Guatemalan Shredded Beef in Sauce

Hilachas de res is a Guatemalan stew of shredded beef in tomato sauce, characterized by the “hilachas” (thread-like strands) texture that gives the dish its name.

It’s a very popular homestyle dish in Guatemala, valued for making the most of economical cuts of meat that become tender and shred easily during slow cooking.

Guatemalan Shredded Beef in Sauce

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• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Guatemalan

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 kg of beef flank or brisket (about 2.2 lb)
• 4 of tomatoes, roasted
• 1 of onion, roasted
• 3 cloves of garlic, roasted
• 1 of bell pepper, in strips
• 2 of potatoes, cubed
• 1 sprig of mint
• to taste of salt and pepper
• to taste of oil

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Instructions

1. Cook the meat, boil the meat in salted water until very tender, reserving the broth.
2. Shred, let the meat cool slightly and shred it by hand or with two forks, forming fine strands.
3. Make the sauce, blend the roasted tomatoes, onion, and garlic with a little broth until you get a smooth sauce.
4. Sauté, heat oil in a pot and sauté the bell pepper strips.
5. Add the sauce, pour the blended sauce into the pot and cook a few minutes until it thickens slightly.
6. Add the meat, add the shredded meat and cubed potatoes, along with a little broth if needed.
7. Cook, let cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender and the flavors blend.
8. Add aromatics, add the mint toward the end of cooking.
9. Serve, serve hot, with white rice and tortillas.

Tips for getting it right

• Using cuts with some connective tissue, like flank or brisket, makes it easy to shred the meat after long cooking.
• Cooking the meat over low heat until very tender is key to achieving the characteristic shredded texture.
• Roasting the tomatoes, onion, and garlic before blending gives the sauce a deeper flavor.
• The mint is added at the end to preserve its fresh aroma.

Traditional variations

• It’s a very popular homestyle dish throughout Guatemala, with small family variations in the added vegetables.
• Some families add carrot or green beans alongside the potatoes.

How to serve

Hilachas de res is served hot, in a deep bowl, with white rice and corn tortillas.

It’s a traditional homestyle dish, very present on the Guatemalan family table.

Recommended sides

• White rice
• Corn tortillas

Did you know?

The name “hilachas” (threads) directly refers to the shredded texture the meat takes on after long cooking.

It’s a dish that makes the most of economical cuts of meat, transforming them into a flavorful stew through slow cooking.