How to Prepare Beef Tongue

Basic Beef Tongue:

• 1 small beef tongue (1.4 kg)
• Black pepper
• Bay leaves (or other herbs)
• Onions and carrots (or other root vegetables)
• Optional: French-style onion soup mix or powder, used to thicken sauces

Tacos de Lengua:

• 1 small beef tongue (1.4 kg)
• Onions, carrots, and your preferred herbs
• Animal fat or oil
• Salsa Verde sauce
• Corn tortillas

Beef Tongue in Raisin Sauce:

• 1 beef tongue (1.8 kg)
• 2 onions
• 2 sliced carrots
• 1 stalk celery (with leaves), chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) butter
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) raisins
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) chopped almonds
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/3 cup Madeira wine
• 2/3 cup beef tongue stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Purchase Beef Tongue. Larger tongues require more time to cook, so it's best to select a smaller tongue, ideally around 1.4 kg. Beef tongue doesn't stay fresh for long, so choose one that's either fresh or properly frozen from a trusted butcher. If buying frozen beef tongue, defrost it in the refrigerator for maximum safety.

• Some beef tongues have tendons, bones, and fat at the base of the tongue. This meat is edible if properly cooked, but not everyone enjoys the soft, fatty texture. You can trim this part off when you get home (either before or after cooking), or you can purchase beef tongue that's already been cleaned of these parts.
• Salt-cured beef tongue tends to have a richer flavor and can be cooked in the same way as fresh beef tongue.

Clean the Beef Tongue. Place the beef tongue in a clean sink and scrub it thoroughly under cold running water. Continue scrubbing until the surface is free from dirt and blood.

• Many recipes recommend soaking the tongue in cold water for 1-2 hours, changing the water when it becomes cloudy. Store-bought beef tongues are typically clean enough that this step can be skipped, but soaking will make the tongue taste fresher.

Prepare the Broth. Pour beef or chicken broth, or a mildly salted water solution, into a large pot. Add vegetables and herbs you prefer. Include 1-2 onions, a few bay leaves, black pepper, and carrots for a basic broth. You can also add oregano, rosemary, garlic, or chili for extra flavor. Bring to a boil over high heat.

• Using a pressure cooker or slow cooker can speed up the simmering process.
• If you prefer a thicker sauce to accompany the beef tongue, you can add 4 cans of condensed French onion soup.

Add the Tongue to the Pot. Place the beef tongue into the broth and cover the pot. Bring it to a boil once more, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

• Make sure the beef tongue is fully submerged in the broth. You may need to add more water or use a steamer basket to press the tongue down into the liquid.

Simmer until the beef tongue is tender. When the beef tongue turns white and a knife can easily pierce the thickest part of the meat, it's fully cooked. Generally, it takes about 50-60 minutes to cook 0.45 kg of beef tongue.

• Cooking too quickly or undercooking will make the beef tongue tough and unpleasant. If you have the time, simmering for an additional 1-2 hours will improve the result.
• If using a pressure cooker, cook until steam starts to rise. Then reduce the heat and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes for 0.45 kg of meat. Allow it to cool until the steam naturally releases.

Peel the beef tongue while it's still warm. Use tongs to transfer the beef tongue to a plate. Let it cool slightly, then use a sharp knife to slice through the white outer layer along the length of the tongue. Peel off this skin with your fingers and cut as necessary. While the skin is edible, its flavor and texture are not very pleasant.

• The beef tongue will be much harder to peel once it cools. However, if it reaches room temperature, you can soak it in ice water to make the peeling process easier.
• Save the cooking liquid to make a soup or sauce.

Slice the meat into 0.5 cm pieces. Use a sharp knife to slice the meat diagonally to serve with salsa verde, place in a sandwich with brown mustard and vegetables, or roast for an additional 30 minutes with potatoes. Beef tongue yields a lot of meat, so you can save larger pieces for grilling or try out the recipes provided below.

• If the meat is tough, it means it wasn't cooked long enough. In that case, return it to the broth and simmer it again.
• You can add flour to thicken the sauce into a gravy-like consistency.

Store the leftover meat in the fridge. Cooked beef tongue can be kept for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Clean and boil the beef tongue. Beef tongue requires slow cooking to become tender. Follow the steps above to clean the tongue, then boil it in salted water for at least 1 hour for 0.45 kg of meat.

• To enhance the flavor, you can add onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and/or chilies to the boiling water.
• Check every hour. You may need to add more water to keep the beef tongue fully submerged.

Make or buy Salsa Verde. If you have time, you can prepare the salsa while the beef tongue cooks. Simply blend green tomatoes (Tomatillos) with Serrano peppers, diced onions, garlic, cilantro, lime, and salt. Blend until it forms a slightly thick mixture. You can find more detailed instructions on how to make the salsa online.

Peel and slice the beef tongue. Once the meat is tender enough to easily pierce with a knife, use tongs to remove the beef tongue from the boiling water. Let it cool slightly (while still warm), then use a sharp knife to remove the white outer layer. Peel it off with your fingers. Slice the tongue into pieces about 1 cm thick, ready for your tacos.

Fry or grill until the beef tongue is crispy. Beef tongue is fatty, and its flavor is enhanced with a crispy outer layer. Heat 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of oil or lard in a pan until it’s hot. Fry the beef tongue slices until both sides are golden and crispy, turning occasionally.

• If you prefer grilling, you can brush the slices with olive oil and grill them at 220ºC for 10-15 minutes, flipping once during cooking.
• For a healthier version, simply sear the beef tongue slices in a little oil and simmer them with salsa verde for a few minutes.

Serve with Tortilla chips. Arrange the beef tongue slices and tortillas on a plate, and prepare the Salsa Verde for everyone to make their own tacos. You can add extra toppings like lime and cilantro to your tacos for extra flavor.

Clean and boil the beef tongue. Start by cleaning the beef tongue according to the instructions in section 1. After that, place the tongue in a pot with hot water, adding 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 stalk of celery, and 1 garlic clove. Let it simmer gently for about an hour for 0.45 kg of meat until the thickest part can easily be pierced with a knife.

• Chop the vegetables, remove the celery leaves, and crush the garlic.
• This step follows the same method as the basic boiling technique mentioned earlier. You can refer back to the boiling instructions for more details.

Peel the beef tongue. Use tongs to carefully remove the boiled tongue. Peel off the white layer as soon as the meat has cooled slightly (it should still be warm). The white skin comes off more easily when the meat is still warm. Just make a few cuts with a sharp knife to start the peeling process.

Sauté the raisins, almonds, and remaining onion. In a pan, melt 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of butter. Chop and add the remaining onion, then stir in 1/3 cup (80 ml) of raisins and 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of chopped almonds. Stir them together as you sauté.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pan. Once the almonds turn golden brown, pour in 1/3 cup (80 ml) of white apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of ketchup, 1/3 cup (80 ml) of Madeira wine, and 2/3 cup (160 ml) of beef tongue broth. Let it simmer for 3 minutes, then reduce the heat.

Slice the beef tongue and serve with the sauce. Slice the beef tongue into thin pieces and pour the raisin sauce over the top. You can also sprinkle a little salt and pepper to enhance the flavor.

• As long as you buy beef tongue from a reputable butcher, all parts of the tongue are edible. If you prefer, you can trim off any cartilage or slimy sections. However, try not to remove too much of the flavorful meat.
• The slices near the root of the tongue tend to be richer and fattier compared to the tip of the tongue.
• The broth from boiling the beef tongue may have a stronger taste than typical meat broths due to the higher fat content. You can use some of the broth in other dishes.

• Many people are not fond of the sensation of eating beef tongue. Therefore, it is recommended to slice the beef tongue before serving, rather than leaving it in its original shape.

• Oil brush
• Kitchen knife or scissors
• A large covered pot, slow cooker, or pressure cooker to fit all the ingredients
• Cooking tongs