6 Budget-Friendly Cuts of Meat You Can Only Find at a Mexican Butcher Shop, According to Chefs

Creating traditional tacos and other Mexican-style meat dishes often calls for a visit to a Mexican carnicería (butcher shop) or the meat counter of a Mexican grocery. Not only do they sell one-of-a-kind offerings; these stores typically offer a great value when compared to traditional grocers. Whether it’s your first or thousandth time shopping at a carnicería, here are some of the cuts of meat you should look out for, according to chefs. 

Pierna or espaldilla (pork leg, chuck, butt, or shoulder)

As a child in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, Marcos Ascencio, chef partner at Taqueria Chingon, remembers going to the butcher with his father to buy meat for the week. “My mom would always send him because he knew all the butchers.” One cut Ascencio recommends: “Pork butt or shoulder, if you go to the Mexican butcher, is called pierna.”

This tougher cut of meat is perfect for braising and stewing pibil-style (with achiote paste in a banana leaf). It’s often marinated for tenderization and flavor, then seared on the grill or griddle and chopped for pastor-style tacos to replicate the traditional cone-shaped trompo typically used in street tacos. 

Suadero

Suadero is a specific cut located between the sirloin and lower flank of a cow. It’s often used for the braised beef tacos of the same name popular in Mexico City. If you can’t find suadero, Jesús Méndez Jr., owner of Taqueria Salud in Birmingham, Alabama, offers an alternative: he buys whole briskets to replicate the silky braised meat recipe. His father (and the chef at Taqueria Salud), Jesús Méndez Sr., leaves most of the fat and membrane intact before gently braising the brisket in water perfumed with hoja santa, bay leaf, onions, and garlic.

“Our cheat code, if you eat pork, is to toss in a link of chorizo for extra fat and flavor,” he says. Once tender, the meat is cooled in the broth, shredded, and crisped up on the flat top when it’s taco time. 

Costillas (beef short rib)

Costilla is the beef short rib of a cow that is sliced crosswise on the bandsaw, “with those three bones in the middle.” says Ascencio. He loves to marinate and grill these quickly so folks can chew on the bones. ”It’s the best part, I really love it,” he says. 

Diezmillo (beef chuck roll)

In Sonora, the cattle country of Northern Mexico, this flavorful cut of chuck or sirloin is prized for all sorts of tasty uses; the Mendez family marinates thin slices for 12 hours before grilling and chopping to order for tacos de carne asada. At Chingón, Ascencio’s team serves the outer skirt of diezmillo in carne asada, which he says is more tender than arrachera, the inner skirt that is commonly sold for this dish. The butcher may offer to run the meat through a machine to tenderize it, but both chefs agree that an acid-forward, citrusy marinade will do the trick even more deliciously. 

Lengua (beef tongue)

Ascencio and Diez both call out lengua as a favorite taco filling. Says Ascencio, “Mom would braise it slow and low with an onion and aromatics. It’s a Sunday thing. When we came home from church, we could look forward to the lengua chopped up nice and steamy” with a simple salsa of roasted chiles, tomatoes, and garlic. The leftovers can be crisped up for tacos later in the week. 

Extras: chicharrón, manteca, and chorizo 

When it’s your turn at the butcher counter, don’t forget to ask your carnicero for some chicharrón, fresh lard (manteca), and chorizo de casa. The chicharrón, or crispy fried pig skin, makes a great snack or garnish. The lard, a byproduct of the fat rendering process, is a flavorful cooking fat and addition to flaky pastry dough; it also lasts a long time in the fridge or freezer. If you see a sign that reads “chorizo de casa,” grab some of this house sausage for adding to egg dishes, throwing into a suadero braise, or simply serving with rice and beans.