Name: Piedras Yucatecas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings (about 24 piedras)
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 cups masa harina (Maseca for tortillas works, but freshly ground nixtamal masa is better); 1 1/2 cups warm water, plus more as needed; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 tablespoon manteca de cerdo (pork lard), softened; 8 ounces chicharrón prensado, finely chopped; 1/2 cup cooked black beans, drained and lightly mashed (frijoles colados estilo yucateco); 1 tablespoon epazote leaves, finely chopped; 2 cups manteca de cerdo, for frying (or enough to come 2 inches up the pan); 1 cup cebolla morada encurtida (pickled red onion with naranja agria); 2 fresh chile habanero, sliced into thin rings; 1 naranja agria, cut into wedges (or substitute equal parts lime and orange); Salsa de chile habanero tatemado, for serving; Kosher salt, for finishing

Question 1

What is chicharrón prensado and where can I buy it?

Accepted Answer

Chicharrón prensado is a dense, salty pressed brick of cooked pork skin and meat sold by the kilo at Yucatecan carnicerías and quality Mexican butcher shops. It is non-negotiable for piedras yucatecas. Puffed chicharrón collapses and ruins the texture. Finely chopped carnitas with rendered fat is the only acceptable substitute.

Question 2

Why did my piedras yucatecas crack open in the lard?

Accepted Answer

Cracked piedras mean the masa was too dry. Yucatecan masa runs slightly wetter than central Mexican tortilla masa. Wet your hands and knead in a tablespoon of warm water at a time until the masa holds together when pressed in your fist and only barely cracks at the edges.

Question 3

What can I substitute for naranja agria?

Accepted Answer

Mix equal parts fresh orange juice, lime juice, and grapefruit juice to replicate naranja agria, the sour orange of the Yucatán Peninsula. Bottled naranja agria from Yucateca brands is acceptable. Never substitute white vinegar, since Peninsula cooks do not pickle or season with it.

Question 4

What temperature should the lard be for frying piedras?

Accepted Answer

Heat the manteca de cerdo to 350°F in a deep cazuela or Dutch oven. A small piece of masa should sizzle steadily and rise within seconds. Fry the piedras for 8 to 10 minutes total, turning every couple of minutes, until they feel rock-hard and look mahogany at the edges.

Question 5

Can I use vegetable oil instead of lard for piedras yucatecas?

Accepted Answer

No. La manteca es el sabor. Pork lard gives piedras yucatecas their deep flavor and the hard, dry exterior the dish requires. Vegetable oil leaves the piedras pale, greasy, and flavorless. Use 2 cups of manteca de cerdo, enough to come 2 inches up the pan.

Question 6

How long do piedras yucatecas stay crunchy after frying?

Accepted Answer

Piedras stay properly hard and crunchy for about two hours after they leave the fryer. After that the exterior softens and the dish is lost. Fry them just before serving the way vendors at Estadio Kukulcán in Mérida do. They do not store, reheat, or freeze well.

Culinary Explorer

Piedras Yucatecas

Ingredients

masa harina

warm water

kosher salt

Where cooking meets culture.

Ingredient	Quantity
masa harinaMaseca for tortillas works, but freshly ground nixtamal masa is better	2 cups
warm water	1 1/2 cups, plus more as needed
kosher salt	1/2 teaspoon