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Tacos de surtida

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Taco type
Also known as: Tacos surtidos, Mixed tacos, Surtido

A taco de surtida is a mixed taco combining several cuts from the same pot, most often at carnitas stalls and beef head-meat (cabeza) stands, so that the diner gets lean meat, fat and offal in one bite.

Contents
  1. Overview
  2. Related terms
  3. Recipe
  4. Where to try it
  5. Reviews
  6. See also
  7. References

Overview

Surtida (or surtido) means "assorted." Ordering it hands the choice to the taquero, who chops together a little of several cuts. Rachel Laudan lists surtida as a standard option on the board of central Mexican head-taco stands, and El Financiero mentions surtida as one of the taco options at carnitas stalls, alongside loin and leg.

At a cabeza stand, the mix generally includes cheek, snout and other head meat; Tacos El Paisa in Roma Sur is one Mexico City stand that lists surtida with lengua, ojo, sesos, trompa and cachete. In Culiacán, El Chino reports that most of its customers order "carne revuelta," its term for mixed head meat.

A surtida is distinct from a campechano, which Chilango's taquero glossary describes as a taco that mixes different kinds of meat, such as cecina with longaniza and chicharrón, rather than several cuts from one pot. In carnitas, the nenepil (a mix of uterus and stomach) is a narrower, named combination.

Recipe

Makes About 20 tacos · Time: 2.5 hours

Ingredients

  • 800 g pork shoulder in chunks
  • 300 g pork skin (cuero), in strips
  • 300 g pork stomach (buche), cleaned
  • 200 g pork ribs
  • 600 g lard
  • 1/2 orange
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 20 corn tortillas
  • Onion, cilantro, lime, salsa verde

Steps

  1. Simmer the buche in salted water for 1 hour, drain and cut in pieces.
  2. Melt the lard and add all the meats, the salt and the orange half.
  3. Cook at a gentle bubble for about 1.5 hours, until the shoulder is tender and the skin soft.
  4. Lift everything out, drain and chop together on a board.
  5. Serve in warm tortillas with onion, cilantro, lime and salsa verde.

Adjust the mix to taste; more skin makes a richer taco, more shoulder a leaner one.

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. "¿Qué parte del cerdo son las carnitas?". El Financiero. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "5 de cabeza para empezar: aquí los encuentras en la CDMX". 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.
  5. "¿Qué son la nana, el bofe o el nenepil? Breve glosario taquero". Chilango. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Beef tacos Pork tacos Street food Taco types