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Read MoreMy Favorite Weekend Breakfast: Machacado Con Huevos
http://www.MelJoulwan.com/2011/01/30/my-favorite-weekend-breakfast-machacado-con-heuvo/
Doing a strict Whole70 means not eating breakfast at my favorite Tex-Mex breakfast joint. My writing skills and the English language, in all its richness, cannot accurately convey the depth of my heartbreak at missing my Saturday morning machacado plate.
But I’m being strict-strict and as much as I love Habanero Restuarant, I don’t know what kind of fat they use to cook their eggs, so even when I say ‘no’ to tortillas and refried beans and their ‘breakfast potatoes’ which are FRENCH FRIES (For breakfast! FRENCH FRIES for breakfast! Have you ever heard anything to wonderful-horrible?!), I can’t be sure that what I’m eating is 100% compliant.
Let me be clear: eating at my favorite restaurant once a week and consuming the mystery oil is generally fine with me – but I’m doing a STRICT Whole70. And that means no eggs at Habanero. For now.
Call me a dummy – Go ahead. Shout it out! “Dummy!” – but it took me until last weekend to realize I could recreate my favorite Habanero breakfast at home. Minus the poison, of course.
Machacado con huevos is a Mexican dish made from shredded dry beef called carne seca, eggs, diced onion and tomato, with a touch of jalapeno. According to Wikipedia, carne seca originated near Monterrey, Mexico… and a woman named Tia Lencha is credited with creating my favorite Saturday morning, post-workout, my!-my!-I-do-love-a-big-pile-of-eggs breakfast.
The dried beef has just the right touch of saltiness – and the chewiness of the beef is the perfect foil for the tender scrambled eggs. It’s rich and super-satisfying.
Join me in thanking Tia Lencha for her delicious contribution to our lives.
Machacado Con Huevos
NOTE: The recipe below makes enough for two me-sized people; adjust accordingly. Also, carne seca should be available in most grocery stores; the ONLY ingredients in the package should be beef and salt. Also, you an adjust this according to your taste. Like cilantro? Throw in a handful. Hate tomatoes? Leave ’em out. Ran out of garlic? Proceed anyway.
Ingredients:
6 eggs
2 oz. machacado
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 jalapeno, finely diced (optional)
1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped (optional)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
salt & pepper
coconut oil
Directions:
1
Crack the eggs into a bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then lightly beat with a fork. Set aside.
2
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add coconut oil. I used about 1/2 tablespoon to start. If you’re leaner and more muscular than I am, feel free to add more fat!
3
When the pan is hot, add the onions and jalapeno. Saute until the onions are tender, and the vegetables are beginning to get nice brown spots, about 7-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. DON’T BURN THE GARLIC!
4
Add the machacado and chili powder. Continue to stir fry until the beef is coated in the fat from the pan. Toss in the tomatoes and stir-fry until the tomatoes are beginning to soften, about 2-3 minutes.
5
Push the vegetables and beef to the side of the pan and add another dollop of coconut oil; I used another 1/2 tablespoon or so.
6
Add the scrambled eggs to the fat in the pan and push the meat and veggies into the egg. Let it rest for a bit so the egg gets a hold of the other ingredients, then gently stir with a wooden spoon. This is where your personal preference needs to dictate cooking time. I like my eggs really well done with brown spots, so I cook the hell out of ’em… you do what you like.
7
Taste a bite and add salt and pepper as necessary… then dig in!
Gold star if you serve this with:
– homemade pico de gallo or salsa
– sliced avocado or homemade guacamole
– sliced jicama on the side
Double gold star if you don’t reserve this delicious dish for breakfast!
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You just made my day! I love Mexican, Tex-Mex, whatever and will probably eat this breakfast, lunch and dinner for weeks.
MelG –> I'm SO happy I figured out how to make home breakfast feel indulgent. I've been feeling mighty sorry for myself on Saturday mornings 🙂 It's not quite the same as being waited-on, but it is super tasty. Hope you like it!
Dave can wait on you 🙂 I'm thinking I'm going to have a snow day Wed and since it's not so easy to find that type of stuff up here I'm planning on making my own. If it works out I'll ship you some grass fed goodness.
AWESOME! I think all you have to do is salt it and dry it, then shred. I bet it would be good with some garlic!
Hi Mel
Just wanted to give you a BIG THANK YOU for your totally inspiring recipes etc. I am starting Paleo and am 1 week in . I feel great! Love it !
Right now I am eating curry Venison burgers and cabbage with your tahini dressing YUM!!
I have decided to change our whole families diet (4 kids and Hubby).
Rock on!
Shannon –> It's awesome that you're changing the eating habits of your whole family… good for you! I'm so glad that the recipes in my blog are helping. Keep us posted on how you're doing!
Hey Mel,
I have been looking all over online for machacado. I can't find it in my local grocery store in Houston. Any suggestions?
I'm gonna go scoot (or scout) around the local Latino area and see if they've got this in the grocery stores. This looks really delicious.
Mel – where in the grocery store would such a delicious item be?
Thanks,
Barb
Megan & Barb –> I get mine at my local HEB – which is just a regular grocery store but we have a large Latino population. The machacado is on an endcap near the meat department. Maybe try a Mexican market in Houston? It keeps FOREVER, so if you find a source you can stock up.
For what it's worth, I did a pretty extensive online search and didn't find any online sources — though I did find other people looking for recommendations on where to buy it both online and offline. Why so mysterious, machacado?!
Megan & Melissa, try Fiesta Grocery stores They are in both, Austin & Houston and cater to Hispanic neighborhoods. They are an awesome store!
I know they are all over Houston & there is at least one, in Austin, off of I-35 on the right side, if you are North bound, headed out of Austin.
Since I’m posting (instead of lurking) will say I’m enjoying your site! Am considering going on a Paleo diet because I’m a kidney dialysis patient and need large amounts of protein, in my diet, so have been gathering recipes (to prevent boring meals) and my youngest daughter is on it She had a subtotal thyroidectomy (90% removed) at age 17 so we understand your health situation. We both take Armour, like you do, as does my middle daughter who has Hashimoto’s Disease.
While both my daughters can use ALL of your recipes, I may have to modify some, due to their phosphorus/phosphate content, since my body (nor dialysis) can not remove that, now that the kidney’s don’t work.
Am looking forward to trying all your awesome recipes!
Hi Mel
What’s a normal breakfast for you. I eat gf, but have been eating gf flaxseed toast. Just found your site today. It’s great.
Hey, Margaret!
My breakfasts look a lot like my lunches and dinners: some kind of protein sauteed with a pile of vegetables. I usually throw in an egg, too. So a typical breakfast would be a chicken thigh diced into cubes, scrambled with an egg, and some zucchini and spices… or ground beef scrambled with 1 egg, shredded cabbage, and spaghetti squash with eastern European spices.
This morning, I had leftover grilled chicken stir-fried with cauliflower rice, an egg, and curry powder.
Hey Mel,
Got any non egg breakfast ideas? I’m not trying to whine but Ilike carbs for breakfast. So when I get tired of eggs, I thought wow some cereal sounds good.
So I started making this mango/ apple/ pear/ banana (2 of these fruits), mixed with chopped walnuts and almond milk. I LOVE IT. but as you can see, no protein: any ideas?
I like your blog, style, and transparency. It’s really sweet. I’ve passed you on to my other new Paleo converts. How long have you been doing Paleo?
Honestly, my breakfast most days isn’t very breakfast-y: I eat the same thing at breakfast I do the rest of the time: vegetables sauteed with spices and some kind of protein. I like sweeter veggies in the morning, so cabbage and shrimp… or ground beef and cabbage with spices. I usually throw in an egg, too.
Also good: a hard boiled egg, a few slices of cucumber and tomato, some no-garbage lunch meat from Applegate Farms, a few nuts, a piece of fruit. Like a European style buffet breakfast…
Hi, Mel,
Thank you for posting this recipe. I had never heard of machacado, but I was curious. After a rather entertaining trip featuring a language barrier to the local Mexican grocer, I ended up ordering this dish to take home to taste before I committed to a big tub of carne secs. (Foolish, I know. I have yet to meet a Mexicsn food I don’t adore.) Anyway, I brought home the carry out dish, and two of my sons and I tore into it like animals! Just three people, hovering around a corner of the table with forks, not even bothering to sit down. 🙂 it was a beautiful thing. I will be trying this over the weekend.
Glad you’re excited about this recipe. It’s definitely a great way to start off the weekend!
I cannot find machacado anywhere. I was told by the local Mexican grocery that they aren’t legally allowed to carry it. Maybe I’m approaching this incorrectly? Or can I find it online?
Wow. That’s weird… I’ve never heard that before!
I get mine at my regular grocery store, but you can guy it online at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_n_1?rh=n%3A371475011%2Ck%3Amachacado&keywords=machacado&ie=UTF8&qid=1394043792&rnid=2941120011
Also, you can replace the Mexican dried beef with dried chipped beef (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=node%3D371475011&field-keywords=chipped+beef&rh=n%3A16310101%2Cn%3A16322721%2Cn%3A371475011%2Ck%3Achipped+beef) or beef jerky, although the beef jerky will add a slightly smoked flavor.
Thanks! Yeah, I wonder if she thought I meant fresh and not packaged. But I can’t seem to find it packaged either. Thanks!
We just tried it today and it is delicious. My hubby was skeptical of the dried beef but it had a great flavor and it is very filling. Thanks!
So – this may be weird, but if it’s just shredded beef jerky, could I get some Primal Grass-Fed Beef Jerky and ‘shred’ (crumble) it myself? You know – just crumble up jerky sticks? Or am I missing something vital? This sounds really delicious, regardless!
You *can* use beef jerky, but it will taste different. Beef jerky usually has a smoky flavor, while the Mexican shredded beef is not smoked, it’s just dried.