Tacos de Longaniza

Tacos de Longaniza

A classic Mexican street taco: crumbled, crisped longaniza sausage tucked into warm corn tortillas and finished with onion, cilantro, salsa and a squeeze of lime.

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Serves

4 (about 12 tacos)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) Mexican longaniza sausage, fresh (raw) pork sausage; if unavailable, use fresh chorizo, or a mild Spanish-style longaniza
• •12 whole corn tortillas, small, about 15 cm / 6 in
• •1 whole white onion, finely chopped
• •1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
• •120 ml (½ cup) salsa roja or salsa verde, store-bought or homemade, to taste
• •2 whole limes, cut into wedges
• •80 g (3 oz) pickled jalapeños, sliced, from a jar (jalapeños en escabeche)
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil, only if the sausage is very lean; longaniza usually renders enough fat

Steps

1. 1 Peel the casing off the longaniza and crumble the meat into rough pieces with your hands or a fork.
2. 2 Heat a wide skillet or comal over medium-high heat. Add the oil only if the pan is dry after a minute of cooking.
3. 3 Add the crumbled longaniza and cook, stirring and breaking up the pieces, for 10–12 minutes, until the sausage is no longer pink and the edges are browned and crisp.
4. 4 Doneness cue: the pork must reach an internal temperature of 71°C / 160°F, with no pink remaining and the fat fully rendered. If in doubt, check with a probe thermometer.
5. 5 Meanwhile, warm the tortillas: heat them dry on a comal or in a dry skillet for 30–60 seconds per side until pliable, or wrap in a damp cloth and microwave for 45 seconds. Keep wrapped in a clean towel to stay warm.
6. 6 To serve, double up two tortillas per taco (they will hold together better), spoon the crisp longaniza into the centre.
7. 7 Top with chopped white onion, cilantro and a spoonful of salsa. Add pickled jalapeño slices to taste.
8. 8 Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.