Machacado con Huevo (Eggs with Shredded Beef)

Machacado con huevo is a dish which consists of shredded dry beef that is scrambled with eggs. Its name means "shredded with eggs" in Spanish. The shredded dry beef, carne seca, is said to have originated in the town of Ciénega de Flores, about an hour north of Monterrey, Mexico. The early settlers in the area air-cured beef so that it would be preserved. This particular dish was made famous by Tía Lencha, a local woman who prepared it and eventually sold it in a restaurant. Today there is a commercially available Tia Lencha dried beef in most supermarkets in Mexico. The basic machacado con huevo is made with eggs and dried beef. Chopped tomatoes, onions and jalapeños or serrano chile peppers can be added, or salsa can be cooked into it, to create another version. Machacado con huevo often comes as a "taco" presentation.

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