Classic Mexican tacos de lengua, beef tongue braised with garlic and onions, finely chopped and served with salsa verde and avocados.
This recipe is not for foodies. If this is you, you might just want to skip this one or check out some of our chicken breast recipes instead. What? are you still with us Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
My first memory of beef tongue was when I was about 8 and happened to have a giant one in the fridge.
Just like my little 8 year old tongue but oh my god it was so big!
And then my parents cooked it and made us eat it. (No idea how they prepared it.) The texture. It was so tongue-in-cheek. All too strange, even for me.
Fast forward a few decades (okay, more than a few) and I’m in Mexico when my buddy Matt announces there’s a crowd around the lengua tacos in the buffet line. I arrive just in time to scoop the last lengua of the day for my taco, and I’m in tongue heaven. So tender, so perfect in a taco.
Here’s the tongue deal.
Cooked right, it’s tender (due to slow stewing) and flavorful (because it’s a muscle that’s been given a lot of exercise). If you chop it enough, the texture won’t be an issue. His home of houses is actually a taco slathered with tomatillo salsa verde.
By the way, my mom instructed me to tell you that if you know they have “tacos de lengua” (tongue tacos) on the menu, you’re in an authentic taqueria. If you find yourself in such a taqueria, give it a try!
Or if you’re the adventurous type and love tacos and Mexican food, the following is a traditional Mexican recipe for tacos de lengua that was taught to me by my Acapulco friend Arturo. That’s what his mother did for him growing up.
Outrageously good. If I could, I would eat the whole portion by myself.
Beef Tacos de Lengua (tacos with beef tongue)
Beef tongue can be found at local Asian markets, Mexican markets, or ordered from your local butcher.
For bottled or canned salsa verde, visit the Hispanic section of markets.
ingredients
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1 3 to 4 lb beef tongue
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2 big onions, peeled off
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cloves from 1 head (yes, a whole head) of garlicpeeled and crushed
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6 to 7 bay leaves
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1 tablespoon peppercorns
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2 tablespoon Salt
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vegetable oil
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Corn tortillas (2 to 3 per person)
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Salsa Verde
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avocados
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coriander
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Chopped red Onion
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Sliced thin radish for garnish
method
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Let the tongue simmer:
Fill a large stockpot (12 liters if you have one) two-thirds full with water. Add tongue, onions, crushed garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt.
Bring to a boil, bring to a boil, cover and cook until tongue is soft to the touch and tender, 3 hours.
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Remove the skin-like covering:
Take the tongue out of the water and let it cool for a few minutes.
Note the light, skin-like covering over most of the tongue. Use your fingers and/or a sharp small knife to remove and discard this cover.
Note the rough patch of flesh where the tongue would latch at the bottom of the mouth. Arturo removes this patch (as does his mother when she prepares the tongue) because it’s a bit rough. It’s perfectly edible, though, so keep it if you want.
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Slice and fry the tongue:
Cut the tongue into 1/4 inch slices. (If you’re not making the whole tongue for tacos, you can return the tongue that you didn’t slice to the cooking water to soak.)
Heat some oil in a frying pan on medium-high and fry the slices on both sides until lightly browned.
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Dice.
Remove from the pan and first cut into strips, then crosswise again so that you end up with small cubes.
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Assemble the tacos:
Soften tortillas by either heating them on the stovetop until air pockets 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. Garnish with radish slices.
Links:
Cuban-style beef tongue with tomatoes, peppers and onions from Masa Assassin
Beef tongue in caper sauce from Nikas Culinaria
Another version of Tacos de Lengua from He Cooks, She Cooks
Many thanks to Arturo Vargas from Taste for the Senses for sharing his family recipe of Tacos de Lengua.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 365 | calories |
| 25g | Fat |
| 19g | carbohydrates |
| 18g | protein |
