As a food blogger, have a lot of pictures stored on my external hard drive waiting to be published. Like these pictures, they have been sleeping there for more than 2 years. I went in search of them after reading an article in a cooking forum about how cooking beef tongue is becoming a trend among Chefs in upscale restaurants across America.
Beef Tongue Barbacoa Tacos
I decided it was about time to get them out before this humble low-cost delicacy that is usually eaten in a taco in so many places of my country becomes a forbidden fruit. I mean in case this trend picks up and the price goes up. In Mexico, we also serve them in stews, where the cooked meat is sliced and then slowly simmered with different types of sauces. But that is another story. This recipe is super easy, no rocket science here.
Beef Tongue Tacos
This recipe is using the Crockpot; it is a good idea to do it overnight and have your barbacoa ready for breakfast, especially on Sundays, like we do in northern Mexico.
If you do not have a crockpot, cook in a large pot on your stove for about 2 ½ to 3 hours. This will depend also on the size of the beef tongue. A faster way will be using the pressure cooker and cook for 30 minutes after the valve starts whistling.
If you have never tried Beef tongue, this is the easy way to go. The texture is soft that almost melts in your mouth. The leftovers if any, are great for sandwiches, flautas, scramble with eggs, etc. It also freezes well.
How to make Beef Tongue Barbacoa Tacos
NOTES:
- When buying the meat make sure it is coming from a trusted source. Since not a lot people buy this type of cut very often, chances are you will find it frozen. I am lucky to have a Grass Fed source and the quality can’t compare to the one found at regular supermarkets from my personal experience. Beef tongue is still very affordable; buy it in a place that you trust for their quality.
- Cooking time using an INSTANT POT, prepare as directed and cook for 45 minutes in the pressure setting.
- For the Stove Top pressure cooker, cook for 1 hour.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Rinse the beef tongue with water and place in your crockpot, add onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and water. Cover and set the crockpot on low for 8 hours. Cook until tender. If after 8 hours the meat is not tender enough to shred cook a little bit longer. Not all Crockpots work alike.
2. Remove the Beef tongue from the crockpot and place in a large dish, remove the skin using a knife to make a cut at first and discard. Trim off any fatty tissue at the bottom end. As you can see from the pictures above it is mostly meat.
3. Shred the meat using 2 forks and place in a serving bowl with some of the cooking broth that has already been decreased and strained.
The way we serve it at home is buffet style with the tortillas, chopped onion, cilantro, salsa, some lime wedges, and salt. Let everyone prepare their own tacos.
¡Buen provecho!
Mely
📖 Recipe
Barbacoa Lengua Tacos (Beef Tongue)
Ingredients
- 1 beef tongue (2-3 pounds)
- ¼ of medium size onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt to taste
- Water enough to cover the beef tongue
TO SERVE:
- warm corn tortillas
- 1 cup of chopped cilantro
- 1 cup of chopped white onion
- salsa of your choice.
Instructions
- Rinse the beef tongue with water and place in your crockpot, add onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and water. Cover and set the crockpot on low for 8 hours. Cook until tender. If after 8 hours the meat is not tender enough to shred cook a little bit longer. Not all Crockpots work alike.
- Remove the Beef tongue from the crock pot and place in a large dish, remove skin using a knife to make a cut at first and discard. Trim off any fatty tissue at the bottom end. As you can see from the pictures above it is mostly meat.
- Shred the meat using 2 forks and place in a serving bowl with some of the cooking broth that has already been degrease and strained.
Notes
- When buying the meat make sure it is coming from a trusted source. Since not a lot people buy this type of cut very often, chances are you will find it frozen. I am lucky to have a Grass Fed source and the quality can’t compare to the one found at regular supermarkets from my personal experience. Beef tongue is still very affordable; buy it in a place that you trust for their quality.
- Cooking time using an INSTANT POT, prepare as directed and cook for 45 minutes in the pressure setting.
- For the Stove Top pressure cooker, cook for 1 hour.
Wendy
Fantástica receta! Ésto cae ésta semana, claro está si consigo la lengua. Ay Dios! Maldita pandemia. No puedo moverme más allá de 1 km. de mi casa, y no sé si la podré comprar on line. Ya te contaré. Cuidaros mucho. Feliz confinamiento 😘😘😘
Aidan
I got so lucky recently and found beef tongue for 99¢ a pound; I bought four or five and wrapped and froze all but one. The first was delicious and I’m getting ready to make it again. How do I defrost it? I don’t ever need to defrost anything that large because I live alone and but small cuts. Can it be cooked from frozen in part of the process? I’m just worried about thawing the whole thing safely. It’s so large, and my cold water tap in the kitchen sprays all over so I can’t leave it running (I use the drinking spout for cold water but it has to be pressed to dispense, and I don’t think I could rig it to stay on). My fridge is very cold; meat won’t really thaw in there.
Mely Martínez
Hello Aidan,
99 cents! Great buy!
To defrost, leave in your refrigerator at least for 2 days to defrost. You can also leave in the kitchen sink overnight.
Happy cooking!
Andrea
I have a question - what If I want to use beef cheek? Could I follow the same recipe and time in the crock pot? Thank you!
Mely Martínez
Hello Andrea,
Yes, you follow the same process, the time should be about one hour less cooking in the crock pot.
Angelica
Hi I would like to make your tacos de lengua in the instant pot tomorrow. Your instructions say 45mins cook but should I natural or quick release when it is done? Thanks for your help. Love your website
mmartinez
Hello Angelica,
Either way is Ok. Thanks for visiting.
Maggie Martinez
Today I was craving tacos de lengua and I’m going to give this a try this weekend, hopefully the store will have some in stock. I was telling a coworker earlier today that my husband’s aunt from Corpus Christi would make us some every time we visited her and the recipe and instructions are exactly the same. So I know it should turn out great.
Kumquat
I am so excited, the pot is simmering away right now and I cant wait to taste it! This is my first time attempting to cook lengua, even though it's long been a favorite order! Thank you for sharing this easy recipe because without it I was too intimidated to try cooking it!
mmartinez
Enjoy!
Slyvia
I have just recently made it for the first time. I used to eat it as a child. But oh my goodness it is SO expensive! I guess the rest of the world has discovered how delicious this is.
mmartinez
Hello Sylvia,
You are right it is delicious.
Esther
It's 12:30 am, I'm drooling & my stomach is growling! I LOVE lengua...in tacos, tortas, con chile colorado, you name it!
Unfortunately, lengua isn't as cheap as it used to be "back in the day." At least not here in metro Phoenix. So now I just make it for special occasions.
I'll dream of lengua all night....
Anonymous
Hi Mely
I have cooked beef tongue a couple of times and I always use my crock pot because it does cook it very tender for several hours. I was wondering if you have a recipe for a cold vegetable salad adding beef tongue my mother used to make this for us when we were kids but I don't remember all of the recipe but all I know that it was very cold you would leave it in the refrigerator overnight and eat it the next day.
I looking all of your recipes and have done a few thank you
mmartinez
Hello,
yes, i do have a recipe for a cold beef tongue in a vinaigrette marinade with vegetables. I don't have it on the blog. Please send me an email to send you the recipe.
Anonymous
Brilliant recipe! My husband will love this... and so will our bank account. Thank you!
Anonymous
I have notice many Chefs are using some old recipes and what was low cost to make now is sell at a high dollar. I went to a place once to order tacos and on the board they had a hot dog with cheese rolled in a tortilla. My mom used to make them for us after school for snacks in the early 60's I do a lot of cooking for friends and others and am always checking what everyone is making I ran a Café for a while for a company and love it but went back to accounting. when I was younger I worked in kitchens and started a the bottom and worked my self to line. sorry I love to talk about cooking
Cruz Cortez
Hello, Mely thanks for recipe of legua. I'm doing one right now .. I'm from San Juan tx and over here most of barbacoa is eaten or done on Sundays .But today its Friday morning and couldn't wait for Sunday so we're having legua tacos today for breakfast . thanks for your recipe.
Unknown
Hello, Mely thanks for recipe of legua. I'm doing one right now .. I'm from San Juan tx and over here most of barbacoa is eaten or done on Sundays .But today its Friday morning and couldn't wait for Sunday so we're having legua tacos today for breakfast . thanks for your recipe.
Dustin
Thanks for posting this recipe! Turned out GREAT. Just like my Grandmother made all those years ago. 🙂
Mely
Hello Dustin,
You just made my day!
Apryl Lammers
Turned out fabulous! I had always boiled the tongue first, took the skin off, then finished cooking. I like your way much better:) Much less time consuming!