Lengua

S

SonofSon

25+ Posts
Was talking with my Brother in Law Friday night so we decided to make some lengua. For those of you who havent tried lengua I cant tell you how simple and good lengua tacos are. Plus I have me a nice lengua sandwhich for lunch today.
 
One of my all time favorites. A torta de lengua, with fresh aguacate y crema, and a dash of salt, is a sammich of perfection.

My kids both love it, too. My gringa wife, not so much. She'll eat barbacoa -- really likes it, actually -- but not lengua. She says it tastes and feels exactly like what it is.

I may have to cook a tongue this week for the kiddos and me -- it's been a long time.
 
The sandwich is a bonus but to me there is nothing better than simple lengua on corn tortillas with a little salt, chopped cilantro and onion, and the obligatory splash of tabasco.

My dad used to make barbacoa commercially and included the lengua ( tongue) and brain ( cesos) along with the cheek meat. Today the stuff you buy is all cheek meat and doesnt have the texture or the flavor that real barbacoa has when it has everything. We used to fool alot of gringos who would come to our house for weekend breakfast, it was funny to see them gobble down taco after taco after taco, then see the look on their face when they found out they just ate.
 
Lengua burritos/tacos with pico and a squeeze of lime is the ****. My wife will eat it as long as she doesn't have to look at the "meat". My kids eat it all the time...of course they don't know what they are eating.
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What's the best way to cook it? Do you add spices while cooking?

I haven't had it in a long time, but I seem to remember liking it. Man, I have to get back to Ojeda's in Beeville for their barbacoa and green sauce.
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Wow, an Ojeda's in Beeville reference. I grew up in that town and ate a barbacoa taco from Ojeda's every Saturday it seems. Only thing I really miss about Beeville.
 
Take the tongue and put in a large pot and cover with water
add salt ( approx 1 Tbsp per quart of water)
add about 4 cloves of Garlic (peeled)
Put on high heat and bring to a boil
once the water boils, cover and cook over
Med low heat for 3 hours.
Take the tongue from the pot, and place in cold water
( I just fill the sink up) and allow to cool
Take off outer portion.
Slice thin or chop into bite size pieces
either serve on CORN tortillas or let the meat cool completely for sandwiches.
 
I go to two HEBs -- the one at Burnet and Koenig always has it. It also has significant hispanic traffic.

The one off of Far West -- you can find it sometimes. Sometimes, it is in the kosher meat area only. Speaking of which, I like a good corned tongue, too.
 
I usually make mine in the crockpot with some onion and garlic.
Here in FTW the Central Market-HEB carries tongue. If you don't have any luck there try a local Fiesta or Carnival.
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I got mine at HEB on Parmer/35

I have also seen them at many of the Hispanic Groceries along Lamar and the one at Peyton Gin and 183.
 
Is there anything you're supposed to do to prep the tongue before cooking?

I've been meaning to try some lengua one of these days, but I'm still a bit squeamish.
 
I had to dig this one up because I just had some lengua tacos the other night and they were amazing. I ordered them at a restaurant, but I'd like to cook some this weekend.

The pieces of lengua were kinda crispy on the outside. I'm afraid that by just boiling it in water the texture is gonna be slimy. Does it still get good flavor when you just boil it?

Someone reassure me...
 
I ordered a tongue dish by mistake at a restaraunt in Germany in 1972. I remember it vividly: "Rinderzunge im madeirawine soss." I ate one bite. The texture was very off-putting as the Brits would say. Way too much like my own tongue.

I don't eat sweetbreads or other organ meats. My sister and I rioted in '54 when my Mom tried to get us to eat scrambled eggs with calf brains mixed in. I love snails and can eat one or two fried oysters if they are drowned in tartar sauce.
 
OK, I got a couple of 3 lb tounges at the Wal-mart in Clewiston (big Mexican farmworker population almost like going to the Wal-mart in Harlingen, lots of Mexican food ingredients) and cooked them in the crockpot overnight and they are sitting in the broth in the pot in the fridge, so now what do I do with them when I get home?

Is the part that I peel off the "toungy" part? what about the other big chunk of meat on the underside?
 
take the outer skin off, and trim up the gristle and "root" part at the cut end.

Get some green mole sauce, if you can find it - if not use tomatillo sauce. Chop the cooked tongue into 1/2 squares. Saute onion and garlic in butter, then add the chopped tongue and the green mole (or salsa verde) and some mexican spices. Cook for 10 min or so to let thicken, then eat like tacos or burritos.
 
I followed the recipe for smoked lengua that I linked upthread. It was my first time cooking lengua and I think the results were pretty good, although the thinner parts of the tongue were a little tough. The thicker parts were incredibly tender and juicy, with great smoky flavor.

We rolled up some tacos with pico and guac and they were very good. Definitely keeping that recipe. I'll post pictures tomorrow.
 
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