Tacos De Lengua (Beef Tongue Tacos)

What You’ll Need

What You’ll Do

  • Fresh beef tongue (I prepared two at a time)

  • 1 large white onion, cut into large wedges

  • 5-6 garlic cloves, peeled

  • 2-3 tsp salt

  • 2-3 tsp whole black peppercorns

  • 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme

  • Salt and pepper

  • Vegetable oil

  • Tortillas (corn or flour)

  • Assorted toppings (see Tips below)

  1. Place the beef tongues in the slow cooker. Add onion, garlic, salt, peppercorns, and thyme. Add enough water to almost cover the meat. Cook on high for 8-9 hours.

  2. Remove tongues from the slow cooker and let them cool for at least 20 minutes, or store them in the fridge overnight. Discard the aromatics and cooking liquid.

  3. When the tongues are cooled, use a paper towel to grip the edge of the skin on the tongues and peel it off. Use a small knife to help as needed. Discard the skin.

  4. Slice the meat into small dice, less than 1/4”. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat.

  5. When the skillet is hot, add the diced meat in batches so that the pieces brown nicely. Don’t over-crowd the skillet.

  6. When you’re ready to serve, set out the toppings, warm the tortillas, and assemble your tacos!

Tips

Some toppings I included were Quick Pickled Slaw, crumbled queso, lime wedges, diced white onion, chopped cilantro, salsa verde, Sriracha Mayo, sliced avocado, and sour cream. A couple of popular combinations at our house were diced onion + cilantro + avocado; and slaw + queso + Sriracha mayo. What sounds good to you?

Quick Pickled Slaw: Combine 1 c apple cider vinegar, 1/2 c water, and 1 T sugar in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine 1 thinly sliced onion, 1 bag of shredded cabbage/slaw mix, 1 t dried oregano. Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables and cover. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.