Salpicón Bowl – Shredded Beef Salad in a Bowl

I have shared my recipe for Mexican salpicón, a shredded beef salad originally from Spain. Salpicón was just chopped red meat and dressing, but nowadays, Spanish nationals would also think of a seafood salad preparation, and it might bring to mind a much more amplified meat salad in Latin America. In particular in Mexico, the basic recipe might look like a pico de gallo salsa fortified with shredded beef, but it is often doctored with other vegetables. In this version, I am adding toppings and herbs coming directly from my latest backyard harvest. Prepared as an individual portion in a bowl, its versatility makes it a balanced low-carb and high-protein meal.

Shredded Beef Salad in a Bowl – Salpicón en tazón

Printable recipe: Shredded Beef Salad in a Bowl

Ingredients (for 4 bowls)

1 lb (454g) lean beef, cut in chunks (such as stewing, skirt or brisket)
2 cups tomatoes; washed, and chopped
1 medium onion; peeled and divided in half
2 tbsp vinegar (such as white or apple cider)
½ tsp salt
2 cups and 2 tbsp water
Black pepper, to taste
¼ cup cilantro; washed, and chopped
Dressing
2 tbsp lime juice, preferably freshly squeezed
2 tbsp vinegar (such as white wine vinegar)
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp leaves of fresh Mexican oregano, French tarragon and Mexican tarragon, as available; washed and chopped
OR 1 tbsp dry Mexican oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
Extras
1 head lettuce, such as Romaine; washed and chopped
4 fresh hot peppers, such as jalapeños or Black Hungarian; washed
1 English cucumber; washed, and sliced
2 cups green beans; washed
1 cup corn kernels; cooked, from fresh cobs, or frozen
1 large carrot; washed, peeled and shredded
1 medium jícama; washed, peeled, and sliced into sticks
½ lb (225 g) edamame or other green shelled beans, such as dragon tongue; blanched in the pod, then peeled
2 avocados; washed
1 lime; washed, and cut into wedges

Prepare beef: Place meat and one half of the onion in a large pot with two cups of water (photo below, left). Place on high heat on the stove, bring to boil; reduce heat to medium, and cover pot (photo below, right):

Cook for about one hour and a half, until the meat is tender. Remove from heat, discard onions, reserve broth for another use. Shred meat and reserve.

Prepare onions: slice the other half onion thinly, then place into a non-reactive bowl with two tablespoons of vinegar, half a teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons of water:

Let rest for 15-20 minutes. Drain in a colander, discarding liquid. Reserve onions.

Place shredded beef, tomatoes, cilantro, and reserved onions in a bowl or container, seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste:

Mix and reserve.

Prepare dressing: In a jar with lid, place together all the dressing ingredients; close the lid and shake to incorporate:

The lid allows the dressing to be shaken without spilling incidents. Reserve.

Prep the rest of the toppings:

Trim green beans, boil in water (dragon tongue beans, photo below, left) just until they turn bright green (photo below, right):

Drain and rinse in cold water, then slice into sticks. Reserve.

Slice hot pepper in half lengthwise, remove stem and seeds, then cut into strips:

Right before serving, slice avocados in half lengthwise, remove pits and peel (photo below, left). For a decorative shape, work with one half at a time, slicing lengthwise (second photo, below); gently spread the slices to overlap and form a row (third photo, below); close the row to form a spiral (photo below, right)

Repeat with the other halves.

Assemble bowls: Place a base of chopped lettuce at the bottom (photo below, left), then top with one quarter of the meat mix (photo below, right):

Arrange some of the extras on top, with the avocado spiral in the middle, clockwise from top left: lime wedge, shredded carrots, green beans, corn kernels, cucumber, hot peppers, green shelled beans, and jícama:

Drizzle with some dressing, and enjoy!

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