El Paso machaca uses brisket braised low-and-slow until fall-apart tender, then pulled into coarse shreds and either served dry or scrambled with eggs,.
Where to eat it: 2 restaurants across 1 city.
El Paso machaca evolved from the Chihuahuan dried-beef tradition brought north by cattle ranchers in the 19th century. The brisket substitution is specific to Texas, where brisket became the canonical beef cut through BBQ culture. Kiki's Mexican Restaurant on North Piedras Street has been serving the city's most-cited version since the 1970s.
Kiki's Mexican Restaurant on North Piedras Street is the local benchmark for machaca brunch: braised brisket shredded and scrambled with eggs, Hatch green.
Order: Brisket machaca with eggs and green chile, or huevos rancheros
Tip: No reservations; arrive at 10:30 when they open to avoid the 30-minute weekend wait.
L and J Cafe in El Paso, open since 1927, is the city's oldest Mexican restaurant, serving red enchiladas and house-made salsa from its East Missouri.
Order: Red enchiladas with chile de arbol salsa, or the green chile relleno
Tip: Arrive before noon on weekends; the lunch crowd fills every table by 12:30.
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