Flavors · Durango

Caldillo durangueño

Hearty beef broth with chile pasado — a long green pod pepper roasted, peeled and sun-dried — plus tomato, garlic and onion. It’s Durango’s most representative dish, served in a bowl with tortillas.

Traditional dish from Durango

Also known as: caldillo duranguense, caldillo de Durango

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Durango
Durango
Caldillo durangueño — Durango, Mexico
Caldillo durangueño
Caldillo durangueño — Durango, Mexico
Caldillo durangueño
Caldillo durangueño — Durango, Mexico
Caldillo durangueño
Caldillo durangueño — Durango, Mexico
Caldillo durangueño

Caldillo durangueño — Durango, Mexico

Caldillo durangueño is Durango’s most representative dish. It’s a hearty broth of beef cut in cubes or strips, cooked with tomato, garlic, onion and cumin. What sets it apart is the chile pasado, a long green pod pepper roasted, peeled and sun-dried, which gives the broth a smoky and slightly sweet flavor.

Old recipes, according to tradition, used venison; over time beef took its place. Some people make the caldillo with dried beef, and some add potato, which today is optional.

In a survey conducted decades ago about the dish that represented each state, Durango chose the caldillo, and it remains its best-known culinary expression.

Caldillo appears on the menus of small eateries, markets and regional restaurants, and at home it’s a Sunday and cold-day dish.

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Where it comes from

Durango
Beef broth with chile pasado chosen as Durango’s emblematic dish and prepared throughout the state’s regions.

Ingredients

Beef cut in cubes or strips (sometimes dried beef), chile pasado, tomato, garlic, onion, cumin and beef broth; sometimes potato.

How it is eaten

Hot, in a bowl, with wheat or corn tortillas.

When it is eaten

All year round, especially on cold days and for Sunday meals.

Your questions

Questions about Caldillo durangueño

What is caldillo durangueño?

It’s a hearty beef broth with chile pasado, tomato, garlic and onion — Durango’s most representative dish.

What is chile pasado?

It’s a long green pod pepper roasted, peeled and sun-dried. It gives the caldillo a smoky flavor.

What is caldillo durangueño eaten with?

Hot, in a bowl, accompanied by wheat or corn tortillas.

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