Buche Taco
intro
Tender, slow-cooked crispy pork stomach (buche) served on warm corn tortillas with bright, zesty toppings for a classic street taco experience.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the buche
Rinse the 900g pre-cleaned pork buche thoroughly under cold running water, trimming any excess fat or discolored patches with a sharp knife. Cut the buche into 5cm (2 inch) even pieces, pat completely dry with paper towels, and set aside.
Slow simmer the buche
Place the cut buche into a large heavy-bottomed stock pot, add the quartered large white onion, crushed garlic, 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1.5 liters of cold water. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour 45 minutes until buche is fork-tender but not mushy. Skim any grey foam that rises to the broth surface every 30 minutes during cooking.
Drain cooked buche
Once tender, pour the pot contents through a large colander set in the sink, discarding the used cooking liquid, spent onion, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Spread the cooked buche in a single layer on a paper-towel lined rimmed baking sheet, patting the tops completely dry with extra paper towels, and let rest 5 minutes to release excess moisture.
Crisp the buche pieces
Heat 2 tablespoons of lard in a 30cm (12 inch) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, reaching 180C/350F. Add the dried buche pieces in a single layer (cook in 2 batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan) and sear for 2-3 minutes per side, until edges are deep golden brown and slightly crispy. Transfer seared buche to a cutting board and chop into 1cm (1/2 inch) bite-sized pieces.
Warm corn tortillas
Heat a dry cast iron comal or flat skillet over medium heat. Warm each 15cm corn tortilla for 30 seconds per side, until soft and pliable with faint light brown char spots. Stack warmed tortillas inside a folded clean cotton kitchen towel to trap steam and keep them soft and hot for serving.
Assemble the tacos
Fill each warm tortilla with 3 tablespoons (45g) of chopped crispy buche. Top each taco with 1 teaspoon of finely diced white onion, 1/2 teaspoon of chopped fresh cilantro, and a 1 teaspoon drizzle of salsa verde. Arrange assembled tacos on a serving platter with lime wedges on the side, and serve immediately.
Tips
2.Always pat buche completely dry before searing: excess surface moisture will cause the meat to steam instead of crisp, leading to rubbery, bland pieces.
3.If you prefer a less gamey flavor, add 1 tablespoon (15ml) of white distilled vinegar to the simmer water during the first 30 minutes of cooking to mellow the pork stomach's natural earthy taste.
OMG, I’ve been chasing the perfect buche taco recipe since my favorite taco stand in East LA closed during the pandemic and this DELIVERED. I was a little nervous about cleaning the buche properly but the step-by-step tips made it so straightforward. Slow cooked for the full 2 hours and it was fall-apart tender, just like I remember. Served it up with pickled red onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime for our weekly taco night and my partner went back for THREE tacos. Game changer, will be making this for our next potluck for sure!
Made this for my Sunday football watch party last weekend and people were raving. I was worried medium difficulty would be too much for my lazy cooking style but it was mostly hands off once it got in the slow cooker! Only thing I changed was adding an extra spoonful of chili powder to the seasoning rub because I like a little more heat. 10/10, better than the food truck tacos by my apartment.
SO good! I prepped a big batch of this on Sunday to eat throughout the week and it reheated perfectly in the microwave, even after 4 days in the fridge. Wrapped the meat in corn tortillas with a little avocado crema for quick work lunches and all my coworkers were asking for the recipe. My only note is that the cook time felt a little long for a weeknight, but totally worth it for the weekend meal prep session!
Full transparency, I’ve never cooked any kind of offal before and I was so intimidated by this recipe, but my husband is obsessed with buche tacos so I gave it a shot for our anniversary dinner. It turned out incredible??? I followed the directions exactly, cooked it low and slow, and it didn’t have that weird chewy texture I was scared of. My kids even ate it! I was shocked, they usually turn their nose up at anything that isn’t chicken nuggets.
Made this after a long day hike last weekend and it hit so hard. I cooked the buche ahead of time and packed the tortillas and toppings separately so we could assemble tacos at the campsite, and it was such a nice upgrade from the usual hot dogs and trail mix. Only con is that my camping buddy ate half the batch before I even got a second taco, lmao. Will definitely double the recipe next time.
Wait, has anyone tried making this in an Instant Pot instead of a slow cooker? I don’t have a slow cooker right now (mine broke last month) and I’m craving these so bad I don’t want to wait to replace it. Would the cook time adjust down a lot?
I grew up eating my abuela’s buche tacos and I was skeptical a recipe online could live up to that memory, but this is spot on. The slow cook method makes all the difference, none of that tough, rubbery buche you get at fast casual taco spots. The only thing I did different was add a little cumin to the seasoning, just like my abuela used to. So happy I found this recipe!
I made this for my extended family dinner last Sunday and every single person asked for seconds. My tia who swears she makes the best buche in the state even asked for the recipe! I was low-key proud of myself, lol. The meat was so flavorful and tender, I didn’t even need to add extra salt. I will say, prep took me a little longer than the recipe said because I was extra thorough cleaning the buche, but that’s on me, not the recipe.
As someone who’s gluten free, it’s so hard to find good takeout buche tacos that don’t cross-contaminate with flour tortillas, so I was stoked to find this recipe. Used certified gluten free corn tortillas, homemade salsa, and it was absolute perfection. Great for a quick date night in, my partner said it’s better than any restaurant version we’ve tried in the city. Cook time was exactly as stated, no surprises!