on this forum! Seems like lately the comment comes too quickly from some here of "well, just Google that for help" or "that has been asked hundreds of times so do a search". If this forum is to remain friendly and helpful to both newbies and older eggers like me, then we should be able to tolerate questions.
    You got some good advice already.  The habenero salt is awesome, as is the dehydrated carne.  Basically cook it in the sauce of your choice and enjoy.

    On a side note, most times this forum gives much better responses than you will find on google (when you can get someone to share).
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,749
    RRP said:
    WOW! Thank you Richard! See? You are walking, talking proof that there is help from friendly folks on this forum! Seems like lately the comment comes too quickly from some here of "well, just Google that for help" or "that has been asked hundreds of times so do a search". If this forum is to remain friendly and helpful to both newbies and older eggers like me, then we should be able to tolerate questions.

    My apologies for suggesting Google vs posting something specific, just there is a plethora of uses for dried Carne
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,607
    RRP said:
    lkapigian said:

    My apologies for suggesting Google vs posting something specific, just there is a plethora of uses for dried Carne
    No No No - I wasn't lashing out at you! When I first pulled that big tube of dried beef out of the package my wife gasped and asked..."is that marijuana?"  =)

    Why, because it came from Mexico?!

    I really expected to open this and see a wall.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,887
    RRP said:
    No No No - I wasn't lashing out at you! When I first pulled that big tube of dried beef out of the package my wife gasped and asked..."is that marijuana?"  =)

    Legume said:

    Why, because it came from Mexico?!


    No, because neither of us have ever seen a big tube of that dried flaky beef and at least to her it struck her as being a ground up leafy substance from her angle sitting 2 feet away.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Send it to me Ron and I'll show ya how to use it. Damn White boys don't know how to cook sheesh. Chico blanco salado con un culo sucio :smiley:
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,887
    Send it to me Ron and I'll show ya how to use it.  Chico blanco salado con un culo sucio 
    Crap...since I don't know Spanish I don't know if you were being nice or "lit-like! LOL! 

    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • The key to pronouncing Spanish is to say the word louder if it doesn't make sense. 

    My mom does it with her house cleaner and she says it works. 

    Oh dang...I think my mom's a b!tch. 

    "Brought to you by bourbon, bacon, and a series of questionable life decisions."

    South of Nashville, TN

  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    RRP said:
    Send it to me Ron and I'll show ya how to use it.  Chico blanco salado con un culo sucio 
    Crap...since I don't know Spanish I don't know if you were being nice or "lit-like! LOL! 

    Just funnin ya. 
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,887
    edited April 2017
    RRP said:


    Just funnin ya. 
    Thanks for the explanation!
    I realize I may be a bit weird today as we just "planted" one of the nicest, more successful, professional guys I ever knew. 

    The strange thing is he should never have died this soon at a mere 68 years of age. He and his wife of 43 years were vacationing in FL and he woke up one morning with swollen legs. He went to an ER and they poo-pooed his problem and sent him home with some medicine. He was dead by the next morning due to a blood clot! The man could have bought the hospital with his pocket change! 
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    ^^^ Dang! I'm sorry to hear that man. 
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,022
    Sorry for your loss Ron.  Doctors almost did the same thing to my dad.  Sent him home when he was clearly not ok.

    Luckily, I called a good friend at the hospital who happened to be head of the ER.  My dad went back and he personally made sure he did not leave till they found the problem.

    Solution required surgery and even then 1/20 people don't survive.  Luckily he was in the 19/20 group.
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • Hntnhrd
    Hntnhrd Posts: 713
    Sorry to hear about your friend.
     I too was hoping for you to get some good responses . We are headed to Mexico next month and love hitting the grocery store and trying stuff we can't pronounce.. some things are hits others are horrible !! Lol
  • EggMcMic
    EggMcMic Posts: 340
    RRP said:
    lkapigian said:

    My apologies for suggesting Google vs posting something specific, just there is a plethora of uses for dried Carne
    No No No - I wasn't lashing out at you! When I first pulled that big tube of dried beef out of the package my wife gasped and asked..."is that marijuana?"  =)

    Perhaps your wife had a flashback to her years of teaching high school?!?!
    EggMcMcc
    Central Illinois
    First L BGE July 2016, RecTec, Traeger, Weber, Campchef
    Second BGE, a MMX, February 2017
    Third BGE, another large, May, 2017
    Added another griddle (BassPro) December 2017
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,887
    EggMcMic said:
    RRP said:
    lkapigian said:

    My apologies for suggesting Google vs posting something specific, just there is a plethora of uses for dried Carne
    No No No - I wasn't lashing out at you! When I first pulled that big tube of dried beef out of the package my wife gasped and asked..."is that marijuana?"  =)

    Perhaps your wife had a flashback to her years of teaching high school?!?!
    Could be! The other possibility was that big honkin tube looked like those big ones that Cheek & Chong would occasionally have stoked up in their movies!

    BTW I heard back from the fellow in Mexico telling me he uses that sea salt and pepper rubs by basically just sprinkling it on meat as is.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,734
    make pretzels with the salt, creamed chipped beef over potatoes with peas or SOS on toast with the dried beef =)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • yljkt
    yljkt Posts: 799
    I'd use the mug for coffee or other warm beverages.  =)
  • thetrim
    thetrim Posts: 11,357
    Build a wall around it
    =======================================
    XL 6/06, Mini 6/12, L 10/12, Mini #2 12/14 MiniMax 3/16 Large #2 11/20 Legacy from my FIL - RIP
    Tampa Bay, FL
    EIB 6 Oct 95
  • CtTOPGUN
    CtTOPGUN Posts: 612
     The dried beef sounds like what Brazilians use in Feijoada(the National dish of Brazil). A wonderful black bean and assorted meats stew.
    LBGE/Weber Kettle/Blackstone 36" Griddle/Turkey Fryer/Induction Burner/Royal Gourmet 24" Griddle/Cuisinart Twin Oaks/Pit Boss Tabletop pellet smoker/Instant Pot

     BBQ from the State of Connecticut!

       Jim
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,887
    Actually I thought the salt/pepper jars were all the same, but I was wrong! 
    1 original 
    1 con chile chipotle 
    1 con chile piquin 
    1 con chile habanero 

    BTW my benefactor has since told me he just sprinkles these on his meat and smokes his steaks on his BGE. 

    Those posting here with some knowledge of these products - I would really appreciate other uses which work for you!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.