How to Make Tender Beef Tongue Tacos | Tacos de Lengua Recipe | Villa Cocina

beef tongue

🥗Healthier: pork shoulder

💰Cheaper: chicken thighs

Pork shoulder is leaner and chicken thighs are more budget-friendly.

Remove excess fat from the beef tongue.

Cut the beef tongue into several medium-sized pieces.

Place tongue pieces in a large pot and add half of a large white onion.

Add 4 small dried guajillo chiles (seeds removed), 1 head of garlic (sliced in half), 4 small bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano, and 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt.

Pour in roughly 8 cups of water or until everything is submerged.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower to medium-low heat and cover, cooking for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours until tender.

While the tongue cooks, prepare the salsa by dicing 14 ounces of red tomato and half of a medium white onion.

Toast 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds over medium heat until golden brown.

In a separate pan, heat 4 tablespoons of grapeseed oil and fry 1 corn tortilla until crispy and golden brown.

Add diced onions and 4 garlic cloves to the pan, stirring until softened.

Stir in the diced tomatoes and cook until juices are released (about 6 minutes).

Add 1/3 cup of dried chilis and stir for about 3 minutes before removing from heat.

Transfer the tomato mix to a blender, adding the broken corn tortilla, toasted sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar, and puree until smooth.

Slowly pour in 1/4 cup of grapeseed oil in a thin stream while blending until creamy.

Remove the tongue from the broth and peel the skin off while still hot.

Finely chop the cooked tongue.

In a pan, add lard or oil and sauté 8 sliced green onions until slightly softened.

Add 1 teaspoon of lard or oil and brown the chopped tongue over medium-high heat, adding additional salt if needed.

Heat corn tortillas on a comal or in the pan with leftover fat.

Assemble tacos with chopped tongue, chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, drizzled lime juice, and salsa.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary