Northern Mexican cooking: carne asada, machaca and desert flavors

Northern Mexico: where beef is king

If the cooking of central and southern Mexico revolves around maize, dried chiles and complex salsas, the cooking of the north is its direct counterpart: meat, fire, flour tortillas and bold, straightforward flavors. It is a cuisine of ranchers, of cowboys, of deserts and mountain ranges where cattle are the main resource and charcoal grills are the culinary altar.

The northern states - Sonora, Chihuahua, Nuevo León, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Durango - have a gastronomic tradition every bit as rich as the center, though far less known internationally. It is the cooking that most resembles what many Britons imagine as “Mexican food” (thanks to Tex-Mex influence), but taken to an incomparably higher level of quality and authenticity.

For those of us living in the US, northern cooking has one enormous advantage: the main ingredients - good-quality beef, wheat flour, cheese, beans - are all readily available here.

Carne asada: the northern ritual

Carne asada in northern Mexico is not simply “grilled meat”. It is a social ritual, the northern equivalent of a American barbecue or an Argentine asado. It is celebrated in courtyards, gardens and on rooftops, with cold beer, norteño music and the whole family gathered together.

The cuts

• Arrachera: The star northern cut. It is the diaphragm of the cow (skirt steak), full of flavor with a fibrous texture. It is marinated in lime juice, garlic, pepper and beer before grilling over a high heat.
• Diezmillo: A cut from the shoulder (chuck), cheaper but tasty. It is grilled in thick pieces and sliced into strips.
• Agujas: Short beef ribs, on the bone. They are grilled slowly until the meat falls away from the bone.
• T-bone: In Sonora and Chihuahua, the American cattle-ranching influence shows in the use of steakhouse-style cuts.

Basic northern marinade

The juice of 6 limes + 4 crushed garlic cloves + black pepper + coarse salt + a splash of olive oil. Marinate the meat for 2-4 hours. Grill over a high charcoal or wood heat. The meat should have a charred exterior and a juicy interior - medium for the arrachera, more well done for the thicker cuts.

In the US: Arrachera is the equivalent of skirt steak (or bavette) - ask for it at the butcher’s. American beef (especially well-aged native breeds) works exceptionally well for northern carne asada.

Machaca: dried beef turned into an art

Machaca is dried, shredded and pounded beef - a desert preservation technique that transforms cheap meat into a versatile, tasty ingredient. It is the Mexican equivalent of South African biltong or South American charque, but more elaborate.

Machaca with egg

The quintessential northern breakfast: rehydrated machaca sautéed with scrambled eggs, serrano chile, tomato, onion and cilantro. It is served with flour tortillas, frijoles charros and salsa. It is hearty, protein-packed and addictive.

In the US: Machaca is hard to find. You can substitute it with shredded, chopped beef jerky or, even better, make your own by drying thin strips of beef flank in the oven at 70°C for 4-6 hours.

Cabrito: the emblematic dish of Nuevo León

Cabrito (young goat) al pastor is the signature dish of Monterrey. The kid is butterflied, skewered on an iron rod and roasted slowly in front of mesquite-wood embers for 2-3 hours, turning it constantly. The meat ends up tender, juicy and with a delicate smoky flavor.

Cabrito is eaten with flour tortillas, salsa borracha and frijoles charros. It is celebration food - in Monterrey there is no wedding or graduation without cabrito.

In the US: American milk-fed kid goat is excellent. Roast it Castilian-style in a low oven and you will get a result very close to the Monterrey original. Add the salsa borracha (toasted, ground pasilla chile with orange juice and tequila) for the northern touch.

Flour tortillas: the northern identity

While central and southern Mexico are corn-tortilla territory, the north belongs to the wheat-flour tortilla. Northern flour tortillas are larger, softer and more buttery than any flour tortilla you have ever tried. They are made with lard (or butter), wheat flour, hot water and salt.

Sonora produces the largest flour tortillas in the world - the sobaqueras, which can measure up to 60 cm across. They are named this way because the dough is stretched over the forearm (metaphorically “from the armpit”). They are used to make giant burritos filled with machaca, beans and cheese.

Flour tortilla recipe:

• 500g of plain wheat flour
• 100g of lard (or butter)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 250ml of hot water

Mix the flour with the salt, rub in the lard with your fingers until it looks like damp sand. Add the hot water little by little, knead for 5 minutes until you have a soft, supple dough. Leave to rest, covered, for 30 minutes. Divide into 50g balls, roll out thinly and cook on a hot comal or skillet for 30-45 seconds per side.

Frijoles charros: more than a side dish

Frijoles charros are pinto (or borlotti) beans cooked in their broth with bacon, chorizo, serrano chile, tomato, onion, cilantro and sometimes beer. They are a dish in their own right - substantial, tasty and perfect alongside any carne asada.

Unlike refried beans (which are mashed and fried), charros are served brothy, like a thick soup. They are the inseparable accompaniment to northern carne asada.

Discada: the desert skillet

Discada is a northern stew cooked on a plough disc (literally an agricultural plough disc) over a direct flame. It contains chopped beef, pork and bacon, with chile, onion, tomato and beer. Everything is mixed on the hot disc and cooked until the meat browns and the flavors come together.

It is ranch food, camp food, food for gatherings in the open air. In the US, use a large wok or a paella-style pan over a strong flame to approximate the technique.

Burritos: the northern invention

Authentic Mexican burritos come from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua - not from Taco Bell. A northern burrito is simple: one large flour tortilla filled with a single main ingredient (shredded meat, chicharrón, beans or chile with cheese). They contain no rice, no lettuce, no sour cream and none of the 15 ingredients piled into the Americanised version.

The machaca-and-cheese burrito, rolled in a sobaquera flour tortilla, is one of the simplest and most satisfying pleasures of northern cooking.

“In the north we don’t put salsa on the taco - we put fire to the meat, and the meat speaks for itself.”

Discover more regional flavors in our Mexican recipes, find northern ingredients in Mexican shops and try northern cooking at Mexican restaurants in the US that specialize in grilled meat and carne asada.