Beef Tongue (Lengua)

This simple beef tongue recipe results in tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat. The tasty mushroom onion sauce is optional, but it greatly enhances the dish.

Leftovers are excellent too, whether gently reheated in the microwave or served cold.

Nose-to-tail eating is the responsible way for meat-eaters to consume meat. And this particular cut makes it very palatable indeed. It's wonderfully flavorful and tender, and it's also surprisingly easy to make.

I learned to cook lengua from my friend Irina, a wonderful cook who makes many traditional recipes. My entire family loves it - yes, even the kids!

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to turn a cow's tongue into a delicacy. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

Beef tongue: Not readily available in U.S. supermarkets, I often special-order it at Whole Foods.

Spices: I use dried bay leaves, whole peppercorns, and whole allspice.

Butter: I love using creamy European butter, but any butter will be great.

Onions and mushrooms: As a lazy cook, I often use the food processor to chop onions, and I buy pre-sliced mushrooms.

Beef broth: Store-bought is fine - just check the ingredients list to make sure it looks OK.

Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.

Cornstarch: Just 1 teaspoon to thicken the sauce.

Instructions

Cooking beef tongue is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

You start by simmering the tongue with spices until tender, 3-4 hours.

Allow it to slightly cool, just until it's easier to handle, then remove the skin and slice it.

If making the sauce, cook the onions and mushrooms in butter, then add beef broth, kosher salt, and black pepper.

Add the sliced meat to this tasty sauce and simmer it for 30 minutes, until it's super tender. You can thicken the sauce with a little cornstarch if you'd like.

To serve, arrange slices on plates and top them with the sauce.

Expert tip

You'll want to let the cooked tongue cool a little before removing the skin. It's too hot to handle when you remove it from the saucepan.

But don't let it sit and cool for too long. You want to remove the skin as soon as you can. If it cools down too much, it will be very difficult to remove.

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

You can serve this dish with anything you would serve with steaks or roasts. Mashed cauliflower, roasted carrots, roasted asparagus... anything, really.

Storing and using leftovers

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power.

I actually really like them cold, sliced thin, and served with quick pickles, mustard, and fresh-cut veggies.

Related recipes

If you're interested in trying more offal recipes, here are a few good ones:

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Recipe Card

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Melt-in-Your-Mouth Beef Tongue

This simple beef tongue recipe results in tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat. The tasty mushroom sauce is optional, but it greatly enhances the dish.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time4 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Total Time5 hours hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Jewish

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 402kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 beef tongue 2 or 3 lb.
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
• ▢ 1 teaspoon whole allspice

Sauce:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 2 medium onions chopped
• ▢ 8 oz mushrooms sliced
• ▢ 2 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cornstarch optional

Instructions

Cook the tongue:

• Rinse the tongue and place it in a large stockpot. Add enough water to cover - I use 14 cups of water.
• Bring to a boil. This will likely take 20-30 minutes. Skim the foam off from the top.
• Lower the heat to a simmer. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and allspice, and cook, partially covered, turning the tongue every hour to ensure even cooking on all sides. Cook 3 hours for a 2-lb. tongue, and 4 hours for a 3-lb. tongue.
• Remove the cooked tongue to a cutting board. Allow it to cool until easier to handle, then remove the skin, as shown in the video, slice and serve, with or without sauce.

Make the sauce:

• Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and swirl to coat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 10 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft.
• Add broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the sliced tongue, cover it with the sauce, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.
• If you wish to thicken the sauce, 5 minutes before it’s done, mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of cold water and stir the mixture into the sauce.

To serve:

• Arrange tongue slices on plates and top them with the sauce. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

1. Nutrition info assumes a 2-lb. tongue.

2. You can simply cook the sauce separately as I do in the video and then spoon it on top of the cooked tongue slices. In that case, use 1 onion, 8 oz mushrooms, 2 TBS butter, and just 1 cup of broth.

3. You can use the tongue cooking water as a very tasty broth. I don’t add any salt to the cooking water to ensure the meat remains as tender as possible. If not using the sauce, you can sprinkle the cooked tongue slices with some salt. You can also mix salt into the broth after removing the tongue.

4. You'll want to let the cooked tongue cool a little before removing the skin. It's too hot to handle when you remove it from the saucepan. But don't let it sit and cool for too long. You want to remove the skin as soon as you can. If it cools down too much, it will be very difficult to remove.

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Nutrition per Serving

Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 28g | Sodium: 317mg | Fiber: 1g

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