In Spanish and Mexican cooking, cecina can refer to many jerky-like or salt-cured meats. In Oaxaca it usually means long, thin pork strips almost like ribbons of meat, allowed to air-dry for a few hours before being pan-broiled. Sometimes cecina is seasoned just with lime juice and salt before drying, but most often it is covered in an adobo (chile seasoning paste). The dish is featured on the menu of practically every market food stand in the state. As you walk past butcher stands you see long pieces of cecina drying, draped on lines like funny-shaped scarves.
This version is based on a recipe given to me by Luis Armando Hernández. There is a special knack to whittling the meat along the grain into narrow, even strips. In the U. S. the simplest substitute is to ask the butcher for pork cutlets as delicate as veal scaloppini, cut from the leg. If possible allow a brief period of air-drying after rubbing in the adobo, to help approximate the texture of Oaxacan cecina. You can hang the strips to dry over a wooden pasta dryer or clothes rack, or even a string tied like a clothesline between two corners of the kitchen. The room should be as cool and airy as possible.
Marinated Pork Strips (Cecina enchilada)
Ingredients
For the chile marinade (adobo para cecina)
- 4 ounces guajillo chiles tops and seeds removed
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1½-2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 dried avocado leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried Oaxacan oregano or ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano crumbled
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns or freshly ground black pepper
- One 1-inch piece
canela
For the pork
- 8 boneless pork cutlets cut as long and thin as possible
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 tablespoons lard, preferably
home-rendered or vegetable oil
Instructions
Make the adobo
- Wash and griddle-dry the chiles according to the instructions in this video. As they are done, place in a deep bowl and cover generously with boiling water. Let soak for at least 20 minutes.
- Drain the chiles and place in a blender with all the remaining ingredients. Add ⅓ cup water. Process to a smooth purée (about 5 minutes on high), stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. With a wooden spoon or pusher, force the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl.
Prepare the pork
- Slather the adobo thickly over the cutlets. Carefully drape them over a clothes rack, or anything that will let air circulate around the meat; let the cecina air-dry for 2-3 hours. Refrigerate overnight, preferably laid flat and stacked with plastic wrap between the layers.
- When ready to cook, sprinkle the salt over the cutlets. In a large skillet, heat the lard or oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add the cutlets and fry rapidly, not more than 3 to 4 at a time, allowing 2 minutes per side. Serve immediately with Frijoles Colados.
