Beef Tongue Tacos

Incredibly tender meat that melts in your mouth, contrasted by crispy seared edges. The aroma of braised tongue and the bite of fresh onion awaken the senses.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 180 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 1225
• Protein: 61 g
• Carbs: 98 g
• Fat: 66 g

Ingredients

• 1 kg Beef tongue ( whole )
• 1 piece Onion ( halved )
• 4 piece Garlic ( crushed )
• 2 piece Bay leaf ( whole )
• 1 tsp Black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp Gray sea salt
• 30 g Lard ( for frying )
• 12 piece Soft tortilla (for filling), made from corn
• 1 piece White onion ( finely minced )
• 1 piece Fresh cilantro ( chopped )
• 50 ml Lime juice
• 6 piece Tomatillos ( husked and rinsed )
• 2 piece Serrano pepper ( stemmed )

Instructions

1. Poaching the tongue

   Place the tongue in a large pot with the halved onion, crushed garlic, bay leaf, pepper, and salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until the meat is tender and a knife blade enters like butter.

2. Peeling while hot

   Remove the tongue from the broth. While still hot, remove the rough white skin using a paring knife. It should come off easily. Also remove the cartilaginous parts at the base.

3. Browning the meat

   Dice the tongue into small one-centimeter cubes. Heat the lard in a cast-iron skillet. When it smokes slightly, add the meat cubes. Let them brown without stirring too much to get a brown and crispy crust on each side.

4. Preparing the salsa verde

   Boil the tomatillos and serrano peppers in water for 10 minutes until soft. Blend them with a pinch of salt to obtain a smooth salsa verde.

5. Assembling the tacos

   Heat the tortillas on a dry griddle until soft. Generously garnish with crispy meat, add chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, and the salsa verde.

Chef's tips

• Never peel the tongue cold, the skin will stick to the meat and you'll waste good product.
• The cooking broth is liquid gold: strain it and use it as a base for soup or risotto.

Storage

Cooked and peeled tongue keeps for 3 days in the fridge in its broth. Once seared, consume immediately to maintain the crispiness.