Pierna Meat
Pierna is the Spanish word for leg. Pierna meat refers to meat from the leg, such as pork leg.
Torta de Pierna
Torta de pierna is one of the most popular Mexican sandwiches, made by stuffing a crusty bread roll with roasted pork leg meat. The meat is often left over from holiday roasts and can be flavored with wine, adobo sauce, or other seasonings. Cheese or cream may be added to the sandwich, but the basic ingredients are pork and bread.
Beside the famous Ham Torta, the Mexican pork leg Torta (Torta de pierna) is one of the most popular sandwiches in Mexico. Every region has their own version, made using either bolillos or teleras bread.
Meat Cuts and Dishes
The kasim is a common and versatile pork cut used for slow cooking dishes like adobo, menudo, and sinigang. Liempo or pork belly is the fattiest and most flavorful cut. Pork shoulder is ideal for pulled pork as it has an optimum fat content that yields tender, melty meat when cooked slowly. Pork tenderloin is very lean, tender, and delicate.
Other Meat Varieties and Dishes
Cecina is salted and dried meat. Carne asada refers to grilled beef steak. Espinazo refers to the rib loin of the pig that can be used for roasting, stewing, or pan-frying. Chamberete de Carnero or Caa del Cordero refers to lamb shanks that can be braised or stewed.
Home cooks make tacos with thin slices of marinated beef, pork sausage, and crunchy pork rinds. Taco Campechano contains a mix of flank steak, sausage, and pork chicharrnes. La Bandera Dominicana is a traditional Dominican lunch meal containing Res Guisada, a braised beef dish. Dry heat methods like roasting, grilling, and broiling are best for tender cuts to avoid overcooking.