Salted Meat [Recipe + Video] Carne Salada or Tocino
User Reviews
5
Salted Meat [Recipe + Video] Carne Salada or Tocino
Description
Salted Meat, or Carne Salada, is made by seasoning thin slices of pork, beef, or goat with coarse sea salt, dried oregano, freshly cracked black pepper, and optionally mashed garlic. This curing slows spoilage and imparts flavor. After seasoning, the meat rests overnight in the refrigerator, allowing salt and spices to penetrate.
The next step involves drying the meat until it becomes stiff and thoroughly dried, either using a dehydrator for about 8 hours or by oven-drying at around 200 ºF for roughly 3 hours. This drying process preserves the meat further and concentrates flavors.
The dried salted meat can be stored in a sealed bag in the refrigerator for up to a month. When ready to use, the meat undergoes desalting by rinsing under running water followed by an overnight soak in ample cold water in the fridge. It is then boiled in the soaking water until tender. Cooking times vary by method: approximately 20 minutes in a pressure cooker or longer in a conventional pot. This process rehydrates the meat and balances saltiness, making it ready for stews or other recipes.
Ingredients
To preserve meat
- 2½ pound meat pork, beef or goat [1.13 kg]
- ½ cup sea salt coarse
- 3 tablespoons oregano (dry leaves), crushed
- 1 tablespoon black pepper freshly-cracked, or ground
- 2 tablespoons garlic optional, mashed
For meat stew
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red onion sliced, large
- 4 tomato chopped, large
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- ½ teaspoon oregano (dry, ground)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
- 1½ cups meat broth liquid from boiling meat
Instructions
1. To season the meat
- Slice the meat as thinly as possible and discard any connective tissue, bone and cartilage.Season the meat with salt, pepper, and oregano, coating it well, and let it rest overnight in the fridge.
2. Dry the meat
- Remove the meat from the liquid that would have seeped out overnight. Pat dry with a paper towel.Place the meat on a wire rack and dry in a dehydrator until it is completely dry and stiff. It took me about 8 hours. You can dry it in the oven over 200 ºF [93 ºC] until the meat is quite stiff and dry to the touch (it took me about 3 hours).
3. Storing
- Cool meat to room temperature and store in a sealed bag in the refrigerator for up to a month.
4. To de-salt meat
- Rinse meat in running water. Soak overnight in abundant water (about a gallon [3.8 lt]) in the refrigerator.Boil in the same water it soaked overnight until the meat is very tender. If you cook it in a pressure cooker it should take 20 minutes. In a conventional pot it should take about an hour, add water if it becomes necessary to maintain the same water level. Save the liquid to use later on.
5. Shred meat
- Cool the boiled meat to room temperature and shred it.
6. Sautee
- Heat oil in a 2 quart pot [2 lt] over low heat. Add onions, cook and stir until onions become translucent. Add garlic and cook stirring until the garlic releases its aroma (about a minute).Stir in the meat and cook until it has heated through.
7. Make sauce
- Mix in tomatoes and oregano and stir. Add tomato sauce and 1½ cup of water from boiling the meat (check that it's not too salty before adding it).Cover and simmer over low heat for ten minutes. Taste and add salt to taste if you find it necessary (I did not).
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 579 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 579kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 8g | 3% |
| Protein | 34g | 68% |
| Fat | 45g | 69% |
| Saturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Cholesterol | 134mg | 45% |
| Sodium | 1253mg | 52% |
| Potassium | 888mg | 19% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 860IU | 17% |
| Vitamin C | 16.1mg | 18% |
| Calcium | 66mg | 7% |
| Iron | 4.6mg | 26% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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