Beef tongue is exactly what it sounds like – the big ol’ tongue of a cow. Though not as commonly found on the average U.S. family’s dinner table, it’s widely used in Mexican cuisine, as well as several European, Asian, and South American cultures. It’s a great example of a fairly tough cut of meat that a CVap oven can cook beautifully. Using a low-and-slow method to prepare it in the CVap Cook and Hold Oven breaks down the extensive connective tissue within the beef tongue, resulting in surprisingly tender, tasty meat.
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 beef tongues
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 cans (7oz.) chipotle in adobo sauce
- 2 onions (sliced thin)
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
- 8 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Cooking Procedure
- Rinse and wash tongues in cold water
- Place onions in the bottom of a 4” deep full-size hotel pan
- Place tongue on top of onions, top with beef stock and chipotles
- Add garlic and all of the seasonings
- Cover pan tightly with foil and place in a CVap Cook and Hold Oven (preheated to 180°F water vapor, 250°F air temperature) and cook for 8 hours constant cook.
- Remove from oven and cool to room temp, then refrigerate for a minimum of four hours.
- After tongues have sufficiently cooled, remove the outer skin. Shred the remaining beef.
- Puree the chilies, onions and remaining broth to create a sauce. Toss a third of the sauce with the shredded beef. Refrigerate the beef and remaining sauce.
I recommend doing this a day in advance of preparing your tangy tongue tacos.
Assembling Lengua Tacos
Ingredients
- Shredded tongue
- Oil of your choosing for saute
- Chipotle sauce
- 2 cups Cojita cheese
- 1 cup minced onion
- 3 cups fresh cilantro (roughly chopped)
- Limes
- Warm corn tortillas held in CVap cabinet at 140°F water vapor, 142°F air temp
Procedure
- Preheat remaining chipotle sauce
- Using a little bit of the vegetable oil, saute lengua (tongue) until it is a little crisp on the tips and is heated through. This may be done on a flat top or a saute pan.
- Assemble tacos
- Add lengua to warm tortillas
- Top with a little sauce, then cojita, then onions, then fresh cilantro.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice over taco and enjoy!
Lengua tacos are delicious, and lip smackin’ good!
