The Salpicón de Res is a Mexican salad with shredded beef (meat), with tomatoes, avocado, onions, lettuce, and often radishes, olives, and chili peppers.
Dressed with a dressing made of: vinegar, oil, salt, and oregano.
It is mainly found in the northern part of Mexico, in the North. In Sinaloa, the dish is rich in vegetables: potatoes, carrots, onions, and even green beans.
It is a recovery recipe, where the main ingredient is not the meat (usually leftover boiled beef is used), but its dressing.
There are many different recipes for salpicón in different parts of Latin America: Nicaragua, Guatemala, and other Central American cuisines.
The recipes can include different types of meat, fish, and vegetables: salpicón de mariscos, crab, salpicón de cerdo (pork), tuna salpicón, and more. Already on the blog is one based on octopus, but in the Spanish version, which is slightly different from the Mexican one.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs beef brisket (or flank steak)
- 2 onions
- to taste tomatoes
- to taste lettuce (optional)
- to taste radishes (optional)
- to taste Jalapeño peppers (optional)
- to taste olives (optional)
- 1 avocado
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste olive oil
- to taste oregano
- to taste salt and pepper
- 2 limes
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
Steps
For the meat, you can use a piece of leftover boiled beef or prepare it by boiling the piece after covering it with water, onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, peppercorns, cumin seeds, and oregano, and bringing it to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2.5/3.5 hours or until it falls apart. Add more water if necessary so that it is always covered by the liquid.
Shred the meat while it is still warm.
Shred the meat with your hands or using two forks to divide the meat into 2 or 3 pieces if you cooked a whole beef piece.
(I made a halfway version between the Mexican and Spanish one, cutting the meat into cubes, but it is more correct to shred it finely).
Prepare the dressing: mix olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.
Mix the meat and the finely julienned onion with the dressing.
Add the tomatoes, chili pepper, (lettuce, radishes, and olives) mixing everything together.
Place the avocado slices on top of the salad.
Often accompanied by tostadas, I served it with tortillas and totopos (nachos).
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is the difference between Spanish and Mexican salpicón?
The Salpicón de vaca, very popular in Spain, is made with meat and bacon, seasoned with olive oil and vinegar.
In Mexico, it has been adapted with ingredients typical of local gastronomy.
In Mexican and Central American cuisine, the term refers to a salad mix containing thinly sliced or shredded meat, onion, oregano, serrano chile, avocado, tomatoes, and vinegar.
Often presented on tostadas, tacos, or as a filling for poblano peppers.
In Honduras, rabbit meat is used.
In Colombian cuisine, salpicón is a fruit cocktail drink made with watermelon and/or orange juice and soda water.
Further south in countries like Venezuela, it is commonly made with seafood and lemon instead of vinegar.
