Burros de Machaca (Sonoran Dried Beef Burritos)

History & Origin

Machaca is one of the most iconic foods of northern Mexico, particularly Sonora and Chihuahua, with a history stretching back to the colonial era and the long journeys of cowboys and muleteers crossing the Sonoran desert. Dried beef was prepared to preserve it during long trips: the meat was sliced into thin strips, generously salted and left to dry in the sun for several days until fully dehydrated. Before cooking, it was pounded against rocks to soften and shred it - hence the name: machaca, from the verb machacar, meaning to pound. The burro de machaca - so named because it is large and robust, like the beast of burden - is the most popular way to eat machaca in Sonora. It is prepared with large homemade wheat flour tortillas (the famous Sonoran tortillas, 35 to 40 centimetres in diameter), filled with machaca scrambled with egg, roasted green chilli, onion and sometimes black beans. In Hermosillo, Guaymas and Nogales, machaca burritos are the favourite Sonoran breakfast, sold on every corner from 6 in the morning. This dish embodies the culinary identity of northern Mexico: generous, hearty and full of authentic flavour.