Homemade Chicken Carne Seca

Homemade Chicken Carne Seca

Carne Seca is an old Mexican form of storing meat for the long term. The meat is chilled so it cooperates and is then cut ninety degrees to the grain or muscle strands. It is cut as a maximum of 1/8" thick. Once it is cut salt is added at a rate of 3% by weight and mixed a lot. When I do it I make certain it isn’t folded. I even take the time to open them up and spread them on the pile before I start mixing. I put mine in the fridge overnight so the salt can equalize throughout. Some people will dry the meat by hanging it over wood dowels. Traditionally it was draped over wood slats, but those slats wouldn’t be used over and over. I wouldn’t reuse them unless I could sterilize the heck out of them. When you buy carne seca it is usually chopped up so it doesn’t take up as much room. If you store this in Mylar bags with an oxygen absorber it will last a very long time. I have fried a few pieces of this and tossed it in soups and it works quite nicely.

A little later I dig up some old chili recipes that use this. This is now on my ramen noodle list. Heat some oil fry it and let the flavors of the two intermingle and put that on the bottom of the bowl.