In Spanish and Mexican cooking, cecina usually refers to jerky-like or salt-cured meats. In Oaxaca, it is almost always long, thin pork strips almost like ribbons of meat. Sometimes it is lightly seasoned with salt and lime juice before air-drying for a few hours. More often than not, it is air-dried in an Adobe marinade. The meat is cooked by grilling or tossing in a hot pan. You can’t walk by a street stand in Oaxaca with seeing pieces of cecina draped over clothes lines air drying.
Cecina Enchiladea- Oaxacan Thin Grilled Meat
Cut to the chase, so to speak, and cut these ribbons of chilled boneless pork chops in a food processor with a slicing attachment. These flavor-filled thin pork "ribbons" are great on Tlayudas, in tacos, or by themselves with grilled onions and refried black beans.
Print PinServings: 4
Equipment
- Wire racks
- Baking pan
- Blender
- Large and small bowl
- Large cast iron skillet
- Wire mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 1 lb Boneless pork chops
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 3 tbsp Lard or vegetable oil
Adobo para Cecina
- 4 oz Guajillo chiles (about 16), tops and seeds removed
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 tbsp Cider vinegar
- ½ tsp Dried thyme
- 2 Dried avocado leaves, toasted
- ½ tsp Dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp Ground black pepper
- ½ tsp Ground cinnamon
Instructions
Make Adobo Marinade
- Boil a few cups of water. Wash and griddle-dry the chilies by placing 4-5 washed chilies in a cast-iron skillet heated over medium-high heat. Let them heat, turning occasionally with tongs. Cook 30 seconds on each side until the moisture is gone and their aroma has been released. Transfer them to a deep bowl and repeat. Pour boiling water into bowl and let peppers soak for at least 20 minutes.
- Drain peppers and place into a blender along with the rest of the ingredients and ⅓ cup of water to facilitate blending. Process for about 5 minutes to get smooth paste, scraping down the sides every so often. Force the mixture into a bowl through a medium-mesh sieve.
Make Cecina Enchiladas
- Trim any fat off boneless pork chops and chill. In a food processor with slicing disk, add a pork chop flat-side down and slice into thin strips. Place meat into a large bowl and slice more chops. Scrape Adobe marinade into meat bowl and cover fully. Lay slices flat on a wire rack over a baking tray. Leave in cool place for about 3 hours to air-dry. Remove the rack and stack meat on tray with plastic wrap between layers. Refrigerate overnight.
- To cook, heat lard in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When it begins to smoke, lay 3 or 4 cutlets into the pan and sprinkle with a little salt. Cook about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining cutlets. Serve hot with Frijoles Negros Colados.
Nutrition
Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 372mg | Potassium: 976mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 7522IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 3mg