Course Appetiser Main ingredients Beef Place of origin Spain Main ingredient Beef | Region or state León Variations Jamón Variation Jamón | |
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Serving temperature Room temperature (appx. 15-20° C) Similar Embutido, Salchichón, Jamón ibérico, Chorizo, Blood sausage | ||
In Spanish, cecina [θeˈθina] means "meat that has been salted and dried by means of air, sun or smoke". The word comes either from the Latin siccus (dry) or from the Iberian ciercina related to modern Spanish cierzo or northern wind.
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Spain
Cecina is similar to ham and is made by curing beef, horse or (less frequently) goat, rabbit, or hare. The best known cecina is Cecina de León, which is made of the hind legs of beef, salted, smoked and air-dried in the province of León in northwestern Spain, and has PGI status.
Latin America
The word cecina is also used to name other kinds of dried or cured meat in Latin America.
Mexico
In Mexico, most cecina is of two kinds: sheets of marinated beef, and a pork cut that is sliced or butterflied thin and coated with chili pepper (this type is called cecina enchilada or carne enchilada). The beef version is salted and marinated and laid to dry somewhat in the sun. The marinated beef version can be consumed uncooked, similar to prosciutto. The pork "cecina enchilada" must be cooked before consumption. The town of Yecapixtla is well known for its version of the dish, which varies from region to region.
