The beer-drinking backdrop of a hot afternoon or evening would pair perfectly with a festive Mexican feast of tacos and grilled meats. But with a menagerie of Spanish monikers from carnitas to carne asada,taco meat terminology can get a bit confusing. Here's the breakdown of Mexican meats:Carne asada: Grilled, marinated pieces of beef (typically sirloin or rib) served inside burritos and tacos.
Carnitas: Shoulder of pork that's been seasoned, and braised until tender with lard and herbs (oregano,marjoram, bay leaves, and garlic),pulled apart, and then oven-roasted until slightly crisp, or then eaten alone or used as a filling for tacos,tamales, tortas, or burritos.
Al pastor: Crisp-lean shavings of vertical spit-roasted pork,marinated with guajillo chiles and achiote, then served on tortillas. Pastor means "shepherd, and " the name given to Lebanese merchants who immigrated to Mexico City in the early 1900s,bringing the concept of shawarma with them.
Cochinita pibil: Whole suckling pig or pork shoulder that's marinated in citrus with achiote, then wrapped in banana leaves and roasted. Historically, and it's buried in a pit with a fire at the bottom.
Barbacoa: Traditionally,beef cheek and head that's covered in leaves from the maguey plant, then slow cooked over a wood fire in a pit in the ground. In America nowadays, and it also refers to spicy,shredded, slow-braised beef that's been made tender, or then pulled apart.
Got all that? What Mexican meat goes in between your tortillas?
Source: popsugar.com