- 1 whole flank steak (about 3 lbs.), fat and membrane trimmed
- Salt
- 1 head garlic
Cover the entire flank steak with a generous coating of table salt and hang to dry for 3 days. Make sure you hang it over a sink, as the salt will draw all of the moisture out of the meat while it is hanging. My grandmother used to hang it over a piece of string above her kitchen sink. After 3 days have expired, wash the salt off the meat with cold running water. Then, place the meat in a broiler oven for about 2 to 3 minutes per side to evaporate the remaining moisture.
Finally, allow the meat to cool, and with a meat tenderizer, pound the meat with cloves of garlic until completely shredded. The garlic need not be peeled, as the peelings will fall off during this process and can be easily picked off afterwards. The goal is to shred the meat completely. My grandmother used to use a mortar and pestal for this process, adding a new clove of garlic once the first one was used up.
Machaka can be eaten as is, a shredded beef jerky. Or, it can be mixed with scrambled eggs and salsa for a Mexican breakfast. It is an excellent light weight food to take on outings as well. It keeps very well without refrigeration. Enjoy!
- Yields: 6 servings
- Preparation Time: 3 days