The corn stalks have all tasseled. They are so tall that they could shoot a (yet another) “Children of the Corn” remake. That is “cook” code that would roughly translate to “summer is reaching its highest point and it will be over soon”. So instead of spending hours in the kitchen, we will enjoy the last days of hot weather. Enter Beef Lengua Tacos (or Tacos de Lengua, in Spanish).
And before I elaborate on what Beef Lengua Tacos are, I will tell you that you can use for this recipe any other kind of cooked and shredded beef instead, like that pot roast that has been sitting in your fridge for the last two days.
In this economy, or any other for that matter, we should not be throwing away any food whatsoever. So give Beef Lengua Tacos or leftover beef tacos a chance.
So, what is “Lengua” anyway?
Now, unto the hard, traumatic part. What on earth does Lengua translate to? It is the most underrated beef cut, I tell you that. It is also possibly the cheapest you can find, if you can find it at all. I am guessing, because it is unsightly, butchers usually discard it in the US of A, unless you are in California, Texas or Arizona. But South of the border, it is one of the most popular tacos.
And while it is true that it looks like something straight out of “The Call of Cthulhu”, it is also full of fork tender meat if you do it right.
So yes, this post is about Beef Tongue Tacos. There, I said it! But I will also say you will not regret it once you try them. Also, you don’t have to get into any details when you serve them to your family. “It’s beef”, will suffice, don’t you agree? Your secret is safe with me. Mum’s the word!
So let us break out that slow cooker that has been gathering dust all summer long and get our rears into gear!
Beef Lengua Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 beef tongue
- 1 onion (divided, one half piece for the slow cooker and the rest of it chopped for garnish)
- 3 cloves garlic whole, peeled
- 2 units bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp lard or butter
- 1/2 to 1 unit Serrano chili deveined, seeded and chopped
- 1 tsp chipotle powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- rest of the white onion and cilantro for garnish chopped
- enough soft corn tortillas and your favorite salsa.
Instructions
- Place beef tongue, half the onion, garlic cloves and bay leaves in a slow cooker; season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add in just enough water to cover all the ingredients.
- Set the slow cooker to LOW and cook for 8 hours.
- Take the beef tongue out of the slow cooker. Transfer it to a large chopping board and let it cool slightly. Discard the rest of the slow cooker contents. Peel the outer layer of skin from beef tongue and cut off the rough end.
- Using two forks, shred the meat and remove any tough connective tissue/membrane as you go.
- Heat lard/butter in a large skillet and saute the chopped Serrano chili until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Over medium heat, add the shredded meat, the chipotle and garlic powders and salt and pepper to taste and stir to mix well, for two to three minutes tops. Do not overcook and don't let the meat get dry.
- Warm up the soft corn tortillas, make the tacos, garnish with chopped onion and cilantro and top with the salsa. Serve warm and enjoy!
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