Salpicón de Res (Shredded Beef Salad)

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Salpicón de Res is a refreshing shredded beef salad that’s popular throughout Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador and the rest of Latin America.

Featuring tender beef, chopped radish, tomato and mint with lime juice, it makes a delicious party appetizer or game-day food when topped on tostadas or tucked inside a corn tortilla.   

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

We enjoy serving this cold salad at our family ranch in Zacapa, Guatemala where it makes a refreshing lunch on hot sweltering days. It’s also:

• Easy to transport. Unlike mayonnaise-based salads that have to stay super-chilled, you don’t have to worry about contracting food poisoning while transporting this beef salad during hot weather.
• An easy Guatemalan appetizer, light lunch, or side dish! It’s very easy to make.
• Excellent for serving a crowd. It’s a popular party food for family gatherings.
• Low in carbs and high in protein, this salad is simple and filling. It’s a good fit for a keto diet if served without tortillas.
• Unlike guacamole, it makes the perfect side dish or appetizer because you can make it in advance. It won’t discolour.

What is Salpicón de Res?

A technique originating in France, salpicón, refers to a dish of one or more finely diced ingredients bound with a sauce.

While there are many varieties of salpicon around the world — chicken, salpicón de mariscos (seafood), and even pork — the beef version is especially popular in Guatemala. 

Salpicón de res, a shredded beef, radish, and mint salad, is a traditional Guatemalan food typically served at parties and get-togethers. 

Unlike chojin, a similar traditional Guatemalan food also popular as an appetizer but made with chicharron (fried pork rinds), salpicon de res is not deep fried. This makes it lower in calories than chojin.

Ingredients

Making salpicon de res requires a handful of simple, wholesome ingredients. Here’s what you need:

• Beef: I used a 2-3 pound blade roast but you can use other cuts of beef that will tenderize when cooked slowly.
• Beef stock: For cooking shredded beef. I find it adds more flavour but you can also use water.
• Fresh mint or hierba buena: Gives the Guatemalan version of this shredded beef salad its unique flavour.
• Limes: Freshly squeezed lime juice is essential for the most vibrant citrus flavour.
• Orange Juice: For the most traditional flavor use bitter orange, naranja agria which adds a hint of bitterness to the dish. It’s possible to purchase a small bottle of Goya Naranja Agria from Amazon, but you can also substitute unsweetened orange juice and grapefruit juice.
• Veggies: Finely diced tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, tomatoes, radishes, and cilantro are mixed with the shredded beef in this refreshing hearty beef salad.

⭐️ Ingredient Tip: If you cook a large roast and have leftovers is to use the extra beef to make machaca con huevo, a spicy beef and scrambled egg dish popular in northern Mexico

How to Make Guatemalan Shredded Beef Salad

Follow along to see the main steps for how to make a shredded beef salad. Don’t forget to check the printable recipe for all the details.

1. Cook the beef. I use a Dutch Oven so I can place the meat inside with enough water so it’s 50% covered with liquid. Then, I can forget about it for a few hours and just wait until it’s soft and tender.

⭐️ You can also choose to cook it in a slow cooker for five to six hours at a low setting.

2. Prep the veggies. Trim the radishes, slice crosswise and then chop finely. 
3. Chop the onions and herbs you’ll be using. The key is to chop them finely and make sure they’re completely dry. Seed the tomatoes and chop them into small pieces.   Wash, dry, and finely chop the cilantro and mint. 

4. Once the beef is tender, remove it from the liquid (reserve the broth for later to make Sopa de Albondigas Guatemalteco – Healthy Meatball Soup ) and allow it to cool enough so you can separate the meat into long strands.
   
   Continue to shred the meat using two forks. It’s the same method used when making the popular beef stew hilachas Guatemaltecas. Then chop the meat into smaller pieces crosswise.

5. Mix the lime juice and naranja agria (orange juice) in a separate bowl for the dressing.
   
   Combine the shredded and chopped meat with the vegetables and stir in the dressing and add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve garnished with avocado or crema drizzled overtop. Enjoy it with tortilla chips or on tostadas. 

If you’re looking for a vegetarian appetizer, another easy Guatemalan appetizer to make is tortitas de ejote.

Check out our recipe for Green Bean Fritters or Tortitas de Ejote Guatemalteco.

Enjoy salpicon de res at a summer party, picnic or boating excursion along with other easy appetizers like Mini Caprese Salad Skewers, Kalamata Olive Tapenade and Pizza Pasta Salad.

Variations of Salpicón

You can find recipe variations of this shredded beef salad across Central America and Mexico. They’re all delicious!

Salpicón de Res Guatemalteco:

The Guatemalan version of this shredded beef salad often includes radishes instead of or in addition to tomatoes. The finely chopped radishes add a peppery flavour and shot of colour. It’s popular as a midday snack and as a party food.

Salpicón de Res Salvadoreño

The beef salpicòn of El Salvador is similar to the salpicon of Guatemala in that it often includes fresh, finely-chopped radishes.

Cilantro and mint can both be used.

Salpicón de res Salvadoreño is often served with white rice rather than tostadas. In Honduras salpicón is also often served with rice.

Salpicón de Res Mexicano

In Mexico, salpicón de carne is spicier and almost always features oregano rather than mint in the oil and vinegar vinaigrette. To make a Mexican version:

• Chop fresh oregano (or dried) and swap it for the mint.
• Substitute deseeded and chopped tomatoes for all of the radishes.
• Add a half cup of crumbled cotija cheese and mix. Sprinkle extra overtop.
• Use more chiles, either jalapeño or serrano chiles, chopped or minced finely.

Expert Tips

• Be sure to roast the beef long enough and with sufficient liquid so that it shreds easily.
• Shred the beef using your hands or two forks as soon as it’s cool enough to handle.
• Reuse the beef broth for caldo de res (beef soup) the next day.
• You can vary the proportions of radishes, mint, and cilantro according to taste.
• Naranja agria (a bitter orange marinade that’s popular in Latin cooking) is a preferred ingredient for salpicon de res Guatemalteco. But you can substitute a mixture of unsweetened orange juice and grapefruit juice in equal parts.
• Wear gloves when slicing jalapeño peppers.

FAQs

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