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Tacos de maciza

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Taco type
Also known as: Tacos de macisa, Lean meat tacos

Tacos de maciza are tacos of solid, lean meat; the term is used both at beef head-meat stands, for the meaty parts of the head, and at carnitas stalls, for boneless pork loin or leg.

Contents
  1. Meaning
  2. At cabeza stands
  3. At carnitas stalls
  4. Recipe
  5. Where to try it
  6. Reviews
  7. See also
  8. References

Meaning

Maciza (sometimes written macisa) means "solid" or "massive," and in the taquería it signals the lean, solid meat as opposed to fat, skin or organs. Rachel Laudan glosses the head-stand version simply as solid meat. At carnitas stalls, El Financiero defines maciza as boneless meat from the loin or leg.

At cabeza stands

Head-taco stands sell maciza alongside the more gelatinous cuts. El Financiero lists it at Los Cocuyos in the Centro Histórico and at Tacos Lolita in Roma Norte, and in Culiacán the El Chino cart offers it as a separate order. For diners new to head tacos it is the most approachable choice, with the flavor of the long-cooked head but little of the gelatinous texture of snout or cheek.

At carnitas stalls

In carnitas, maciza is the lean portion of the pig confited in lard. Because it carries so little fat, El Financiero notes that it tends to come out somewhat dry, and many diners have it mixed with fattier cuts such as skin (cuerito) or belly, or ask for a surtida (mixed) taco instead.

Recipe

Makes About 20 tacos · Time: 2.5 hours

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg boneless pork leg or shoulder, in 8 cm chunks
  • 500 g lard
  • 1/2 orange
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk (optional, for color)
  • 20 corn tortillas
  • Onion, cilantro, lime, salsa verde

Steps

  1. Melt the lard in a heavy pot. Add the pork, salt, onion, garlic and the squeezed orange half.
  2. Cook over low heat, just bubbling, for about 2 hours, turning now and then, until the pork is tender.
  3. If using, add the milk for the last 20 minutes and raise the heat slightly to brown the meat.
  4. Lift out the pork, drain and chop. Mix with a little of the fattier meat if you prefer.
  5. Serve in warm tortillas with onion, cilantro, lime and salsa verde.

This is the carnitas-style maciza. For the cabeza-style version, simmer beef cheek and lean head meat and steam as for tacos de cabeza.

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. "Beef Head Tacos/Tacos de Cabeza". Rachel Laudan. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "5 de cabeza para empezar: aquí los encuentras en la CDMX". El Financiero. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "¿Qué parte del cerdo son las carnitas?". El Financiero. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  4. "Tacos de Cabeza "El Chino" en Culiacán; los preferidos de La Gilbertona y Malova: 60 años de tradición y sabor". Tus Buenas Noticias. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Beef tacos Pork tacos Street food Taco types