Homemade Carne Seca (Machaca)
Traditional Northern Mexican-style dried, seasoned shredded beef — eat as jerky or fry with eggs/onions/peppers for machaca
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef flank steak or eye of round, trimmed of fat
- 1 lime, juiced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoons black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoons dried oregano (Mexican if available)
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 0.5 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
Steps
Slice the beef thin: Partially freeze the 2 pounds beef flank steak or eye of round, trimmed of fat for 45 minutes to firm it up, then slice against the grain into thin strips, about 1/4 inch thick. Thin, even strips dry more evenly.
Make the marinade: In a bowl, whisk together 1 lime, juiced, 4 garlic cloves, minced, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoons black pepper, freshly ground, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoons dried oregano (Mexican if available), 2 tablespoons white vinegar, and 0.5 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional, for heat) until combined into a wet rub.
Marinate the beef: Toss the beef strips thoroughly in the marinade, making sure every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight for deeper flavor.
Arrange for drying: Remove strips from the marinade, shaking off excess liquid. Lay them flat on dehydrator trays or on wire racks set over baking sheets, without overlapping.
Dry the meat: Dehydrate at 155-160°F for 6 hours, or use an oven on its lowest setting (around 170°F) with the door slightly cracked, until the strips are firm, dry, and dark but still slightly pliable (not brittle).
Cool and store: Let the dried beef cool completely to room temperature. Store in an airtight container or vacuum-sealed bag. It keeps 1-2 weeks at room temp, or 3-6 months refrigerated/frozen.
Shred for machaca (optional): To use as machaca, shred or pound the dried strips into fine threads using your hands, a mallet, or a food processor pulsed briefly. Fry the shredded meat with diced onion, tomato, and roasted green chile, then scramble in eggs if desired.
Notes
For a smokier, more traditional flavor, you can dry the strips outdoors in the sun (covered with cheesecloth to keep bugs off) over 1-2 days instead of using a dehydrator or oven — this is the classic method. If you don’t have a dehydrator, a home oven works fine, just watch it closely since ovens run hotter than ideal drying temps.
This gives you the base flavor profile most carne seca brands use (garlic, lime, chili, cumin), scaled around a 2 lb cut of beef — close to that 16 oz finished-product weight range once it dries down. Adjust the chili powder and cayenne to taste if you want it spicier or milder.
