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📍 Sonora

Machaca con huevo (shredded dried beef with eggs)

· Breakfast

Dried, shredded beef cooked with eggs, tomato, onion, and chile — the cornerstone of a Sonoran breakfast.

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Machaca con huevo (shredded dried beef with eggs): Dried, shredded beef cooked with eggs, tomato, onion, and chile — the cornerstone of a Sonoran breakfast.
Photo: Public Market of Chiapa de Corzo · Public domain · via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto resized, converted to WebP and cropped for display.
⏱ 30 min🍽 4 servings📊 Easy🏷 Commonly associated
Preparation
15 min
Cooking
15 min
Waiting and resting
0 min

History

It was born from the need to preserve meat in the desert: the beef was salted, sun-dried, and pounded in a molcajete. That dried product, machaca, became a pillar of the ranch-style breakfast of the northwest, especially in Sonora, where it is served with freshly made flour tortillas.

Ingredients

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Only numeric quantities at the start of an ingredient are adjusted. Descriptive quantities, seasoning to taste and timings remain unchanged; check them when changing servings.

Preparation

  1. 1

    If the machaca is very dry, soak it a few minutes in warm water and drain.

  2. 2

    Sweat the onion and chile; add the tomato and cook until it releases its juices.

  3. 3

    Stir in the machaca and sauté so it absorbs the flavors.

  4. 4

    Pour in the beaten eggs and stir until set but not dried out.

  5. 5

    Serve hot with flour tortillas and salsa to taste.

Cooking tips

  • Taste the machaca before adding salt: dried meat may season the whole mixture.

References to consult

References provide information about the dish, its context or a technique. Quantities in this version may differ from those in the source.

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