Taco Time: Cochinita @ Mi Taco Yucateco
The Yucatan peninsula’s renowned dish, cochinita pibil, is pork slathered in citrus and achiote paste then wrapped in banana leaves and roasted in an outdoor pit called a “pib” till falling-apart tender. Tacos of the meat are dressed with pickled red onions and fiery habanero salsa. In the city, the dish is made on the stove but can be almost as good as that cooked the traditional way. There are a number of venues for cochinita in the city; I’ve tried them all; this one has always been one of my favorites.
This tiny taqueria purveying excellent cochinita tacos used to be just a pushcart until city authorities decided to clear sidewalks of vendors, tossing many babies out with the bath. Later, Mi Taco relocated to a hole-in-the-wall on calle López, and recently has reopened a stand near its original location facing the small park fronting Ayuntamiento, around the corner from the Mercado San Juan. Each spiky bite of chillied pig meat bursts with flavor and the habanero salsa could grow hair on a bowling ball.
Locale:
López 87, Centro see map
Open: Monday - Saturday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Street stall:
Near Ayuntamiento, facing Plaza San Juan, Centro see map
Open Monday – Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
