Tacos de oreja
Tacos de oreja are tacos of pig's ear, braised or confited until the cartilage turns tender and sticky, then chopped and served at carnitas stands, head-meat stands and taquerías.
Overview
The ear is one of the smaller cuts of the pig's head, made up of skin over a core of cartilage. Cooked long enough, the cartilage loses most of its crunch and the skin turns gelatinous, which gives oreja tacos their characteristic chewy, slightly sticky texture.
El Financiero, describing the cuts found at carnitas stands, notes that ear, snout and heart are chopped finely for tacos. The ear also appears at stands that steam head meat. Los Cocuyos, a 24-hour taquería in Mexico City's historic center, lists tronco de oreja, the thick base of the ear, among a long roster of head cuts that includes cheek, eye, tongue, brains and snout.
Preparation
There are two main approaches. In the carnitas method the ears go into the cazo of lard with the rest of the pig and come out soft with crisp edges. In the braised method they are simmered for hours in a seasoned broth. Writing for The Village Voice in 2006, Nina Lalli described the oreja tacos at Taco Mix on East 116th Street in Manhattan: a cook pulled one or two ears from a cauldron that simmered all day behind the counter, chopped them with a cleaver and served them tender enough that the cartilage offered little resistance, softening further as the day went on. She noted that the tacos left fingertips and lips pleasantly sticky.
Once chopped, the ear is often mixed with other cuts in a surtida taco, or ordered alone by those who like its texture.
Related cuts
Oreja is closely related to trompa (snout) and cuerito (skin), all collagen-rich cuts that become soft and gelatinous with slow cooking. In beef head-meat stands the ears are usually removed before the head is cooked; Tus Buenas Noticias reports that El Chino in Culiacán takes off the horns and ears before simmering its heads, so ear tacos are mainly a pork tradition.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 pig ears (about 1 kg)
- 1 white onion, halved
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lard
- 12 corn tortillas
- Chopped onion, cilantro, limes, salsa roja
Steps
- Scrub the ears well and singe or shave off any hairs. Rinse.
- Put them in a pot with the onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano and salt, cover with water and simmer gently until a knife slides through the thickest part easily, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
- Drain, let cool slightly and slice into thin strips, then chop.
- Heat the lard in a skillet over medium-high heat and fry the chopped ear for 5 to 8 minutes, until some edges crisp. Season with salt.
- Serve in warm tortillas with onion, cilantro, lime and salsa roja.
The cooking liquid sets to a jelly when cold and makes a good base for beans or soup.
Where to try it
- Los Cocuyos, Mexico City: 24-hour historic-center stand that sells tronco de oreja among its head cuts.
- Taco Mix, New York City: East Harlem taquería praised by The Village Voice in 2006 for its braised oreja tacos.
- Tacos de Cabeza de la Juárez, Culiacán
Reviews
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See also
References
- "Lend Me an Oreja: The Search for Ears is On". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "¿Qué son nana, nenepil y bofe? Esto hay en tus tacos de carnitas". El Financiero. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "5 de cabeza para empezar: aquí los encuentras en la CDMX". El Financiero. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "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.