How To Cook Lengua
Lengua is typically boiled or braised (slow-cooked with a small amount of liquid) with onion, spices, and seasonings. Lengua must be slow-simmered for several hours before its sliced and grilled. It may be pickled in a salt brine for several days before its cooked.
The skin of the tongue must be removed before consumption. This can be done before cooking by quickly blanching the lengua in boiling water and peeling off the skin, or it can be done after cooking by plunging the cooked tongue into an ice bath and quickly removing the skin.
Some common preparations for lengua include slow-cooking, chopping, and grilling the tongue and serving it as tacos in corn tortillas with onion, cilantro, and lime wedges. In Japan, very thin slices of uncooked beef tongue are grilled and served with a soy-based dipping sauce. In some Jewish cultures, cooked tongue is sliced and served as cold cuts for sandwiches or processed with other ingredients into a spreadable paté.
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Fast forward a couple decades (okay, more than a couple) and Im in Mexico when my bud Matt announces that theres a crowd around the lengua tacos in the buffet line. I get there just in time to scoop up the last of the days lengua for my taco and Im in tongue heaven. So tender, so perfect in a taco.
Beef Cow Tongue/Lengua de Vaca/3 Recipes
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