Tacos de cecina
Tacos de cecina are tacos of cecina, thin sheets of salted and sun-dried beef that are grilled and served on corn tortillas. The most celebrated cecina comes from Yecapixtla in the state of Morelos, where it has been produced since the colonial period.
History
Salting meat to preserve it is an old practice in Mexico, and the Spanish brought their own tradition of cured beef from provinces such as León. According to Mexico News Daily, cecina making in Morelos began in Yecapixtla in the sixteenth century, on lands granted to Hernán Cortés, though it became widespread there much later; in 1869 only three families in the town are said to have made it. El Universal notes that the dried meat was valued during colonial exploration because it kept for a long time. Today Morelos sells an estimated 200 tonnes of cecina a week, and Yecapixtla's version is the reference for the rest of the country.
Production
Producers in Yecapixtla use the leg cut known as cañada or pulpa negra. A skilled cutter unrolls it into a long, continuous sheet only a few millimeters thick. The sheets are salted on both sides and laid on long wooden tables in the sun for under an hour, turned often, until they lose roughly 40 percent of their moisture. They are then folded, hung to cool briefly in a closed room and coated with fat before storage, which gives the meat its dark color. Producers attribute the quality of Yecapixtla cecina to the local climate. Other regional styles exist, including those of Sonora and Chiapas.
Besides the plain cecina, called natural, vendors commonly offer a chile-coated cecina enchilada.
Serving
The meat is grilled or seared quickly so it stays tender and develops a smoky, slightly salty flavor, then cut into pieces and laid on corn tortillas. In Morelos it is commonly accompanied by grilled nopales, onion or leeks and fresh cheese, with a spicy salsa; longaniza is a frequent companion, and in Mexico City some stands add a piece of longaniza to the taco for richness. The municipal market of Yecapixtla is a destination for cecina lovers, and roadside fondas in Morelos have long served cecina with requesón.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 600 g cecina (thin salted beef), from a Mexican butcher
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil or lard
- 4 nopal paddles, cleaned
- 6 spring onions
- 150 g queso fresco or requesón
- 12 corn tortillas
- Salsa verde or a spicy salsa roja
- Limes
Steps
- If the cecina is very salty, rinse it briefly and pat it dry.
- Heat a grill or griddle until very hot. Brush the nopales and spring onions with oil and cook until tender and charred, then slice.
- Brush the cecina lightly with oil and grill 30 to 60 seconds per side; it cooks very quickly and toughens if overdone.
- Cut the meat into strips.
- Warm the tortillas, fill with cecina and nopales, crumble cheese over the top and add salsa and lime.
Ready-made cecina is sold in many Mexican markets in the US; thin-sliced beef heavily salted and air-dried in the refrigerator overnight is a rough substitute.
Where to try it
- Mercado municipal de Yecapixtla, Yecapixtla, Morelos: Recommended by Mexico News Daily as the place to buy cecina at its source.
- Los Panchos, Mexico City
- Pasillo de Humo, Oaxaca
- Santa Cecina, Taquería del Barrio, Querétaro
- Siembra Tortillería, Mexico City
- Tacos Cuernavaca, East Los Angeles, California
- Tacos de Don Juanito, San Luis Potosí
- Tacos El Chupacabras, Mexico City
- Tacos El Papi, Mexico City
- Taquería El Taconazo, Querétaro
Reviews
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See also
References
- "State by Plate: Morelos and cecina de Yecapixtla". Mexico News Daily. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "¿Cómo se hace la cecina?". El Universal. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Tacos de cecina en CDMX: hablemos de los de Tlacoquemécatl". Chilango. Retrieved 2026-10-10.