Ingredients
Beef
- 800 gbeef brisket or skirt, in one piece
- 1onion, halved
- 4garlic cloves
- 2bay leaves
- 1 tbspsalt
- water to cover
Salad
- 8radishes, very finely diced
- 1red onion, very finely diced
- 1large bunch mint, leaves only, finely chopped
- 1 bunchcoriander, finely chopped
- juice of 4 limes
- 1 tspsalt
- ½ tspblack pepper
- 2 tbspolive oil (optional)
To serve
- cooked white rice
- warm corn tortillas
- lime wedges
Directions
- Simmer the beef with the onion, garlic, bay and salt, covered with water, for about 1 hour 30 minutes, until it pulls apart easily with two forks. Skim the foam off in the first ten minutes. Let it cool in its own broth — cooling it in the liquid is what keeps it from drying out.
- Lift the beef out and shred it finely with two forks, then go over it with a knife and chop it much smaller than a normal shredded beef. Salpicón should be almost minced, so that a forkful carries meat, radish and mint together.
- Dice the radish and red onion as finely as you can. A coarse dice makes this a beef salad; a fine one makes it salpicón, and the difference is entirely in the knife work.
- Mix the chopped beef with the radish, onion, mint and coriander in a large bowl.
- Dress with the lime juice, salt, pepper and the oil if using, and toss thoroughly. Taste and add more lime — it should be distinctly sharp, because the beef is rich and the mint needs the acid to lift it.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavours settle, and serve cold with rice, tortillas and extra lime.
Technique
- Keep the cooking broth. It is a good consommé in its own right and is often served alongside in a small cup.
- Dress it close to serving. Lime juice left on the meat for hours turns it grey and the mint blackens.
- The mint is not a garnish here — it is one of the main flavours, and the quantity should look excessive before you chop it.
Substitutions
- Any well-worked cut that shreds will do: brisket, skirt, flank or shin.
- Spring onion can replace the red onion for a milder result.
Variations
- A cold Salvadoran beef salad, its mint and radish echoing the highland chojín of neighbouring Guatemala, which uses the same idea with pork and cabbage. Unrelated to the Colombian fruit salpicón or the Spanish seafood one.
History
A cold Salvadoran beef salad served with rice and tortillas, its mint and radish echoing the highland chojin of neighbouring Guatemala.
Frequently asked questions
What is Salpicón?
Salpicón is a salad & side from El Salvador: minced beef tossed with radish, mint, onion and lime. A cold Salvadoran beef salad served with rice and tortillas, its mint and radish echoing the highland chojin of neighbouring Guatemala.
How long does Salpicón take to make?
Salpicón takes 25 min of preparation and 1 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Salpicón?
Yes, within limits. Any well-worked cut that shreds will do: brisket, skirt, flank or shin. Spring onion can replace the red onion for a milder result.
What is the most important thing to get right in Salpicón?
Dice the radish and red onion as finely as you can. A coarse dice makes this a beef salad; a fine one makes it salpicón, and the difference is entirely in the knife work.
