Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Carne Picada - Just what does it mean?

Some time ago I bought a package of meat labeled 'Carne Picada' from Wal-Mart. The meat was something like a cross between ground beef and beef steak cut in strips. It's absolutely fantastic cooked in a skillet with sliced onins until the meat is just slightly pink then topped with shredded cheese. Rod eats his between slices of bread and I just pile it on a plate and eat it with a fork. It reminds me of the steak used in a Philly sandwich or omelet.

Anyway, we picked some of that up at Wal-Mart a couple of days ago and I'll more than likely use it this weekend.

But I wonder... what the heck does 'Carne Picada' mean? A google search turns up many references to it and several that claim it means 'minced meat' but this meat isn't minced. It isn't quite ground, either. It's more like shredded.

So, do any of you know what Carne Picada means and do you know the meat I'm talking about?

Also, if you have other ideas on how to use it, I'd love to know them!

48 comments:

Anonymous said...

garlic, onions, jalapenos, kosher salt, pepper and oil(usually canola, sometimes olive), and some lime juice.

for about 3lbs of meat, about 6 large garlic cloves, 2-3 large onions, and as many jalapenos as you want. mince the garlic or through a press, slice the onion and jalapeno.

put everything together, let it marinate in a bag for about 15 minutes, then through it out on the grill(i use grill buddies or something similar to keep everything from falling into the grill). let it grill until the juices caramelize on the meat, then remove and serve with some tortillas. walmart carries some abuelas tortillas you can cook up in a few minutes on a griddle or other flat pan on a stove.

i like to make some guacamole as a side dish, and my mom absolutely loves it this meal.

CookinsForMe said...

I just now saw this comment! Thank you for sharing this idea with me. It sounds great. I'll try that next week and will blog about it, probably.

Anonymous said...

Carne Picada is minced Steak, entrails (meaty guts/inners from various animals:chickens, cow, sheep, etc. Kinda of a mystery meat (beef with little "extras" mixed or melded in) - a mexica meat mince. Walmart has a wide mexican clientel which is why you might see it there more often.

Anonymous said...

It makes perfect Broccoli Beef or Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches. The business about entrails is ridiculous, it is thinly slices of trim and end pieces of BEEF.

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Anonymous said...

It's just beef kind of shredded and I found it at Walmart too and asked a friend who was a chef what to do with it. Ended up putting in slow cooker with a pouch of fajita sauce, slice peppers and diced onions and cooked on low for a few hours. It still had a little pink to it. Served with my "taco bar" and kids and guests loved it in hard and soft shells! Will definitely buy it again!

Anonymous said...

I just bought some and used it in chili, turned out great.

Anonymous said...

Carne picada is thinly sliced or shredded beef. It is typically chuck beef, but meat labeled as carne picada may also contain other lower-grade cuts of beef.

Anonymous said...

It makes a great chili! We do trim off some of the fat. It doesn't matter if it is a little tough because it cooks (we brown it before putting it into the chili) all day in a large Crockpot which tenderizes it.

Anonymous said...

i also got the walmart carne picada beef and its awsome for steak tacos

The Foodaholic said...

Good info

Unknown said...

This is so interesting. I, too, saw this at walmart and am regretting not buying some. Great ideas.

Unknown said...

I picked a package up at wal-mart and used half in my beef tips and rice recipe and the other half I marinated in a package of taco seasoning, 2 tablespoons lime juice and 3 tablespoons oil and fried it with onions and bell pepper and served it like fajitas

KayT said...

'carne' is Spanish/Mexican for 'beef'. 'picada' is a cooking term for thinly sliced (and usually pounded thin) meats such as veal, pork, or chicken.

Anonymous said...

I found Carne Picada sliced beef at Aldi and used it today instead of more expensive flank steak in a Cuban dish called Ropa Vieja. After cooking for three hours on the stove with Adobo, Sazon, Sofrito, tomato sauce, onions, green bell peppers, garlic, sliced green stuffed olives, capers, and cilantro, the meat was so tender that it just fell apart and looked like it had been minced. I served it over yellow rice. Delicious!!!

Anonymous said...

Like most of the others here, I had no idea what it was and bought it from Walmart as well. Just slow cooked a crockpot full of chili and everyone Loves it. I'll buy it again.

Anonymous said...

What about using it to make beef jerky?

Anonymous said...

I think you would end up with beef saw dust as this meat is chopped like a real phili steak for cheese steak. I'm picturing chewing tobacco.

Anonymous said...

I used it in homemade veg beef soup and it turned out great, however I did have to cut down some of the longer pieces. I left in the pieces with more fat and they were tender after simmering in the soup for 1.5 hours.

Unknown said...

just bought some marked down at Kroger.... 1/2 price.... though it looked like shredded beef and this confirms...thanks for the blog! Have not decided what to make yet but I am sure it will be yummy! :) take care!

rczclark said...

I was looking for stew meat when I found carne picada at WalMart. I'm going to make either beef tips or beef stroganoff with it in my slow cooker.

Anonymous said...

I bought some at Aldi last week because it was cheap beef. I piled it on the cutting board and minced it with a clever and used it to make my own version of Beef Stroganoff. Basically beef fried with onions (mushrooms if you have some, satl, pepper, a bit of garlic, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Thicken it with heavy cream, and serve over egg noodles. either stir in some sour cream at the last moment or use it as a garnish on top.

Anonymous said...

I get the carne picada from Wal-Mart, marinate it in a bag with taco seasoning, orange juice and vinegar. Fry it in a real hot pan and get it crispy. Serve with corn tortillas, diced onion, cilantro and hot sauce.

Anonymous said...

Great for pepper steak. Brown meatv with sliced green peppers and onions add mushrooms. Get beef and broccoli season pack. Serve over white rice.Guaranteed hit

Anonymous said...

This makes fantastic Beef Stroganoff. Brown meat with 2 large onions..some garlic to taste..and sliced mushrooms....to the meat add 1can each..Cream of Chicken..Cream of Celery and 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup...You can add 1 can of milk depending on your cooking method. YSlow simmer for about an hour.or sometimes I put in the Crock Pot on low for 2-3 hours. Served over wide noodles....Yummmmmm

Anonymous said...

im SO glad i found this blog. i see carne picada in walmart all of the time & decided to google it today to find out how it is cooked. ran across his one stop shop of ideas.
Thanks All!!
i picked up a pkg and will be trying it out this week :)

Unknown said...

Pressure cook for 12 minuets, use meat juices to make gravy and serve on mashed potatoes on top of Texas toast. Great s*it on shingles.

kkima68 said...

I use the carne picada in this recipe instead of the stew meat. It is awesome!!!

CHILI VERDE MEXICAN BEEF STEW

In pressure cooker or large pan, brown:
2-3 Tablespoons oil
2 pounds lean beef stew mean (cut into 1-inch cubes)
2 Tablespoons flour
Cook until meat is browned.

Add enough water to more than cover the meat
(I put almost half a pan of water).
Pressure meat for 20 minutes (or cook in saucepan
until meat is tender and falling apart.)

Add:
1 can Ro-tel diced tomatoes & green chilies
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 beef boullion cube
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies
1 teasp. dried oregan
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
1 (15oz) can white hominy, drained
1 pound tomatillos, diced (about 4 cups)
2 jalapenos, seeded & chopped
2 bunches cilantro, chopped

Cook until all ingredients are well done. The flour
on the meat makes the soup slightly thick.
Serve hot with Jalapeno Cornbread, or Cheese
Quesadillas.

Unknown said...

I know it's a little late to post but thought I'd let u in on the best tacos ever! Just season meat with garlic salt, and Creole seasoning, adding in a chopped onion, and mix in mixed garlic. Let sit for 30 minutes. Cook meat (I do it on my griddle in batches) in a little butter. Serve on deep fried corn tortillas with cilantro, cheese, onions, and Pico de gallo. Always a hit, even with my picky kiddos. 😊

Anonymous said...

Thanks..yes it's an old post but I am just reading it!

Unknown said...

Is 20 mins not too long? I have an Instant Pot and bought some at Aldis today not knowing what it was. Thanks for the tips

maary-jo said...

really late to this blog, but had bought some at wal-msrt and put in freezer. took it out today and also googled the word and read the great recipes. have onions and peppers, so will definitely fix this tonight, with a side of rice. thank you all for such ideas. mj
s

Donna said...

Got some at Aldi's, found this post when I Googled what to do with it! Thanks for all the suggestions!

Anonymous said...

I always make tacos outta it. Tender juicy and flavorful. I just brown it till light pink add taco season packet half the water and let sauce thicken. Serve in your favorite tortilla with onion cilantro lettuce avocado and lime and a dollop of sour cream.

Unknown said...

Thanks y'all for posting your experiences with carne picada.I wanted beef stew & Walmart does not have the best price for most beef, so I decided to try Carne picada. Now that I know what it is, I feel confident about using it.Thanks

Anonymous said...

it is most likeley, tri-tip.
tri-tip is a cut of beef from the bottom sirloin subprimal cut.

Which is great for tacos, Philly cheese steaks, chili , fajita, teriyaki steak, or any recipe that call for beef/ground beef. Sheppard's pie, stuffed cabbage, soup, even a supplement to larger chunks of stew like Hungaria Gulash

Unknown said...

I bought some yesterday for making philly's actually have never heard of it and was just hoping it would work, hahaha! I figured I would double check before I make dinner tonight. Thanks so much for this post and all the comments :)

Unknown said...

I've never cooked it before that's why i looked it up thank you for all the suggestions

LaLaLovely76 said...

Ran across this on a search. Purchased a pack of carne picada at Aldi. Wanted to make fajitas with it. Thanks so much for the ideas!!

Unknown said...

I have never heard of this,thank you all for recipes and opinions. I believe that I will cook it with mushrooms like beef tips with a mild sauce.I will marinade the mushrooms with garlic and butter and sautée them first to give them the flavorful kick by themselves to and a little special flavor to the dish.THANKS
WILLY THE COOK

SoutheastBrokerBlog said...

Fixin to throw carne picada in the smoker. Will let you know how that turns out.

SoutheastBrokerBlog said...

Fixin to throw carne picada in the smoker. Will let you know how that turns out.

Unknown said...

I always use it for chip dip! With bacon and cream cheese and really it's good with anything!

Anonymous said...

I bought the meat on clearance for soup but wanted to try something different so I googled beef fried rice. Found a great recipe! I rolled portions of the beef in corn starch and then fried it. Instead of adding it to the street fried rice and veggies, I served the beef on top of the rice. Yummy! Great way to stretch a pound and a half of meat. My husband and I ate this for two nights. Definitely will buy this in the future

Unknown said...

Just put it in a chili and it is great.

Anonymous said...

I bought a 2 pound pack on sale at my local grocery. Used some for Mongolian Beef, some for Tacos de Carne Asada, and some for chili. It was extremely good in all 3 applications. Quick cooking, tender and economical!

POE said...

Dude your crazy there's no inner from any animal from this meat FAD would go crazy if they saw Wal-Mart was sellen Picasso labeled as beef and had all that shit ur sayen in it without putten it on the label thats a big NO NO and LAW SUIT PPL ARE ALLERGIC TO PORK CHICKEN AND SO FORTH TO PUT IN MEAT WITHOUT SAYEN SO WOULD KILL AND PUT WALMART AND WHO MADE IT OUT OF BUISNESS I MEAN REALLY MAN OR WOMAN COME ON

POE said...

FDA I meant