Lets talk tongue. Oh yeah…
Every once in a while I get a craving for a good beef tongue burrito. When I make those, I use a lot of cumin, cilantro, chili, etc.
This time we’re making shredded tongue for sandwiches. In my opinion, tongue is the best cut of beef, you just have to be brave enough to peel it…
How to Cook Beef Tongue:
Start with one fresh tongue. This one is from our own beef. If I don’t have any, the grocer usually gives them to me because he doesn’t know anyone else who eats them so they don’t sell at his store.
Place in the crock pot and season with salt, pepper, and garlic. Drizzle a little olive oil, not much though!
Cook on low for 10 hours.
Take the tongue out of the pot and let cool. Or don’t let it cool, but it’s really hot and peeling is a hands-on kind of thing.
I make a cut just to give me a place to start with the peeling bit.
It actually comes right off–kind of like a sock–maybe sticking in a few places, but nothing difficult.
I feed the skin to the dog and cat.
Cut the tongue up and put back in the crock pot with tomatoes and more garlic and some Mrs. Dash or similar spice mix.
Cook on low another 10 hours.
We eat it on rolls or in tortillas. It’s also great tossed in with scrambled eggs or potatoes. It takes a couple of days in the crock pot, but it’s not a lot of work and tastes so good!
Get the handy print page and save this to your recipe box here:
Cooking Beef Tongue.
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bonita says:
We used to have tongue once in a while when I was growing up…but just plain-cooked, not mixed with all those yummy spices. I’d love to try this, but don’t know where in the city to look for tongue…any ideas?
On May 12, 2011 at 3:11 am
GrannyTrace says:
O.k I was really a bit grossed out at first….But then I normally eat anything..But just looking at the TONGUE!!
However it looks quite tasty with tomatoes and spices..
Really cool. Can’t wait to show the kids.Thanks for sharing Rachel.
Granny Trace
http://www.grannytracescrapsandsquares.com
On May 12, 2011 at 5:53 am
Rosina says:
Its been some time since I also ate tonge, its a soft and delicious meat. Usually we boil it first with just water, cool it, then peel it. We then cut it into largish cubes, add salt, fry it, add tomatoes and onion and thats it. The first boil usually takes sone time because you want to soften the skin so that it easily peels off, but not for ten hours, more like 3-4 hours. After peeling, we cook it as already explained, which takes about an hour, because the meat is naturally soft. So am surprised with the 10 hours slow cooking, but then again, I have never slow cooked anything so wouldnt know how its done. All in all it looks delicious, am at the office right now, its 12.22pm and I feel hunry coz of your pictures, gone to warm my lunch, wish it was tongue! hee hee hee.
On May 12, 2011 at 6:23 am
Robin from Rurification says:
You know, I think my kids would eat this, as long as they didn’t see it before the peel. I’ll keep my eyes open for one…
On May 12, 2011 at 7:25 am
Euni Moore says:
My son uses a slow braise with onions, bay leaves and garlic, peels, and uses for tacos with tomatillo salsa and queso fresco. So yummy. We did the same way and is soooooo good.
Bonita, if you have a Hispanic market in your area they always have “lengua”.
On May 12, 2011 at 8:37 am
farmershae says:
Rachel, you make it look so easy and non-threatening! I think I’m going to give it a try!!!
On May 12, 2011 at 10:19 am
Ramona says:
I grew up eating tonge. My favorte was pickling it. I think we would eat anything if it was pickled. Mom just cooked it until it was tender, let it cool, and added raw onions to the jar and covered it with vinegar. It set in the refrigrater a few days before it marinated enough to taste the best.
MN Mona
On May 12, 2011 at 10:44 am
AnnieB says:
When I was 5 years old or so, my older brother, hoping to get my goat, tricked me into eating beef tongue. He thought he’d really gross me out when he told me what it was. But it was delicious, so it didn’t bother me at all when he told me. So hahaha big brother! I still love tongue 🙂
On May 12, 2011 at 11:11 am
marymac says:
How fortunate you are to get it free sometime!! Around here no one gives you nothing, the cheapest I can get it for is 1.99 lb and I have to drive 30 mi. for it. It is really good meat and I’m sure lots of people eat it without knowing it. In bologna and sausages and lunch meats, not to mention hot dogs, lol If you can get past the thought of eating tongue it is delicious!!
On May 12, 2011 at 1:17 pm
Ross says:
And then there was the homemaker at a loss for what to fix for dinner and she asked her butcher for suggestions. He allowed that he had some very nice fresh tongue at a good price. She thought about it for a minute and said, ” No! I couldn’t eat anything that came out of an animals mouth. she paused and said, oh well, just give me a dozen eggs.
On May 12, 2011 at 4:25 pm
bonita says:
@ Euni, thanks, I live in a Puerto Rican neighborhood, and there are two Spanish-speaking groceries near me, I’ll give them a try. (I was thinking of them to try for tripe anyway.) At least now I’ll know what to ask for!
On May 12, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Journey11 says:
This is the second time I’ve seen a recipe for beef tongue in the past couple days (one was somewhere else). I’m almost tempted to try it! Having been licked by a cow on occasion and remembering how *slobbery* they are, I think that would be my biggest hang-up to eating tongue. 😉
On May 12, 2011 at 10:41 pm
lesliedgray says:
My grandmother used to boil them until done… then peel, slice and make sandwiches with it.. I don’t remember her spices.. I think just salt and pepper.. I remember it being very good..
On May 23, 2012 at 8:58 am