The Mexican dish of dried and salted beef that is shredded is machaca.
Machaca is a traditional northern Mexican preparation of dried meat, most commonly beef, that is shredded or pounded and then rehydrated and cooked. The technique developed as a practical way for ranchers, cowboys, and travelers to preserve meat before refrigeration was widely available. Beef was salted, spiced, dried, and later softened for cooking.
Modern machaca may use traditionally dried beef, but many cooks prepare it from well-cooked beef that is shredded and fried with its juices. It is commonly combined with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and green chiles. One of the best-known versions is machaca con huevo, in which the shredded meat is scrambled with eggs and served for breakfast, often with flour tortillas.
Regional naming can cause confusion. Carne seca means “dried meat” and may refer to the dried beef itself; in parts of Sonora and the American Southwest, it can overlap with machaca. Tasajo and cecina are also salted or cured meats, but they are not interchangeable names everywhere. Machaca may also be made from pork in some traditions.