Into the Black...Hole in the Wall

Searching for new, exciting, and unusual eats in San Antonio and beyond

Machacado

It all started a few months back when I sent my friend and co-worker J. Rizzo a Serious Eats link about a sun dried beef popular in Mexico. The first words out of his mouth..."Machacado con huevo ". Somehow in all my years in San Antonio I had never heard of this. My friend enlightened me on the basics. Machacado con huevo is shredded beef (Carne Seca) made with eggs and usually chopped tomatoes, onions, and peppers. A beef jerky taco! I had to try it.

J. Rizzo sent me the recon for Las Gueras and we made a plan to meet the next day before work. We entered the small establishment and took our seats. When the waitress brought our menus I couldn't believe my eyes. On the cover was a blown-up glamour shot of the owner and her two daughters. Anybody who thinks this highly of themselves must have confidence in the food they make. I know I do.
I ordered up two tacos machacado con huevo, one on corn and one on flour. Before any discussion on the merits of a taco filling the tortillas must be evaluated. Both the corn and and flour tortillas were home made and fresh. I expected a lot more dried beef, each taco had only flecks of beef throughout. They tasted great though. The suprisingly tender beef a supporting player to the eggs, onion, and pepper, added a depth of flavor and savory richness. That flavor reminded me of what fish sauce or sardines do when well integrated in a dish. A rich saltiness that you may not be able to pinpoint. Asians call it Umami, the 5th taste. On a side note, I normally prefer corn tortillas but the neutral flavor of the flour tortilla allowed the subtle flavor of the carne seca to shine through. A new favorite.