Guatemalan Hilachas
Hilachas is a traditional Guatemalan shredded beef stew simmered in a rich tomato and chile-based sauce, thickened with toasted seeds and packed with tender carrots and potatoes. Served with rice and tortillas, it’s comforting, flavorful, and full of depth—perfect for slow Sundays.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 18 cups water
- 2 lbs flank steak
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 tomatoes whole
- 2-3 tomatillos whole
- 1/2 medium yellow or white onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 chile ancho or pasilla
- 2 chile guajillo
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 tsp of cumin
- 2 large russet potatoes peeled and chopped
- 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot with 18 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat and heavily season with salt. Add the bay leaves and meat, and allow this to simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Skim off and discard any scum that rises to the top, then lower the heat to medium and place the lid on top of the pot, ensuring that there is a small gap for steam to escape.
- Allow this to simmer for about 2 hours, or until the meat is fork tender. Then transfer the meat to a cutting board and allow it to cool as you work on the next few steps.
- Add the tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, onion and dried chilies to the pot and allow this to simmer for 15 minutes, or until everything is cooked through.
- Transfer the tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, onion, chilies and bay leaves to a blender and add the sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and cumin, along with 1 cup of the cooking water, and blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer the blended sauce, along with an additional 2-2 1/2 cups of the cooking water, to an empty pot over medium heat.
- Shred the meat into thick shreds (you don’t want them to be too thin because the meat will continue to pull apart as it cooks) and add it to the pot as well. Allow this to simmer together until the sauce deepens in color, about 10 mins.
- Add the potatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow everything to simmer with the lid on for an additional 12-15 minutes on medium-low heat, then serve with rice and tortillas.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- I like using toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds to thicken the sauce, but you can also use ¼ cup toasted breadcrumbs, a toasted tortilla, a slice of toasted bread, or a boiled potato—just blend it into the sauce!
- Toast your seeds – Lightly toasting the sesame and pumpkin seeds enhances the flavor and gives the sauce a deep, nutty richness.
- Make it ahead – Hilachas tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen overnight. It’s a great make-ahead meal for gatherings or easy leftovers.