Lengua is, of course, tongue. Specifically beef tongue, and it’s something that’s fairly common in Latin American cuisine. Unless you grew up with it, cooking and eating lengua can sound about as appealing as mud pie. But done right, lengua is a fantastic and tasty thing. It’s that “done right” part that gets tricky.
Preparing lengua is not for the faint of foodie heart. This thing looks exactly like what it is: a gigantic tongue. There are taste buds and connective tissues and bunches of muscle. The skin covering the tongue has to be removed, and this is done by peeling it away either after a quick blanch in boiling water or once cooking is finished.
The biggest thing to remember is that the tongue is a hard working muscle. This means that it’s incredibly tough, but also very flavorful. It needs to be cooked slowly for several hours to give all the connective tissues and muscle fibers time to break down and become tender. Most preparations called for a long braise or several hours of boiling.
Even after cooking, tongue is best sliced thinly across the grain or chopped finely. Some people like the springy texture, but we’re personally in it for the rich meaty flavor.
Elise over at Simply Recipes has a great tutorial on preparing lengua, plus a delicious recipe for tacos de lengua. It’s worth taking a look!
• Beef Tacos de Lengua from Simply Recipes
What are your favorite ways to eat lengua?
Related: What's the Deal with Offal?
(Image: Flickr members Stu_Spivack and rdmeylicensed under Creative Commons)
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Oh my gosh... I LOVE lengua.
The Husband and I tried lengua for the first time at an awesome little taqueria in Albuquerque. It was very flavorful and melted in my mouth.
Lengua's the best. Lately, I've been putting it in the smoker after the long braise and it's really become one of my favorite summer meals.
http://chimeraobscura.com/mi/from-the-market-week-5/
I was actually headed to a local taqueria for lunch and was going to get Tacos de Lengua until I saw my twitter feed and decided to switch to a the Only Burger food truck (they'll be next to where I work today).
Tongue is the best roast beef you will ever have. I suggest caramelizing it in a hot cast-iron skillet after braising to get some crunchy bits on it, then serving on a tortilla or in a sandwich.
I love lengua, I was tricked into eating it as a kid by my uncle, but after that first bite I've never thought twice about cooking or eating it. I love that its usually less expensive and makes enough to feed a crowd.
I absolutely adore lengua! It reminds me of home (the Philippines) and it is just so darn tasty!
PS - I blogged about lengua too: http://www.confessionsofachocoholic.com/meat/lengua
I LOVE lengua! We have great taco truck down the street from us so it's our late night comfort food. I never ate it growing up but it's big in Asian cuisine as well. Grilled beef tongue (sliced verrrry thin) is delicious at korean bbq.
Yes and I love it!!!
I use my mother's recipe, from one of those 1970's meat cookbooks everyone makes fun of:
Put tongue in a crockpot, with some bay leaves and peppercorns. Cook on low for 8 hours. Peel and serve.
I am from North-Eastern Europe, we grew up eating boiled beef tongue - simply on a slice of rye bread with some pickles and mayo, as an open face sandwich. Delicious.
my grandmother used to make it in stew. I always get it at taquerias here in Los Angeles. It's my barometer on how good the place is.
I've never actually made it myself. I might have to try the crockpot method, or the sear then braise method. Both sound good.
I cry a little every time I see a taqueria without lengua on its menu. I usually have to dare my friends to try it, after which they can't argue with its tenderness.
How much do you typically pay for tongue at a butcher?
http://www.lickmyspoon.com
I used to eat this all the time as a cold cut from the local butcher. Then one day I actually saw it in the case and couldn't stomach it ever again. The springy texture just makes the whole thing worse.
I used to have a "I don't eat anything that can taste me back" philosophy but I tried a bite of my dad's taco once and I was sold. Delish on a corn torilla with cilantro, onions and salsa.
My family makes lengua in salsa verde or in mole sauce. SO good. :-d
I've only had tongue in NYC corner deli sandwiches--the kind of delis that are mostly gone these days. I wish someone would start a nostalgic fad for those delis and bring them back. When I was in college in the 70s they were everywhere.
my mom makes it a pressure cooker with chipotle sauce, bay leaves, and garlic. It's amazing and only takes like an hour and a half.