Definition & Meaning of "puntas"

What is "puntas"?

Puntas are a traditional Mexican stew made with beef head meat cuts like cheek and tongue. To make puntas, beef head cuts like cheek, tongue and sometimes lips are trimmed of excess fat and cartilage then simmered in a savory broth. Seasonings like oregano, Bay leaves, garlic, salt and pepper are added to the broth to create a flavorful base for the stew. The simmering broth breaks down the connective tissues in the meat, yielding fall-apart chunks of flavorful, tender puntas. The long, slow cooking process turns the usually tougher beef head cuts into a rich, gelatinous stew filled with concentrated beefy flavor. Puntas is typically served with flour or corn tortillas to sop up the delicious broth and accompanied by sides like beans, rice and chopped onions. Despite using less desirable meat cuts, puntas offers big, comforting flavor and an authentic taste of Mexican comfort food.