Carne de Sol
Northeast Brazil (Sertão cattle culture — Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco)
Carne de sol — 'sun-dried meat' — is the Northeast Brazil cattle culture's method of preserving lean beef by salting heavily and air-drying in the sun and wind (not fully desiccating as with beef jerky), producing a partially cured, still-moist beef that is then pan-fried, grilled, or cooked as the protein in Northeastern Brazilian dishes. The drying is partial — carne de sol retains moisture and must be refrigerated; it is not as preserved as charque (fully dried jerky). The salting draws surface moisture and the concentrated salt is partially washed away before cooking. The flavour is distinctively salty-sweet with a concentrated beef character, and the texture is firmer than fresh beef. It is the defining protein of Northeastern Brazil alongside dried beans and manioc.