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Salpicon de Res
Like any cuisine, the Mexican culinary repertoire includes a wide variety of dishes, from appetizers to soups, desserts to sandwiches and of course, salads. While you may not see a lot of salads on the menu at your local Mexican fast food chain (though how "Mexican" these establishments are is certainly debatable) or even a taqueria, but there are many salads which are part of the Mexican culinary tradition.
One of the most popular of these salads is Salpicón de res, a savory and spicy yet refreshing salad of shredded stewed beef brisket, fresh vegetables, and a chili pepper-enriched dressing. It is a little different from your average salad and is also a great beef recipe in its own right.
This Salpicón de res salad makes a great first course, light lunch or even a main course when accompanied by some crusty bread, warm corn tortillas or a bowl of soup.
Spicy Shredded Beef Salad
Ingredients -
Beef:
3 - 4 lbs beef brisket, trimmed (flat cut)
1 large yellow onion, diced
8 cups of beef stock
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 chipotle chilies en adobo
1 tsp peppercorns (coarse ground pepper may be substituted)
2 tsp salt
2-3 bay leaves
For the dressing:
3 tbsp of reserved broth from the cooked brisket
2-4 chipotle chilies en adobo, including adobo sauce (adjust to taste)
5 tbsp high quality olive oil
Juice of 3-4 limes
1 tbsp white or red onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Vegetables:
Romaine or leaf lettuce
4 small roma tomatoes, diced
2 avocados, peeled, seeded and diced
1 red onion, diced
⅓ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Radishes, quartered
Lime wedges, for serving
Preparation:
Bring brisket to a boil in a stockpot with onion, beef stock, garlic, chipotles, peppercorns, salt, and bay leaves. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 3 - 4 hours or until the meat is so tender that it begins falling apart. Allow meat to cool in cooking liquid for 30 minutes, reserving 3 tbsp broth for dressing; you can reserve the rest of the broth for soups or stews, if desired. Shred the meat with a fork.
Mix together the ingredients for the dressing and prepare the vegetables, arranging a bed of romaine or leaf lettuce and a portion of the vegetables on each plate, topped with a portion of the beef brisket and dressing. Serve warm with lime wedges and quartered radishes.
(Serves 8)
Photo Description:
Substantial and savory, this Salpicón de res recipe is a salad which is more than satisfying enough to be a main dish in its own right. The dressing in this recipe is a little spicy for some people, so if you are a little sensitive to heat, then you can reduce the amount of chipotle peppers in order to tame the spice level of this recipe. However, do not skimp on the adobo sauce, since its flavor really adds a lot to the dressing.
If you would like to try a healthier way to enjoy beef, this recipe may be the way to go. It is a fresh tasting, healthy salad with all of the savory flavors of beef brisket and a spicy south of the border kick. If you do not think you are a fan of salad, you will be once you try this Mexican classic.
