Cueritos: what they are, what they taste like and how to eat them

What is it?

Cueritos are pork skin cooked and cured in vinegar, with a soft, gelatinous, slightly springy texture. Unlike chicharrón - pork skin fried until crisp - cueritos remain tender and pickled, with a sharp, refreshing flavour. They are a hugely popular antojito and snack in Mexico, above all served on tostadas with lettuce, crema, salsa and a generous helping of chamoy or hot sauce.

Origin and history

Cueritos were born of the nose-to-tail use of the pig, a constant in Mexican cooking ever since the animal was introduced in the colonial era. While the fried skin became chicharrón, another portion was cooked and pickled in vinegar to keep it longer and give it a different texture. The result is a popular charcuterie product sold in markets, tianguis and antojito stalls across the country. Its pickled, fresh and tangy character made it ideal for street food, where it is served cold and ready to pile onto a tostada.

Characteristic ingredients

To make cueritos, the pork skin is thoroughly cleaned, boiled until tender and then cured in a mixture of vinegar with salt, onion, oregano and sometimes chillies or carrot. The pickling gives them their sharp flavour and characteristic pale colour. The final texture is soft and gelatinous, very different from crisp chicharrón. They are kept in their own pickling liquid and eaten cold or at room temperature, without frying.

Cultural significance

Cueritos are pure street flavour. Their star turn is the tostada de cueritos: a maize tostada with beans or crema, the pickled cueritos on top, lettuce, cheese, salsa and chamoy. They are also eaten in tacos, in 'tostilocos' and as a straight-up snack with lime and chilli. Together with chicharrón and carnitas, they belong to the universe of pork antojitos that defines a great deal of Mexican popular food, with that very Mexican combination of sharp, spicy and fresh.

Frequently asked questions

What are cueritos?

Cueritos are pork skin cooked and cured in vinegar, with a soft, gelatinous texture. They are eaten pickled, without frying, as an antojito or snack.

What do cueritos taste like?

They have a sharp, refreshing flavour from the vinegar of the pickle, with the soft, slightly springy texture of cooked pork skin.

What is the difference between cueritos and chicharrón?

It is the same pork skin treated in opposite ways: chicharrón is fried until crisp, while cueritos are boiled and cured in vinegar, ending up soft, gelatinous and tangy.

How are cueritos eaten?

Most typically on tostadas with crema, lettuce, salsa and chamoy. They are also eaten in tacos, in tostilocos or as a snack with lime and chilli, always cold.

Are cueritos eaten cold?

Yes. Because they are pickled in vinegar, they are served cold or at room temperature, straight from the pickling liquid, with no need to cook or fry them.