Tacos de Lengua
This is an authentic dish.
Warning: this recipe is not for the food queasy. If that's you, you might want to just skip this one, or instead check out some of The North Coast Ranch grass-fed ground beef recipes.
What? You're still here? Okay, don't say I didn't warn you.
Here's the deal with tongue. Yup, I said it. BEEF TONGUE!
Prepared correctly, it is melt-in-your-mouth tender (from slow braising) and flavorful (because it's a muscle that got a lot of exercise).
If you chop it up enough the texture isn't an issue. Its home of homes is truly in a taco.
The way you know you are at an authentic taqueria is that there are "tacos de lengua" (tongue tacos) on the menu.
Serves 18-24
INGREDIENTS
One 3-4 pound beef tongue
2 large onions, peeled
Cloves from 1 head (yes, an entire head) of garlic, peeled and crushed
6 to 7 bay leaves
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 tablespoons salt
Vegetable oil
12 to 24 corn tortillas (2 to 3 per person) or taco shells
Salsa verde
Avocados
Cilantro
Chopped red onion
Thinly sliced radishes for garnish
Tacos de Lengua
DIRECTIONS
Fill a large (12-quart if you have one) stock pot two-thirds full of water.
Add the tongue, onions, crushed garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 3 hours, until the tongue is soft to the touch and tender.
Remove the Outer Covering:
Remove tongue from water and let cool for a couple of minutes.
Using your fingers, and/or a sharp small knife, remove the light, skin-like covering and discard.
Remove the “rough patch” of meat at the back of the tongue...where it would connect to the back of the mouth.
Slice and Sauté: Slice the tongue in 1/4-inch slices. Heat a little oil in a frying pan on medium high and sauté the slices on both sides until they are lightly browned.
Dice It Up: Remove from pan and slice first into strips, then crosswise again so that you end up with small cubes.
Assemble the Tacos: Soften tortillas either by cooking on the stove-top until pockets of air appear in them, or in the microwave (about 10 seconds per tortilla). Place a large spoonful of meat in the center of a tortilla. Add a spoonful of salsa verde and some chopped avocado, onion and chopped fresh cilantro....or anything else you want with tacos!