Crispy Lengua Tacos
30m prep 3h cook 3h ready
Tender beef tongue is simmered with aromatics, then cubed and broiled until crispy. Served in warm tortillas with toppings for a unique taco experience.
Ingredients
- 1 beef tongue trimmed of excess fat
- 4 cup beef bone broth
- 1 yellow onion halved
- 1 head garlic halved through its equator
- 2 fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 dried ancho chilies
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- Flaky sea salt
- 12 corn or flour tortillas warmed
- Toppings
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 9 of 13 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 69.4 mg
- Iron: 7.27 mg
- Magnesium: 236 mg
- Phosphorus: 696 mg
- Potassium: 1098 mg
- Zinc: 4.59 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.
- 4 cup beef bone broth
- 2 fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 dried ancho chilies
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- Flaky sea salt
- Toppings
Prepare
- 1 beef tongue, trimmed of excess fat
- Halve 1 yellow onion
- 1 head garlic, halved through its equator
- 12 corn or flour tortillas, warmed
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
In a large, deep pot or Dutch oven just big enough to hold the tongue, combine the beef tongue, beef bone broth, halved yellow onion, halved head of garlic, fresh thyme branches, bay leaves, dried ancho chilies, kosher salt, and black peppercorns. Season with ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
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Step 2.
Cover the pot and cook the tongue at a bare simmer for about 3 hours, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. Turn the tongue halfway through cooking. The tongue is done when the center can be pierced easily with a fork or long skewer.
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Step 3.
Transfer the cooked tongue to a plate and set aside to cool until cool enough to handle. Reserve the cooking liquid.
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Step 4.
Once the tongue is cool enough to handle, remove any large pieces of fat. Using a small knife, trim, peel off, and discard the white outer layer of the tongue. Also trim away any tough meat and fat at the base (thick end) of the tongue.
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Step 5.
Chop the remaining tongue meat into ¾-inch cubes. Season the cubes with salt and pepper, then transfer to a bowl and drizzle with about ½ cup of the reserved cooking juices. (At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days if making ahead.)
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Step 6.
Preheat the oven broiler. Transfer the seasoned tongue cubes to a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.
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Step 7.
Just before serving, broil the meat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning the meat and rotating the pan a couple of times during cooking, until the cubes are piping hot and crisp in spots. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve immediately with warm tortillas and desired toppings.
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