Buche @ Maxwell Street Market

Buche @ Maxwell Street Market

Wandering along Canal St. today, two items on the sign at Arroyos Tacos caught my interest: buche and montalayo. They were out of montalayo, so I had a buche taco.



Buche has been described as pig esophagus and/or stomach. The man behind the counter told me it was stomach, but the chunks of dark meat in there suggested it could have been esophagus and perhaps other organ meats (some pieces looked a little like pancreas).



The meat was very mild, and the texture smooth and almost creamy. The chunks of onion and cilantro stem added a pleasant crunch, and the sauce (which could have used a little more heat) had good flavor without a hint of the deep funk sometimes associated with gut meat.

Leaving the market, I spotted another use for piggy: a horrific trophy.



The empty lot on Des Plaines, allegedly the new home of the market, is advertising what may be to come.

The empty lot on Des Plaines, allegedly the new home of the market, is advertising what may be to come.

We were just there taking pics today too. Guess great minds think alike

Another new thing: the "stand wrapped in Saran," always located right next to the UPS sign on Canal around 12th, now has a name: La Paz.



For years, this stand (which I think serves the best huitlacoche tacos at the market) was one of many nameless places; I'm glad it's able to identify itself (makes it easier to recommend to people).

Interesting. Thanks, David. I'm always excited to hear about new tacos.

Montalayo is also new to me. Do you know what it is?

eatchicago wrote:Montalayo is also new to me. Do you know what it is?

It's a sausage, usually made with sheepmeat, and I'm not sure I've ever had it. I'm headed back to the market next weekend, and I intend to try it if they have it.

Interesting the buche showed up. I ordered one of these a year or two ago here in KC, never having seen it before. I believe they described it as "stomach." My memory of it is much as you described. I thought I wrote some notes or took some pics, but I don't know off-hand.

You never know when moving from place to place whether a new word indicates a new food, or just a new name for a familiar one.