Oaxaca and surrounding regions, Mexico — Etla and Ocotlán meat markets; traditional cured meat alongside tasajo and chorizo
Cecina is Oaxacan thin-sliced pork (or beef in some regions) that is butterflied into wide sheets, rubbed with chile and salt, then air-dried briefly before grilling or pan-cooking. Unlike tasajo (which is air-dried beef), cecina uses pork and is usually flavoured with a mild chile paste (ancho, guajillo) before drying. It is less intensely dried than tasajo and grills quickly at high heat. Available at Oaxacan meat markets alongside tasajo and chorizo. A component of the plato oaxaqueño.
Mildly spiced, slightly dried pork flavour with char from grilling — less intense than tasajo, more complex than fresh-grilled pork
{"The butterfly-cut pork must be very thin (3–4mm) for correct drying and cooking","Chile paste application: thin coating, not a thick marinade — the paste partially dehydrates during the brief air drying","Air dry for 4–8 hours — less than tasajo; cecina retains more moisture","Grill over high charcoal heat for 2–3 minutes per side — the brief cook time reflects the partial drying","Slice against the grain after resting — particularly important with this flat-cut format"}
{"Cecina is often grilled alongside tasajo at the same market stalls — they share the same charcoal heat","For restaurants: partially pre-cook cecina 80% in a hot pan, hold warm, finish on the grill to order","The plato oaxaqueño: cecina + tasajo + chorizo negro + frijoles negros + Oaxacan cheese + salsa + tortillas","A small amount of lime juice and salt on the finished cecina brightens the preserved meat flavour"}
{"Thick-cut pork — takes too long to dry, grills unevenly","Over-drying to jerky texture — cecina is more moist than tasajo","Low-heat grill — needs high heat for correct char in the short cook time","Applying too much chile paste — overwhelms the pork flavour"}
Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico — Bricia Lopez; The Art of Mexican Cooking — Diana Kennedy