Sous Vide Tacos de Lengua Recipe (2024)

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By

J. Kenji López-Alt

Sous Vide Tacos de Lengua Recipe (1)

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

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Updated March 26, 2019

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Sous Vide Tacos de Lengua Recipe (2)

The best tongue tacos I've had anywhere come from Rosticeria Cancun in East Boston's Maverick Square. Chef/owner Lionel Betancol braises the beef tongues in a rich tomato and onion-based broth before piling it into soft corn tortillas. It's an incredible dish, and one that'll make a believer out of anyone who's ever been afraid to try tongue. It's also quite involved to make.

Enter sous vide.

Not only does cooking a tongue sous vide make for complete set-it-and-forget-it ease (as it does with any braised or confit dish), it also creates a more flavorful finished product as the tongue slowly stews in its own juices.

Use those same juices combined with a bit of canned chipotle, and you've made yourself an easy salsa to go with it. I like to cook down the braised tongue in a skillet until it starts getting a bit crispy on the edges. Tongue is very moist, so you'll definitely want to go with the traditional double-wrap of corn tortillas.

Note: If you don't have a water bath, combine the seasoned tongue, cilantro, onion, tomato, and fat in a medium saucepan and add 1 cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a sub-simmer, cover and cook until completely tender, about six hours, topping up with extra liquid as necessary.

Allow to cool and continue recipe as directed from step two. The best way to heat corn tortillas is to dip one in a bowl of water and transfer it to a hot non-stick or cast-iron skillet. Cook on the first side for about 30 seconds to a minute, then flip it over and cook just until the surface moisture has evaporated. It should be lightly charred in spots. Place the tortilla in a clean folded dish towel and repeat with the rest, stacking them as you go.

We Tested 19 Sous Vide Machines (Immersion Circulators)—Here Are Our Favorites

Recipe Details

Sous Vide Tacos de Lengua Recipe

Active20 mins

Total72 hrs

Serves4to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cow or veal tongue, about 1 1/2 pounds

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 6 stems cilantro

  • 1 medium onion, split in half

  • 1 roma tomato, split in half

  • 2 tablespoons duck fat, pork fat, or canola oil

  • 4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon sauce

  • 1 lime

  • 16 to24 corn tortillas

  • Chopped onions, scallions, cilantro, and limes for serving

Directions

  1. Season tongue with salt and pepper and place in vacuum bag with cilantro, onion, tomato, and fat. Cook at 170°F until completely tender, at least 24 hours, and up to 48. Place bag in ice bath and cool completely, about 15 minutes.

  2. Open bag carefully and pour contents into large wire-mesh strainer set over bowl. Transfer tongue to cutting board and discard remaining solids. Carefully peel outer membrane off of tongue and discard. Chop tongue into 1/2-inch pieces.

  3. Combine chipoles, adobo sauce, and half of liquid from tongue in blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste with lime juice and salt. Set aside. Combine tongue and remaining liquid in heavy-bottomed 10 or 12-inch skillet. Bring to a simmer over high heat, reduce to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid is reduced and tongue has started to crisp, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  4. To serve, wrap a scoop of tongue in a double layer of corn tortillas. Top with chipotle sauce and diced onions, scallions, or cilantro as desired. Pass additional lime wedges.

Special Equipment

Sous Vide Water Oven

This Recipe Appears In

  • We Test the $199 Sous Vide Circulator From Anova
  • Mexican
  • Sous Vide Beef
  • Beef Mains
  • Tacos
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
524Calories
32g Fat
34g Carbs
26g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4to 6
Amount per serving
Calories524
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g41%
Saturated Fat 10g49%
Cholesterol 150mg50%
Sodium 283mg12%
Total Carbohydrate 34g12%
Dietary Fiber 6g20%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 26g
Vitamin C 17mg84%
Calcium 79mg6%
Iron 4mg23%
Potassium 470mg10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Sous Vide Tacos de Lengua Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to cook cow tongue sous vide? ›

Directions
  1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 158ºF (70ºC).
  2. Season the tongue with chili powder, garlic salt, cumin, and pepper. ...
  3. Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 36 hours.

What temperature should beef tongue be cooked to? ›

Tongue is ready to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, take the cooked tongue out of the pot and place it on a cutting board to rest for five to ten minutes. While the tongue is still warm, face it upwards and cut lengthwise into the outer skin with a paring knife.

Are beef tongue tacos good? ›

It ends up a perfectly browned, melt in your mouth, crazy good tasting filling for tacos when generously spooned on warm corn tortillas… Having a gamey taste and that ridiculously tender texture, the best salsa to pair it with is a tangy and punchy cooked salsa verde…

How long to leave meat in sous vide? ›

Strip and Ribeye Steak
Preferred DonenessTemperatureTime
Very rare to rare120°F / 49°C to 128°F / 53°C1h to 2h 30m
Medium-rare129°F / 54°C to 134°F / 57°C1h to 4h
Medium135°F / 57°C to 144°F / 62°C1h to 4h
Medium-well145°F / 63°C to 155°F / 68°C1h to 3h 30m
1 more row

Can you overcook beef in sous vide? ›

For example, many chefs recommend that sous vide steak should not be cooked for longer than four hours because the connective tissue begins to break down and the steak can become mushy. If the recipe says to cook something for between one and four hours, it's probably not recommended to cook it for 12.

How long does it take for a tongue to be cooked? ›

Place tongue into a soup pot. Season with salt and pour in enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until the outer skin begins to peel off, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Peel off skin and discard.

Can you eat beef tongue medium rare? ›

Alternately, Chris Cosentino recommends freezing the tongue and peeling with a thick vegetable peeler. Place it between two spoons, all tied together, so that it lays flat as it freezes. He then recommends serving rare or medium rare tongue in several familiar preparations, such as grilling, searing or sauteeing.

What temperature are tongues? ›

To keep the initial tongue surface temperature the same and to reduce the physical (temperature) effect of applied stimuli, all solutions were kept in a water bath at 34 °C, which is the normal tongue surface temperature at rest, before the experiments.

How often can you eat cow tongue? ›

However, like other organ meats, cow tongue should make only occasional appearances in your diet; consuming organ meats on a regular basis is unhealthy because of their cholesterol content. Cholesterol aside, cow tongue does offer some advantages, providing protein, vitamins and minerals.

Is cow tongue healthy? ›

Eating protein-packed cow tongue is excellent for your physical and mental health with plenty of nutritional benefits. Beef Tongue, while not quite packing the same punch as Liver or Kidney, it is rich in immune-boosting vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc, choline, and high in Vitamin B12.

What is tacos de lengua in english? ›

Beef Tacos de Lengua (Beef Tongue Tacos)

Do Mexicans eat beef tongue? ›

Beef tongue tacos are a very popular choice in taquerias all across mexico. Lengua (tongue) is used in so many cuisines all over the world. It is a true delicacy; and if cooked correctly, It becomes super soft while preserving its meaty texture.

Do Mexicans eat cow tongue? ›

Beef tongue is exactly what it sounds like – the big ol' tongue of a cow. Though not as commonly found on the average U.S. family's dinner table, it's widely used in Mexican cuisine, as well as several European, Asian, and South American cultures.

Can you cook beef tongue to medium rare? ›

Alternately, Chris Cosentino recommends freezing the tongue and peeling with a thick vegetable peeler. Place it between two spoons, all tied together, so that it lays flat as it freezes. He then recommends serving rare or medium rare tongue in several familiar preparations, such as grilling, searing or sauteeing.

What temperature do you sous vide beef? ›

What Temperature Should I Sous Vide?
Sous Vide Steak Temperature Chart
Very Rare to Rare120°F (49°C) to 128°F (53°C)1 to 2 1/2 hours
Medium Rare129°F (54°C) to 134°F (57°C)1 to 4 hours
Medium135°F (57°C) to 144°F (62°C)1 to 4 hours
Medium-Well145°F (63°C) to 155°F (68°C)1 to 3 1/2 hours
2 more rows

Is cow tongue tender or tough? ›

WHAT IS BEEF TONGUE AND HOW TO COOK IT INTRO. Beef Tongue is finally back in fashion after a decades long hiatus. With soft tender meat that has both lean and fattier parts, this weird-looking organ meat has a lot going for it so don't be put off by its appearance.

Why is my sous vide beef tough? ›

It could be the added salt. Salt will draw the moisture out meat. By salting it, even lightly, then leaving it for 3 hours in the Sous Vide bath, you gave the salt the opportunity to draw moisture from the steak and tighten it up. This makes a steak tough.

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