Salpicon Salvadoreno (Minced Beef, Radish and Mint Salad)

• 2½ lb (1.1 kg) lean beef (salón cut, or eye of round)
• 1 head of garlic (to cook the beef; the broth is kept for soup)
• ½ onion (to cook the beef)
• 5 radishes, very finely chopped
• ½ onion, very finely chopped
• ¼ red onion, very finely chopped
• 1 bunch hierbabuena (spearmint) leaves, finely chopped
• Lime juice: juice of 4 limes, or to taste
• salt to taste

Method

The cook speaks Spanish; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

1. Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the beef with a head of garlic and half an onion. Simmer about 40 minutes, skimming off the foam and adding a little salt. Keep the broth for a soup. 1:23
2. Meanwhile chop the radishes, the half onion and the red onion very finely, and pick the mint leaves and chop them small. 3:08
3. Lift the cooked beef out of the broth and cut it into chunks. 3:45
4. Mince the beef very finely, either with a knife or in short pulses in a food processor, stopping before it turns to paste. 4:32
5. Mix the minced beef with the radish, onions and mint, adding more radish to taste. 6:51
6. Just before serving, season with salt and squeeze over the lime juice (add the lime only at the last moment if you are making it ahead). 8:10

Tip. Serves 6 (our estimate from 2½ lb beef). In El Salvador it comes with rice and beans; a big salad or avocado keeps it lower in carbs. Use mint if you can't find hierbabuena. Use the beef broth for soup.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.