

Tinga, or braised chicken thigh, is typically made in a smoky and slightly spicy tomato-based sauce. Lengua means tongue in Spanish, so when referring to a taco, it's usually beef tongue that has been slow-cooked for hours, braised with garlic and onions, finely chopped, and served with salsa verde. Get a recipe for cochinita pibil tacos here. Historically, it's buried in a pit with a fire at the bottom. Cochinita PibilĬochinita pibil is whole suckling pig or pork shoulder that's marinated in citrus with achiote, then wrapped in banana leaves and roasted. Aprende a hacer tacos al pastor en casa con la ayuda de una olla express o instant pot. Tacos al pastor is a perfect meal for any day of the week, especially for budget-conscious moms and dads. It's eaten alone or used as a filling for tacos, tamales, tortas, and burritos. CarnitasĬarnitas is shoulder of pork that's been seasoned, braised until tender with lard and herbs (oregano, marjoram, bay leaves, garlic), pulled apart, and then oven-roasted until slightly crisp. It is essentially grilled, marinated pieces of beef (typically skirt or flank steak) served inside burritos and tacos. Carne AsadaĬarne asada translates to grilled meat. Get a recipe for slow-cooker barbacoa beef tacos here. In America today, it also refers to spicy, shredded, slow-braised beef that's been made tender, then pulled apart. Traditionally, barbacoa is beef cheek and head that's covered in leaves from the maguey plant, then slow cooked over a wood fire in a pit in the ground. Get a recipe for spicy pork al pastor quesadillas here. Pastor means "shepherd," the name given to Lebanese merchants who immigrated to Mexico City in the early 1900s, bringing the concept of shawarma with them. Al PastorĪl pastor is crisp-thin shavings of vertical spit-roasted pork, marinated with pineapple, guajillo chiles, and achiote, then served on tortillas. Ahead, find a list of all the different Mexican meats to try in your tacos, from al pastor to cochinita pibil and everything in between. To help you out next Taco Tuesday, we've put together a list of some of the most common taco fillings out there - and don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone the next time you order. Optional: finely diced white onion, roughly chopped cilantro, squeezed fresh lime, and a homemade spicy sauce, like guacamole, salsa verde, or salsa roja. That's part of what makes them so delicious. Tacos al pastor should always have: (a) al pastor meat, and (b) fine chunks of the cooked pineapple at the top of the gyro. Each filling may be spiced, seasoned, cooked, dried, and even sliced differently. The truth is, despite appearing relatively simple, the taco - and more particularly, how the meat is prepared - can be quite complex.

Both are tasty, by the way - but mixing up braised chicken (tinga) for tongue (lengua) can be a confusing experience for your taste buds. And you don't want to end up ordering lengua when you meant to ask for tinga.

With a menagerie of options from carnitas and carne asada to cochinita pibil, taco-meat terminology is vast. But ordering traditional Mexican food can get a little tricky if you're not up on your taco fillings. There's nothing like a delicious taco to turn your day around.
