Carne seca

Carne Seca
Type	Meat
Place of origin	Mexico
Region or state	Northern Mexico and Southwestern United States
Associated cuisine	Mexican cuisine
Main ingredients	Beef

Carne seca ("dried meat" in Spanish) is a type of dried beef used in Mexican cuisine.

Regional variants

Northern Mexico

In northern Mexican cuisine, particularly the states of Chihuahua, Sonora, and Nuevo León, carne seca is cooked in a dish called machacado (named machaca in other states), which includes tomatoes, onions, chile verde, and eggs. Sometimes, potatoes are included or used in lieu of eggs.

Southwestern United States

Arizona

In Arizona, according to Marian Burros of The New York Times, carne seca is a popular meat filling used by Tucson-area Mexican restaurants in enchiladas, chimichangas, and tacos, and is sometimes mixed with eggs.

California

According to The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, the newly arrived Anglo-Californians had acquired the taste for carne seca from their Californio neighbors during the 19th century California Gold Rush era.

New Mexico

In New Mexico, the term carne seca in New Mexican cuisine refers to a thinly sliced variant of jerky, the style influenced by Hispano, Navajo, and Pueblo communities resulting in a crispy consistency reminiscent of a potato chip or a cracker.In northern New Mexico, the style is commonly sold from roadside trailers, with vendors operating in Española, Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and Las Cruces. Producers describe the recipe as combining the thin cuts of Mexican carne asada with New Mexican spices.Common flavorings include New Mexico red and green chile, sometimes combined in a “Christmas” variety, after the New Mexican custom of ordering both chiles together.