Mexican Smoked Cecina
Cecina is a traditional Mexican dried meat from the regions of Oaxaca and Yucatán, sliced thin, salted, and sun-dried or lightly smoked. The spice mixture of ancho chili, garlic, and oregano gives the meat its characteristic Mexican flavor. Cecina is often served with beans, guacamole, and fresh tortillas.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Preparing the meat
15 minutesSlice the beef (top round or flank steak) into 3-5 mm thin slices or butterfly cut it. The meat should be as flat and uniformly thick as possible to ensure even drying.
Preparing marinade and marinating
10 minutes + 4-8 hours marinating timeMix all spices with lime juice into a paste. Coat the meat evenly on both sides, layer in a container, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Air drying
1-2 hoursSpread the marinated meat slices on a wire rack and let them air dry at cool room temperature for 1-2 hours until the surface is sticky-dry (pellicle). This step is important for good smoke absorption.
Smoking and drying
6-10 hoursSmoke the meat slices in the smoker at 80-100 °C with mesquite and oak. The thin slices quickly reach the core temperature of 68-72 °C. The meat is done when it is firm and slightly dry but still retains some flexibility.
Pro Tip
For authentic cecina, cut the meat as thin as possible – traditionally it is butterfly-cut so it can be spread flat. Mesquite wood is the classic smoking wood in Mexico and gives the cecina its characteristic smoky flavor.
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