Meat in Mexico: Pork

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on Beef in Mexico.  Many of you let me know how useful it was, and I’m so glad for that.  As I said then, I think the labels here at the Mexican grocery stores can be somewhat confusing, particularly those on the meats.  I am going to continue to help you decipher some of those confusing labels, as well as restaurant menus, and figure out how to enjoy (or avoid, in the case of one of my vegetarian readers!) all the various types of meat available in Mexico.   This week we’ll talk about pork.

What I hope to is give you through this diagram of general cuts shown (downloadable and printable here), as well as the spreadsheet outlining specific labels available below, is an easily accessible, home-cook’s guide to buying pork here in Mexico.  In the spreadsheet you will find the approximate price per kilo for that particular cut, the direct translation to English and the cut’s American Equivalent, suggested cooking methods and traditional American and Mexican dishes using that particular cut.  Hope you find it useful!  If I get something wrong or leave something out, please let me know, either by leaving a comment here or emailing me at TheGlobalFork@gmail.comTheGlobalFork@gmail.com. 

A couple of things I’ve noticed about Pork in Mexico:

·         Colonial Spaniards introduced pigs to this region and, although it took a while, Mexicans have become extremely fond of this animal, and use every bit of it. You will definitely see parts of the pig being sold here that you would never have imagined seeing in the States.  Definitely try to be adventurous while you have the chance!

·         Other names for pig are “puerco”, “cochino” and “marrano”, and a suckling pig is called a “lechón”.

·         Many times the package is labeled for the dish made from that particular meat, not the actual cut.

·         There are not a lot of “large” cuts of meat available in the normal grocery store like we’re used to in the States, such as Boston Butt.  I have noticed these types of cuts are available sometimes at Costco, or you can ask the butcher at the grocery store to have something cut for you.  Ask for the particular cut “en trozo” and specify how many kilograms you want.  Be aware, you might have to special order these cuts.

·         Most Mexican pork is quite lean, but if you want to be sure all fat is removed, ask for the meat “sin grasa” (without fat) and every last ounce will be removed.   Mexican butchers are meticulous about trimming fat, which will be melted to fry pork rinds and carnitas. The pork rinds are called chicharrones, and the lard itself is manteca.

·         If you’re going to buy meat at the open-air markets, get there early and take home the meat that hasn’t been sitting out all day.  However, they sell a lot of pre-cured pork products at the open-air markets, which I have bought a lot of (even later in the day) and never had a problem.

Here is a list of all the pork labels I have encountered here in Mexico, along with their translations and suggested cooking method.  Click here to download and print this spreadsheet.

COMMON LABELS FOR PORK / CERDO                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 by Alaina Missbach, www.TheGlobalFork.blogspot.com
Label	Price per Kilo	Translation	American Equivalent	Cooking Method	Traditional American Dish	Traditional Mexican Dish
Alambre	$89 MXP	"wire" literally, but is generally meat sold along with bacon, onions and green peppers	pre-packaged meats with vegetables used for fajitas or stir-fry	sauté	Fajitas, Stir-fry	Tacos
Brocheta	$69 MXP	(sing.) skewer (plur.) kebabs	kebabs	Grill	shish kabobs	Brocheta
Caña de Lomo	$96 MXP	"cane" of the loin; it is cured pork loin from Iberian acorn-fed pigs	cured pork loin	ready-to-eat	cured meats	cured meats
Carne al Pastor	$116 MXP	meat "shepherd style"; a Mexican derivation of Lebanese schawarma	no equivalent as this is sold packaged and seasoned, but you can make it at home yourself using pork shoulder (espadilla) and a dried chile (or chipotle), achiote, and pineapple marinade	grilled or roasted	None	Tacos al Pastor
Cecina	$74 MXP	"cured" or "smoked"	dried, salted meat	ready-to-eat	perhaps something using salt-pork, like pork and biscuits	Aporreado, a regional dish of Guerrero (cecina with eggs and chiles)
Chuleta	$74 MXP	chops, cut from the back ribs of the rib loin (espinazo)	pork chops, de-boned	Sauté or Grill	Pork Chops and Applesauce	Espinazo con Verdolagas (Purslane)
Chuleta Ahumada	$68 MXP	smoked chops, easier to find and more readily used than fresh chops	smoked pork chops	Sauté or Roast	Less commonly found in the States, but can be used in any way you would use fresh chops	Chuletas de Puerco con Chile Verde
Chuleta con Hueso	$68 MXP	chops with bones	bone-in pork chops	Sauté or Grill	Same as pork chops without the bone, although the bone generally attributes more flavor and the meat is less likely to become dry
Chuleta Korubata	$425 MXP	chops from the "Korubata" pig	chops from Berkshire pigs, or "Kurobata" pigs from Japan	Sauté or Grill, or Braise due to high fat content	Same as other pork chops, but with minimal seasoning due to the pig's prized natural flavor and juiciness
Chuletón Sin Hueso	$64 MXP	"steak" without bone	A pork "chop" from the loin of the pig	Sauté or Grill	Same as any pork chops, but while meat from the loin is more tender it is less flavorful
Codillo	$45 MXP	"knee" or hock	ham hock; usually smoked used for flavoring	Braise	Split-Pea Soup	Guisados or Sopas
Cortadillo	$69 MXP	Small pieces of pork cut to use in a dish called "cortadillo"	None	Braise	None	Cortadillo Norteño
Costilla	$79 MXP	"Rib"; cross-cut ribs with small bone pieces	None	Grill	None	Served grilled with Salsa
Costilla Babyback	$90 MXP	Babyback Ribs	Babyback Ribs	Grill	Babyback Ribs	Not traditional.
Espinazo de Cerdo	$82 MXP	"Spine" or "Backbone" of Pig; a  cut from the rib loin	None	Braise	None	Espinazo con Verdolagas (Purslane)
Hamburguesa Desayuno	$105 MXP	Breakfast Hamburger	Breakfast Sausage	Sauté or Grill	Breakfast Sausage	Not traditional.
Lomo Mariposa	$99 MXP	Butterflied Loin	Butterflied Loin	Roast	Roasted Pork (great for stuffing)	Roasted Pork
Manteca	$35MXP	Fat	lard (rendered pig fat)	Used as a replacement for fat (oil, butter, etc.) in cooking for better flavor	Can be used to fry/Sauté anything	Very popular, used in many many dishes (Refried Beans wouldn't be the same without it!)
Milanesa	$79 MXP	no direct translation; meat from many cuts that has been pounded out to 1/4-1/2"	Milanese-style	Pan-Fry	Breaded, like Schnitzel	Milanesa
Molida	$70 MXP	Ground	Ground pork	Roast	Meatloaf, Meatballs, etc. (excellent when mixed with beef to add dimensions of flavor)	Same, mix with beef for Albondigas, etc.
Molida Mixta	$86 MXP	Mixed Ground	Mixed package of Ground Beef and Ground Pork	Roast	Meatloaf, Meatballs, etc. (excellent when mixed with beef to add dimensions of flavor)	Same, mix with beef for Albondigas, etc.
Pierna		Leg	Leg of Pork (or "ham", but fresh, not cured)	Braise	Roasted Pork or BBQ Pork	Cochinita Pibil (from the Yucatan)
Pulpa	$64 MXP	"boneless meat", usually large pieces of meat	Stewing meat	Braise	Stew	Guisados like Pozole
Pulpa Pernil	$74 MXP	boneless meat from the leg	Stewing meat	Braise	Stew	Guisados like Pozole
Salchicha, Chorizo	$48MXP	Chorizo Sausage	Chorizo (usually cured, but available fresh); Spanish-style are made with pimenton (Spanish paprika), while Mexican chorizo is made with chiles, making it spicier	When cured, eat raw just reheat; when fresh, Sauté or grill	Often used to make traditional Valencian paella,             Chorizo con Papas, etc.	Tacos, Queso Fundido, tortas, etc. or             Chorizo con Huevos, Choriqueso, etc.
Salchicha, Chorizo Verde		Green Chorizo Sausage, a specialty of Toluca made with tomatillo, cilantro, chiles and garlic	None	Sauté or Grill	None	Same as regular chorizo
Salchicha, Longaniza	$48 MXP	Longaniza Sausage	Longaniza, another Spanish-style cured sausage with its own distinctive flavor due to the use of black pepper and nutmeg; usually made quite spicy in Mexico	Eat raw or just reheat	Can be used to replace linguica in any recipe, which is a Portuguese sausage popular in the U.S. (Beware, though, that longaniza is probably spicier than your typical linguica.)	Tacos, etc.
As you've probably noticed, there are MANY types of sausages available--both fresh and cured.  Just as in any other part of the world, each sausage is unique in the mixture of meat(s) used, as well as other ingredients and particularly spices.  Don't be afraid to try a few to see which flavor you like best!  Remember, the vast majority of sausages are made from pork and, in Mexico, many are spicy.  Also, cured sausages are usually hard to the touch and stored outside of the refrigerator section in the store while fresh sausages are the opposite, but these guidelines don't always hold true.  If you're not sure, ask the grocer or always cook your sausage to an internal temp of 165°F.
Tocino Rebarado	$88 MXP	Sliced Bacon	Bacon	Fry	The possibilities are endless!	Less often used in Mexican cuisine

Finally, here’s a great recipe for Tacos al Pastor, which uses the pork shoulder (or “espaldilla”).  You can ask for the cut using this term, or just ask your butcher for meat to make puerco al pastor.

 Tacos al Pastor

Recipe courtesy of www.rickbayless.com

Makes enough for 20 tacos, serving 4-5 people

·         3½ oz achiote paste

·         3 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, plus 4 Tbsp adobo sauce

·         ¼ C vegetable or olive oil, plus a little more for the onion and pineapple

·          1½ lb (~.7kg) thin-sliced pork shoulder ( ¼” thick is ideal)

·         1 medium red onion, sliced ¼” thick

·         Kosher Salt

·         ¼ of a medium pineapple, sliced into ¼” thick rounds

·         20 warm corn tortillas

·         About 1½ cups raw tomatillo salsa ("green", made from "tomates", as they call them here in Mexico!)

1.       Combine achiote paste, chiles, adobo sauce, oil and ¾ C water.  Blend or food process until smooth.  Use 1/3 of the marinate to smear over both sides of each piece of meat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.  (Refrigerate or freeze the remaining marinade for another use.)

2.       Heat your charcoal or gas grill to high temperature.  If using coals, bank them to one side to create a hot zone and a cooler zone.  If using gas, turn down one zone of your grill to low heat.  (See my blog post on Grilling for more information.)

3.       Brush both sides of the onions with oil and sprinkle with salt.  Lay in a single layer on the hot side of the grill.  After about a minute, when richly browned, flip and brown the other side to the cooler side of the grill until soft and sweet.  Oil and grill the pineapple in the same manner.

Grill the meat in batches, allowing about a minute per side.  Transfer to a cutting board and chop into pieces.  Scoop into a skillet and set over the grill to keep the meat warm.  Chop the onion and the pineapple as well, add to the skillet and toss everything together.  Taste and season with more salt if needed.  Serve with tortillas and salsa.