Hey there and welcome back! This week I am going to bring you a dish that will have you saying “shut your mouth” – beef tongue tacos also knowns as Lengua Tacos.
I recently stepped out of my usual cooking comfort zone and made these amazing tacos, and the first thing I thought of was how excited I was to share this recipe with you. So, mix up a margarita, with or without the booze, because either way, it will pair beautifully with these beef tongue tacos that will give you something to talk about.
Let’s first talk about what ingredients you will need for this dish:
Beef tongue – about 4 pounds
7 bay leaves
An entire head of garlic crushed – plus an extra clove peeled and set aside
2 large white onions
1 medium red onion
Salt and pepper
Flour tortillas
A few avocados
2 limes
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sliced cabbage or slaw mix
First, we will get the beef tongue going because it takes 3 hours to cook.
I was able to get the beef tongue locally at Mountain Steer Meat Co. and it was fresh, clean and vacuum sealed for freshness, which is always important. Place the tongue in a large pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add in the bay leaves, the crushed garlic and the two peeled white onions cut in half. To crush garlic cloves you take the clove and lay it on the cutting board and place the flat side of your knife blade on top of the garlic and pound quick and hard with the palm of your hand. The skin then comes off easily and you have crushed garlic.
Fill the pot with water leaving a few inches at the top. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer (medium heat), put the lid on it and set a timer for 3 hours and leave the tongue alone.
While the tongue is cooking this is a great opportunity to pickle some red onions.
This recipe called for the pickling mixture to be cooked on the stove, but my kitchen was hot enough and I didn’t want to add another heat component so I did this in the microwave and it worked great.
Slice the red onion and set it aside. Then in a small to medium bowl mix the honey, both kinds of vinegar and water, and microwave for 3.5 to 4 minutes or you can bring it to a simmer on the stove. While the pickling mixture cooks, peel and slice the extra garlic clove and place in the bottom of a small-medium sized mason jar. Place the sliced red onions on top of the garlic in the jar then pour the pickling mixture on top of everything. Put the lid on and let the onions sit at room temp for about 30 minutes, then they are ready to eat!
About 30 minutes or so before the tongue is ready, cut the avocado into cubes, squeeze some fresh lime over the avocado and season with salt and pepper. This may sound so simple but it is so good and gives the tacos a pop of freshness. Set the bowl of avocado to the side and get ready to finish up the beef tongue.
When the 3 hours are up, most of the liquid will have cooked out of the pot containing the beef tongue. Take the tongue out of the pot and place it on a cutting board to cool for just a few minutes. You will notice there is a thick membrane on the tongue that contains the tastebuds. This membrane peels off pretty easily and you will notice you are left with extremely tender meat that resembles a pot roast – it can string apart. Slice the beef tongue into about ¼-inch slices then place the oil in a pan and put it on medium heat.
Once the oil is heated start putting in small batches of the sliced beef tongue, being careful not to overcrowd your pan – you are simply searing the tongue on each side so 30 seconds to a minute on each side is plenty. Slice the tongue into smaller bite sized pieces after searing.
Now it’s time to build the tacos! I always like to warm the tortillas for about 30 seconds or so in the microwave or 15 – 30 seconds in a pan. Lay down a tortilla and place some of the beef down the middle then top with the sliced cabbage or slaw mix. I used the slaw mix since it was already cut up and I like all the great colors. Top the cabbage or slaw with the avocado and pickled onion, wrap it up and serve!
We enjoyed this meal with cheese dip and chips but you could pair this with refried beans or a rice and salsa mixture or both. You could add sour cream, salsa, some roasted corn, fresh cilantro or diced tomatoes to the tacos to make them your own.
I kept it simple because I really wanted to highlight the beef tongue, but don’t be afraid to make this your own. This recipe made me try new things, which is always fun for me, and something I try to encourage you to do regularly. As creepy as beef tongue may sound, and look, it really was absolutely amazing and I encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone and give it a try.
As always, I am sending love from my kitchen to yours!
