Anyone have any sources for carne machaca (Northern Mexico style) that
will do mail order? There used to be one in Tucson, but I can't find
it's website anymore.

Ted

On May 14, 4:55?am, wrote:
> Anyone have any sources for carne machaca (Northern Mexico style) that
> will do mail order? There used to be one in Tucson, but I can't find
> it's website anymore.

Exactly what was so special about the dried beef that you ate before
that makes you want to mail order it, pay a premium price plus
shipping and handling. wait impatiently for it to arrive and then
rehydrate it, instead of using good quality fresh beef obtained
locally, and just boiling it?

Mexican peasants dried beef because they had no refrigeration. It was
a poor quality, stringy beef anyway, and it would have had to be
boiled for an hour and a half so it could be shredded and used as taco
filling or whatever.

http://cookingfire.com/?p=11

http://www.101recipes.com/recipe.htm...ling+-+Machaca

On May 14, 11:23 am, Rechazador de Disparates >
wrote:
> On May 14, 4:55?am, wrote:
>
> > Anyone have any sources for carne machaca (Northern Mexico style) that
> > will do mail order? There used to be one in Tucson, but I can't find
> > it's website anymore.
>
> Exactly what was so special about the dried beef that you ate before
> that makes you want to mail order it, pay a premium price plus
> shipping and handling. wait impatiently for it to arrive and then
> rehydrate it, instead of using good quality fresh beef obtained
> locally, and just boiling it?
>
> Mexican peasants dried beef because they had no refrigeration. It was
> a poor quality, stringy beef anyway, and it would have had to be
> boiled for an hour and a half so it could be shredded and used as taco
> filling or whatever.

Oye, reflujo todo baboso, tell someone who cares.

I grew up on the border and I like its food. Even menudo. What's the
matter with peasants, anyway?

T.

wrote:
> On May 14, 11:23 am, Rechazador de Disparates >
> wrote:
>> On May 14, 4:55?am, wrote:
>>
>>> Anyone have any sources for carne machaca (Northern Mexico style) that
>>> will do mail order? There used to be one in Tucson, but I can't find
>>> it's website anymore.
>> Exactly what was so special about the dried beef that you ate before
>> that makes you want to mail order it, pay a premium price plus
>> shipping and handling. wait impatiently for it to arrive and then
>> rehydrate it, instead of using good quality fresh beef obtained
>> locally, and just boiling it?
>>
>> Mexican peasants dried beef because they had no refrigeration. It was
>> a poor quality, stringy beef anyway, and it would have had to be
>> boiled for an hour and a half so it could be shredded and used as taco
>> filling or whatever.
>
> Oye, reflujo todo baboso, tell someone who cares.
>
> I grew up on the border and I like its food. Even menudo. What's the
> matter with peasants, anyway?
>
> T.
>
Nothing is the matter with peasants and nothing is wrong with border
food. I'm surprised he went off on you like he did because he is the one
who always wants to stick to traditional preparation. Dried meat has
been a staple in all the Americas even before GG was born believe it or
not. Carne Seca is popular here in Tucson. Some places prepare their own
in special drying areas on the roofs of the restaurant. Brazil exports
it. I don't care for it but do like the fresh machaca preparation in
Tacos etc.

On May 14, 12:53?pm, Sonoran Dude > wrote:

> Nothing is the matter with peasants

It sounds like somebody is getting defensive here. Who ever said that
there is anything intrinsically wrong with peasants?

> and nothing is wrong with border food.

> That's true, if border food is all you can get, you should enjoy it.

> I'm surprised he went off on you like he did because he is the one
> who always wants to stick to traditional preparation.

I have *never* insisted on "authentic" preparation. I have a modern
kitchen and local access to almost anything used in Mexican
cooking.

> Dried meat has
> been a staple in all the Americas even before GG was born believe it or
> not. Carne Seca is popular here in Tucson. Some places prepare their own
> in special drying areas on the roofs of the restaurant. Brazil exports
> it. I don't care for it but do like the fresh machaca preparation in
> Tacos etc.-

My question still hasn't been answered. What is so special about dried
machaca that somebody would want to mail order it?

If I wanted to pay extra for dried beef, all I have to do is go down
the road to the jerky store. But I can get fresh juicy beef at the
market cheaper, all I have to do is boil it for an hour and a half and
shred it and use it in tacos, tortas, whatever.

If I find cheap cuts of fresh beef similar to what the peasants would
use to make machaca, I can always freeze it, I don't need to sun dry
it or smoke it.

Rechazador de Disparates wrote:

>
> My question still hasn't been answered. What is so special about dried
> machaca that somebody would want to mail order it?

Why do people like the taste of organ meat? Why do people like the taste
of American Cheese on white bread and Miracle Whip? Why do people like a
simple salt and pepper shake on pan fried pork chops? Probably because
the taste brings back memories, comfort food.
When I moved to Tucson all I heard about was Carne Seca. "Tucson has the
best Carne Seca blah blah blah." I ordered Carne Seca in every new joint
I visited to see what all the fuss was about. There is only one place,
Maria Bonita Mexican Restaurant on Oracle, where I really enjoyed it. I
think most Tucsonians like the dead rotting flesh smell that rises from
the plate. My grandfather is 97 and a true Arizona cowboy. Back in the
day cured meat and beans was all you could get from the chuck wagon. He
likes his steak cooked beyond recognition. I think back in the day you
cooked every parasite and bacteria out of your meat or die.

On May 14, 5:50 pm, Rechazador de Disparates >
wrote:
>
> If I find cheap cuts of fresh beef similar to what the peasants would
> use to make machaca, I can always freeze it, I don't need to sun dry
> it or smoke it.

Stuff it, reflujo.

Ever field dress a deer or get to process a 30 lb hunk of elk, moose
or buffalo? I doubt it.

Back when I was camp cook for an archaeology crew on a Buffalo Soldier
fort in the late 70s, we got as pilon, a hunk of buffalo that was
turned into chile meat. There was lots of cutting involved. No one
lost a thumb.

It was pretty tough meat since it was a twelve year old bull dropped
legally at dawn by some Okie paleo-Indianistas who were seeing how
well such a critter could be butchered with bone tools... We lucked
out in getting a batch of previously roasted New Mexican green chiles
to use since it was early fall. The crew et it all.

Maybe I'll thaw that venison ham I have in the freezer and make
machaca out of part of it.

T.