Sous Vide Tacos de Lengua Recipe (2024)

  • Mexican
  • Sous Vide Beef
  • Beef Mains
  • Tacos

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.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

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
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 long to sous vide cow tongue? ›

Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 36 hours. You will likely need to add water every several hours to keep the water level above the tongue.

Can you sous vide your tongue? ›

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.

What temperature is beef tongue done? ›

Cook all organ and variety meats (such as heart, kidney, liver and tongue) to 160 °F (71.1 °C). Cook all raw beef steaks and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F (62.8 °C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source.

What temperature should a cow's tongue be? ›

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.

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.

How long is the average cow tongue? ›

On average a cow's tongue is over 12 inches long! #Dairy #CowFacts | By Tuls DairiesFacebook.

How many degrees can your tongue handle? ›

While the exact temperature can vary from person to person, in general, anything over 110 degrees Fahrenheit can cause a superficial burn, and anything 160 degrees Fahrenheit or higher will cause a burn instantly, he notes. This means the majority of beverages served at your local café are hot enough to scald you.

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.

How to sous vide beef tongue? ›

Directions
  1. Set your Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 170.0ºF / 76.7ºC.
  2. Place beef tongue and half of the seasoning mix in vacuum seal bag.
  3. Vacuum seal bag and submerge under water. ...
  4. Set Anova to 24-48 hrs.
  5. Remove tongue and pour remaining liquid (from bag) into a bowl.

Why is my beef tongue tough? ›

Fast cooking or undercooking makes the tongue tough and unpleasant. If you've got the time, err on the side of caution and keep simmering for an extra hour or two.

Is cow tongue healthy? ›

Nutritional Benefits. 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 ...

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.

Does cow tongue count as beef? ›

Beef tongue (also known as neat's tongue or ox tongue) is a cut of beef made of the tongue of a cow. It can be boiled, pickled, roasted or braised in sauce. It is found in many national cuisines, and is used for taco fillings in Mexico and for open-faced sandwiches in the United States.

What is the Spanish word for cow tongue? ›

Lengua, Spanish for "tongue," is the tongue of a beef cow.

How do you cook tongue sous vide? ›

Cooking. Season the beef tongue with salt and black pepper. Put the it into the vacuum bag and seal it. Submerge the vacuum bag into the preheated water at 75°C/167°F and cook for 24 hours.

Can you eat cow 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.

Can you cook beef tongue to medium rare? ›

Beef tongue requires a very long time to fully tenderize. For a medium-rare tender steak texture you can sous vide it at 131°F (55°C) for 2 to 3 days. If you are looking for a braise-like result choose any of the braising temperatures for a day or two.

What happens if you sous vide beef too long? ›

While many will tell you that it's impossible to overcook with sous vide (and this isn't far from the truth), do bear in mind though that if you leave the food in the water bath for an extended period of time it won't 'overcook', but it could start to take on a mushy texture, so don't forget about it!

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