Mexican: Tacos de Nana (Pork Uterus)

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(makes 9 tacos)

Tacos can be filled with just about any meat or even served vegetarian style. American favorites are the usual beef, chicken, or fish. But at a real Mexican taqueria, the menu will have many other options including birria de chivo (goat), lengua (beef tongue), tripas (beef tripe), cabeza (beef head), chapulines (grasshoppers), and more. For the adventurous taco connoisseur, the ultimate taco filling may very well be pork uterus. Raw uterus may not look appealing, but once it’s seasoned, fried, and chopped up, it looks like steak, has a lovely texure, and is super cheap (when you can find it).

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pork uterus
• 1 cup white vinegar
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons chili-lime seasoning (Tajin preferred)
• Flour or bread crumbs
• Oil for deep frying (canola or coconut recommended)
• Corn tortillas (2 per taco, the smaller the better)

Toppings and sides suggestions:

• Pico de gallo (see master recipe)
• Avocado slices
• Pickled jalapenos
• Lime wedges
• Salsa rojo (Fronterra preferred)
• Salsa verde (Fronterra preferred)
• Mexican hot sauce (i.e. Cholula)

Procedure:

1. In a large bowl, add pig uterus, vinegar, and salt; massage meat for about 1 minute (helps eliminate the gamey smell)
2. Rinse uterus with water
3. Boil in very salty water for 5 minutes; drain
4. Using kitchen shears, cut uterus into 2-3 inch lengths, trim off excess membranes
5. Season with chili-lime seasoning
6. Dredge in flour and/or bread crumbs
7. Deep fry in oil until golden brown and crispy (about 4-5 minutes)
8. Transfer to paper towel to soak up excess grease
9. Dice into small pieces
10. Serve on warm tortillas with a squeeze of lime juice
11. Add toppings and sides (as desired)