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[Recipe] Lengua Picante (Spicy Beef Tongue)
Learn how to cook beef tongue (lengua de vaca), a flavorful, rich dish made with an uncommon beef cut, you'll love this spicy cow tongue.
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 228 kcal
Course:
Lunch , Dinner
Cuisine:
Caribbean , Dominican
Ingredients
To boil the tongue
- 2 lengua (beef tongue) (lengua de vaca, cow tongue, ox tongue)
- 1 teaspoon oregano (dry, ground)
- 2½ teaspoons salt
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon peppercorns
To make the sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large red onion cut into strips
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 bell pepper cut into strips
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 12 pitted green olives sliced
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper cut into slices (optional)
- 6 large tomato cut into cubes
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 3 sprigs cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
- 1½ teaspoons pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground) (or more, to taste)
Instructions
1. Boiling the beef tongue
- Place the beef tongue in a pot, add ½ gallon [2 liters] of water, and add oregano, a teaspoon of salt, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Cook over medium heat the tongue, until it is tender throughout, which you can test by poking with a fork, and the skin will peel off very easily (40-60 minutes). Discard the bay leaf. Remove the tongue from the water (reserve 1 cup of the liquid it boiled in and set aside for later). Cool to room temperature.
Cup of Yum
2. Slicing
- Peel the skin off the tongue. Discard skin. With a sharp knife, cut the tongue into fine slices.
3. Browning
- Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the tongue slices and brown on one, then flip to brown the other side.
4. Cooking
- Lower heat to medium and add the onion. Cook and stir until the onions become translucent. Stir in the garlic, bell peppers, carrots, olives, and Scotch bonnet pepper. Cook and stir for a minute. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cover and cook over low heat until the tomatoes are soft.Add the broth that you had set aside and simmer until it is reduced to a thick sauce. Stir in cilantro leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve
- Remove from the heat and serve per the suggestions above.
Nutrition Information
Calories
228kcal
(11%)
Carbohydrates
13g
(4%)
Protein
22g
(44%)
Fat
10g
(15%)
Saturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Cholesterol
35mg
(12%)
Sodium
1380mg
(58%)
Potassium
933mg
(27%)
Fiber
4g
(16%)
Sugar
8g
(16%)
Vitamin A
4175IU
(84%)
Vitamin C
72.8mg
(81%)
Calcium
55mg
(6%)
Iron
3.2mg
(18%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 228
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 228kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 13g | 4% |
| Protein | 22g | 44% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 35mg | 12% |
| Sodium | 1380mg | 58% |
| Potassium | 933mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 4175IU | 84% |
| Vitamin C | 72.8mg | 81% |
| Calcium | 55mg | 6% |
| Iron | 3.2mg | 18% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.