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Tacos de costilla

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Taco type
Also known as: Costilla al carbón, Tacos de costilla de res

Tacos de costilla are tacos of rib meat, beef or pork, grilled over charcoal or on the griddle and chopped off the bone onto corn tortillas, often with melted cheese. They are a mainstay of Mexico City's taquerías al carbón.

Contents
  1. Description
  2. Taquerías al carbón
  3. Variations
  4. Recipe
  5. Where to try it
  6. Reviews
  7. See also
  8. References

Description

Costilla means rib, and in taquerías the term covers thin-cut rib meat from beef or pork that is seasoned simply, grilled until browned and fatty at the edges, then chopped and served on tortillas. The Mexico City magazine Chilango, in a guide to pork tacos, praised the concentrated, fatty flavor of rib and noted that the best meat is the part clinging to the bone. Some taquerías serve the rib with the bone still attached on a handmade tortilla.

Taquerías al carbón

Costilla is closely tied to the taquería al carbón, a style built around charcoal grills that is popular in northern Mexico for carne asada and comparatively rare among Mexico City's street stands. El Financiero describes how charcoal gives the meat a golden, juicy finish with a smoky crust. In Mexico City, costilla shares the menu with bistec, chuleta, arrachera and chicken breast at places such as Los Picudos in Colonia del Valle, where tacos come with lightly charred cebollitas.

Chilango's survey of the city's rib tacos highlights La Costilla in Narvarte, where the meat is so tender it barely needs chewing; La Cueva del León in Condesa, whose rib is juicy inside and smoky outside; El Rincón de la Lechuza in Chimalistac, which serves the costilla golden and on the bone; and El Califa in Lomas de Chapultepec, with handmade tortillas. El Fogonazo in Colonia del Valle takes a more upscale approach, offering gristle-free rib alongside arrachera and rib-eye, while El Califa, better known for its gaonera, also appears on Chilango's list.

Variations

Costilla is commonly combined with cheese. Chilango lists a costilla suiza with melted cheese and an alambre de costilla at La Costilla, and in a separate guide names the same taquería's volcán de costilla, rib and melted cheese on a crisped tortilla, as a favorite. La Cueva del León also recommends ordering its rib with cheese. Rib is among the meats offered for alambres at other Mexico City taquerías.

Recipe

Makes About 16 tacos · Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 kg flanken-cut beef short ribs (cut across the bone, 1 cm thick) or thin pork ribs
  • 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 8 spring onions
  • 16 corn tortillas
  • 150 g Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese, shredded (optional)
  • Salsa verde, guacamole and lime wedges

Steps

  1. Season the ribs with salt, pepper and lime juice and let stand 15 minutes while you light a charcoal grill.
  2. Grill the ribs over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until browned and slightly charred. Grill the spring onions alongside until soft and blistered.
  3. Cut the meat away from the bones and chop it into small pieces.
  4. Warm the tortillas on the grill. For costilla with cheese, melt a little cheese on each tortilla before adding the meat.
  5. Serve with a grilled spring onion, salsa, guacamole and lime.

Where to try it

Reviews

Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.

See also

References

  1. "Costillas jugosas". Chilango. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "Tacos de cerdo, animal mágico". Chilango. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "¿Dónde comer tacos al carbón en la CDMX?". El Financiero. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  4. "Volcanes y costras que rifan". Chilango. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  5. "Ricos alambres en el DF". Chilango. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Beef tacos Grilled meat tacos Mexico City cuisine Pork tacos Taco types