HILACHAS GUATEMALTECAS

beef

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: pork

Chicken is lower in fat, while pork can be more affordable.

vegetable oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Olive oil is healthier, while canola is often cheaper.

Introduce the recipe and ingredients for Hilachas Guatemaltecas.

Use 2.5 pounds of beef, asking for 'carne para de sembrar' at the butcher.

Prepare 5 large ripe tomatoes, 1 whole bell pepper, and 1 pasilla pepper, cleaned and seeded.

Chop 1/2 small onion, 5 tomatillos, and 4 cloves of garlic.

Add a few sprigs of dried thyme and 2-3 bay leaves to the ingredients.

Season with salt and chicken bouillon, and add 2 tablespoons of onion and 1 tablespoon of black pepper.

Heat water in a pot until it covers the beef, adding more as needed during cooking.

Add the thyme, bay leaves, garlic, and onion to the pot with the beef.

Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 2 hours, checking water levels occasionally.

After 2 hours, check the beef for tenderness; it should be soft enough to shred with a fork.

Remove the thyme, bay leaves, garlic, and onion from the pot.

Shred the beef with hands or forks and set aside.

Chop the bell pepper, pasilla pepper, and tomatoes for cooking.

If desired, remove excess fat from the beef before adding the chopped vegetables to the pot.

Soak the toasted tortilla in the broth to use for thickening later.

Cook the chopped vegetables in the broth for about 10 minutes until soft.

Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool before blending into a sauce.

In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the reserved chopped onion until translucent.

Add the blended sauce to the sautéed onion and bring to a simmer without adding more water.

Once the sauce is simmering, add diced potatoes and carrots, cut to desired size.

Add half of the thickening from the tortilla mixture and adjust with more if needed.

Return the shredded beef to the pot and stir to combine.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and let simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender.

Once cooked, serve with white rice and enjoy.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: