Beef tongue is an underutilized cut than can be made into delicious and tender tacos, roasts, and more! This Beef Tongue Tacos recipe has been created by The Farmer and The Foodie collaborator Lindsey McClave.
Ingredients:
- 1 Foxhollow Farm beef tongue (approximately 1-1.5 lbs)
- assorted aromatic vegetables that are almost past their prime such as an onion, carrots, celery, garlic head
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 quart beef or chicken stock
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- corn tortillas
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- neutral oil such as grapeseed
- garnishes: diced onion, lime wedges, cilantro, queso fresco, salsa, & sour cream
Instructions:
Serves 3-4
Put the tongue in a pot just big enough for it to lay flat. Cut the aromatic vegetables into large pieces & place in the pot along with the bay leaves & half of the cilantro bunch (reserve remaining cilantro for garnish). Pour the stock into the pot, adding additional water if necessary to ensure the tongue is almost completely submerged. Bring to a boil on the stove then drop to a simmer, cover, & allow to simmer softly until very tender, about 5 hours. Check regularly & add more water as needed to ensure the tongue remains mostly covered.
When the tongue is done cooking, remove to a plate &, once cool enough to handle, peel away the outer layer of skin (this can be discarded along with the stock). Roughly chop the tongue into small pieces & place in a bowl. Toss to coat with the garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, 1 tsp kosher salt, & ¼ tsp black pepper.
Warm a cast iron skillet over medium heat & add 1 tbs neutral oil. Once hot, add the chopped tongue in a single layer & allow to cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes. Toss & brown for an additional two minutes. Spoon onto warm tortillas & serve with diced onion, cilantro, queso fresco, salsa, sour cream, & lime wedges.