Hilachas

Name: Hilachas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Guatemala
Ingredients: 2 lbs flank steak; 3 tomatoes; 2 tomatillos; 1/2 onion; 2 cloves garlic; 1 dried guaque or guajillo chile, toasted; 2 potatoes, cubed; 1 carrot, sliced; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; Salt, to taste; White rice, for serving

6 servings20 min prep120 min cookMedium Guatemala

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Hilachas

Story updated September 17, 2026

Hilachas, meaning "rags" or "shreds" in Spanish, is a Guatemalan home-style dish of beef shredded into thin strands and simmered in a mild tomato-based sauce with vegetables. Like much of everyday Guatemalan cooking, it has no single documented inventor, just generations of family kitchens.

Ingredients

Scale:· 6 servings

2 lbs flank steak
3 tomatoes
2 tomatillos
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 dried guaque or guajillo chile, toasted
2 potatoes, cubed
1 carrot, sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt, to taste
White rice, for serving

Instructions

1Simmer the flank steak in water with salt until fork-tender, about 1 hour; reserve the broth.
2Shred the cooked steak into thin strands using two forks.
3Blend tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, garlic, and the toasted chile with a little broth until smooth.
4Heat oil in a pot and fry the blended sauce for 5 minutes until fragrant.
5Add the shredded beef, potatoes, carrot, and enough reserved broth to cover.
6Simmer 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the sauce thickens.
7Season with salt and serve with white rice.

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