The summer go-to taco
Suadero – off the menu, but never out of my head
If there's one taco I always come back to, it's this one.
Not because it's fancy. Not because it tries to be something it isn't.
It just works.
It hits the balance between fat, acid, heat, and freshness from the very first bite.
It's a taco we normally run off the menu. But if you know what you're looking for, you also know why it's there.
Tacos de suadero is a classic from Mexico City. Simple street food where it's all about the ingredient and the technique: beef cooked slowly in fat until it's tender and juicy – then hit with high heat at the end so it gets that crispy edge.
With us it starts with brisket, which we confit in pork fat for several hours. Once it's tender enough to fall apart, we chop it and give it high heat so it gets structure again.
The rest we keep simple:
Warm corn tortilla, the meat, finely chopped onion, fresh coriander, salsa verde – and a good squeeze of lime.
That's the taco I eat myself on a warm summer day. Every time.
Recipe – tacos de suadero (4–6 people)
You'll need:
- 1–1.2 kg brisket
- Pork fat (enough to cover)
- Salt
- Corn tortillas
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- Fresh coriander
- Lime
How to make it:
- 1Cut the brisket into large chunks and place in a pot.
- 2Cover with pork fat and add salt.
- 3Confit over low heat (120–140 °C) for 3–4 hours, until the meat is completely tender.
- 4Remove the meat, roughly chop it, and fry it over high heat on a pan or plancha until it gets crispy edges.
- 5Finish with fresh lime juice.
- 6Serve in warm corn tortillas with onion, coriander and salsa verde.
Salsa verde
You'll need:
- Tomatillos
- Jalapeños
- Onion
- Garlic
- Fresh coriander
- A splash of vinegar
- Salt
How to make it:
- 1Boil tomatillos for 5–7 minutes until soft.
- 2Toast jalapeños, onion and garlic on a dry pan or over an open flame until charred.
- 3Blend everything with coriander, a little vinegar and salt.
- 4Taste – it should balance acid, freshness and heat.
Extra tip
If you want to take it one step further, add a little chorizo to the pot alongside the meat during confit. It gives the fat a deeper, spiced flavour that elevates the whole dish. Not classic – but it works.
This isn't a taco that needs dressing up.
It's a taco about balance.
And it's rarely just one.
— Ignacio, owner of The Taco Truck