# Mexican Style Nacho Beef - How?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-style-nacho-beef-how/416724>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 24, 2007, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-style-nacho-beef-how/416724 "2007-08-24T02:48:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BACI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@BACI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BACI)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-style-nacho-beef-how/416724/1 "2007-08-24T02:48:38Z")

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Around these parts, most of the beef in Mexican cooking is a kind of stewed, fibrous, brown kind of beefy substance. Not your typical mince, something different.

Anyone know how I can make it at home?

You’re the best. Thanks

M

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**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-style-nacho-beef-how/416724/2 "2007-08-24T03:35:37Z")

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What are “these parts,” for you? I am guessing you aren’t American, because you mention “mince” whereas Americans just call it ground beef. You’re probably thinking of shredded beef, and here’s a recipe for shredded beef enchiladas you could adapt into other Mexican dishes: [http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Shredded-Beef-Enchiladas/Detail.aspx](http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Shredded-Beef-Enchiladas/Detail.aspx)

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**Author:** ![BACI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@BACI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BACI)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-style-nacho-beef-how/416724/3 "2007-08-24T03:42:45Z")

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Perfect!! Exactly what I was looking for.

We have a winner.

Thanks so much BBVL.

M

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**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-style-nacho-beef-how/416724/4 "2007-08-24T16:22:09Z")

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Just added this to my recipe box. Big thanks BBVL!

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**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-style-nacho-beef-how/416724/5 "2007-08-24T18:19:21Z")

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Before fajitas became too popular to use the original material, they were made with _skirt steak_. That’s butcher talk for the cow’s diaphram, the dome-shaped sheet of muscle that operates the lungs. It can be very tough, but you can cut narrow strips across the grain to make it tender.

There aren’t enough diaphrams for all the fajitas, so the beef in them is now from various parts of the beast. I just had a feeling that this might be more than you wanted to know. :smack:

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**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-style-nacho-beef-how/416724/6 "2007-08-24T20:31:06Z")

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Another way to get the same effect is to simply used leftover pre-cooked meat. If you’ve had a roast, or such, use that meat for your nacho beef base. (Or chicken.)