Hilachas — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Tender strands of slow-cooked beef in a silky red sauce of roasted tomatoes, tomatillos, and guaque chiles, a beloved Guatemalan comfort dish served over rice.

Ingredients

1kg beef flank or brisket
4 Roma tomatoes
4 tomatillos, husked
3 dried guaque chiles, stemmed
1 white onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, sliced
1 tbsp recado rojo (achiote paste)
Salt and pepper
Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1 Boil beef in salted water for 1.5 hours until very tender. Reserve broth. Shred meat finely with two forks.
2 Roast tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic on a comal. Toast chiles until pliable.
3 Blend roasted vegetables, chiles, and recado with 1 cup reserved broth until smooth.
4 Strain sauce into a pot. Add shredded beef, potatoes, and carrots.
5 Add 2 cups reserved broth. Simmer 25 min until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens.
6 Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice.

Did You Know?

The name hilachas means "threads" or "rags," describing the thin, shredded texture of the beef that soaks up every drop of the rich red sauce.