Lengua (cow tongue) Tacos?

JR-WNC

JR-WNC

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There's a Mexican food truck near my house and they sell the best dang lengua tacos I've ever tried! So I've been wanting to try my hand at making them.

I'm just curious if any of the cooks on here has made/cooked cow tongue before? Is it as easy as the recipes online say, was there anything you didn't know or learned the hard way first time you cooked it? How easy is it to peel the skin off? Can you overcook/prep it? I'm planning 9n putting it in slow cooker for 4 to 8 hrs or until tender with vegetables and spices.

Also do you guys have any good salsa recipes? A local restaurant (papas and beer) sales salsa tomatillo roja that's got the perfect level of "I'll regret this later" heat. And I also like Avacodo salsa any good recipes for that?
 
I had a mexican friend back in AZ that could cross a desert with a goat and an onion and make the best stew when he got where he was going. With that said I ate at his house quite a bit. I always asked what is this, it is really good. His reply was allows the same. You don't wanna know!
 
a) have had it and it was good
b) I dont need to know how it's made to enjoy it
c) I dont want to know how it's made ha
 
HMP said:
a) have had it and it was good
b) I dont need to know how it's made to enjoy it
c) I dont want to know how it's made ha
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3 small soft corn shell tacos are $10, I could probably feed 3 or 4 people with 1 tongue. Plus if you good at it, you can show people it ain't bad meat, just in there head. Like when I make it, I'm just to tell dad it's beef. Lol
 
JR-WNC said:
3 small soft corn shell tacos are $10, I could probably feed 3 or 4 people with 1 tongue. Plus if you good at it, you can show people it ain't bad meat, just in there head. Like when I make it, I'm just to tell dad it's beef. Lol
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Friend at school just got back from Ireland. Said one meal at a fancy restaurant was ox cheek.
Sometimes good food is from 'weird' parts of the body
 
I have a pretty open mind when it comes to food obviously, but there's one thread in here talking about stuff people wouldn't want to eat. And even I would say no to trying. But most out of the norm food, I will give it a go.

There's a Asian market near me, every Saturday they cook duck and sell whole or half. When you buy it the guy just grabs a cleaver and chops bones and wraps it and hands it to, really good duck! You can get head too, never got it before, need to research what they do with duck heads.
 
HMP said:
Friend at school just got back from Ireland. Said one meal at a fancy restaurant was ox cheek.
Sometimes good food is from 'weird' parts of the body
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The “medallion” of cheek really is the most exquisite part of the animal both in flavor and texture.

I read that in a book and the gentleman’s gentleman who wrote it went on to say that when carving the animal for guests, one cheek went to the guest of honor and the other to the lady of the house. Pray she isn’t hungry because then you can keep it for yourself.

I often wondered if that was true. So last year, for the first time, we kept and smoked the head of the hog at the bbq.

I can say for sure it is true. One of the best morsels of meat I’ve ever put in my mouth.

Tongue I can take or leave. Nothing against the flavor or origin but the texture is off.
 
MacEntyre said:
Done right, the texture is not off. I came to like lengua after comparing all the other meat options available for tacos and torte. Lengua was the best by far.
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I can't agree more. I worked near a place in Raleigh that sold the little lengua taco's for $1.25 a piece and I could eat as many as I could afford.

I looked at cooking some for myself and experimenting with other stuff, but with taco's then being less than half the price they are now it wasn't much cheaper.
I know it's unconventional but I just know it would be good with some asian fried rice.

If anyone knows of a good place to get some in the triad let me know.
 
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Lengua is my favourite taco filling. Some folks have issues with the texture, but the flavour is amazing. Absolutely exquisite delicacy and a lot of the time you get a funny look because you're a giant gringo getting excited about stuff gringo doesn't usually want to eat lol

To cook tongue the English way you boil the tongue in broth until it's fully cooked (2-3hrs), peel off the weird thick skin, then stick it in the oven for a bit to get a nice finish. Served sliced and usually in sandwiches. I suspect tongue for tacos is the same except they then dice it and the broth is different.
 
NCLivingBrit said:
To cook tongue the English way you boil the tongue in broth until it's fully cooked (2-3hrs), peel off the weird thick skin, then stick it in the oven for a bit to get a nice finish. Served sliced and usually in sandwiches
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Had this routinely as a child. No idea where I’d buy a beef tongue today.
 
I've made it a few times before. It seemed like some of the tongue from grass fed cows came off a little gamey tasting, so I've been wondering if soaking in milk overnight would help that. I would always boil, remove the skin when it was ready, and finish in the slow cooker. Cut into tiny cubes and toss in the cast iron for a little crisp before eating. It's hard to screw up texture-wise.
 
Desron23 said:
I can't agree more. I worked near a place in Raleigh that sold the little lengua taco's for $1.25 a piece and I could eat as many as I could afford.

I looked at cooking some for myself and experimenting with other stuff, but with taco's then being less than half the price they are now it wasn't much cheaper.
I know it's unconventional but I just know it would be good with some asian fried rice.

If anyone knows of a good place to get some in the triad let me know.
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Tacos casa Miguel over in Kernersville is my favorite taco spot.

He usually has tongue but not always.

@Jeppo has another spot right down the road that almost always has tongue. Can’t recall the name.

Both places speak English but you’ll usually be the only customer who does.
 
Chdamn said:
Tacos casa Miguel over in Kernersville is my favorite taco spot.

He usually has tongue but not always.

@Jeppo has another spot right down the road that almost always has tongue. Can’t recall the name.

Both places speak English but you’ll usually be the only customer who does.
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Thank you! I'll try to get out there sometime this week

now I need to find a place to buy a whole tongue to experiment myself
 
Desron23 said:
Thank you! I'll try to get out there sometime this week

now I need to find a place to buy a whole tongue to experiment myself
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Try Compare Foods on E Bessemer in Greensboro, they've got a lot of weird African and Hispanic meat and fish, but be aware it isn't the cleanest store and they are sloppy with packaging.
 
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When the texture is right, it's similar to ham.

Some of those cooking methods or recipes come from being poor and not wasting anything, just like barbeque here.
 
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For those in Raleigh the lengua tacos at Taqueria El Toro on Junction Blvd which is off of the Tryon Rd just West of the South Saunders intersection are pretty good in my opinion. For any of you that have been there previously they moved across the street to the old bank building in 2023.
maps.app.goo.gl

Taqueria El Toro · 3600 Junction Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27603

âââââ · Mexican restaurant
maps.app.goo.gl maps.app.goo.gl

The grocery is still there and would likely sell beef tongue. I've seen it sporadically at the Sam's Club off Capitol as well as the Zebulon Walmart. There is also a Latino grocer in Zebulon

maps.app.goo.gl

Latinos Foods Market · 410 W Gannon Ave, Zebulon, NC 27597

âââââ · Grocery store
maps.app.goo.gl maps.app.goo.gl
 
Chdamn said:
Tacos casa Miguel over in Kernersville is my favorite taco spot.

He usually has tongue but not always.

@Jeppo has another spot right down the road that almost always has tongue. Can’t recall the name.

Both places speak English but you’ll usually be the only customer who does.
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My place has gone thru some changes and I’m not quite ready to recommend the current incarnation. Meanwhile, Taco Corner in High Point is now my preferred joint. Lengua is always on the menu. Be happy to meet y’all there almost anytime.

maps.app.goo.gl

Taco Corner · High Point, North Carolina

maps.app.goo.gl maps.app.goo.gl
 
The only thing better than lengua on tacos is tripa.
 
BowWow said:
When the texture is right, it's similar to ham.
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Old feller I useta work with wouldn't eat ham. Said it was like eatin' a baby. I always wondered about him... how did he know?

BowWow said:
Some of those cooking methods or recipes come from being poor and not wasting anything, just like barbeque here.
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or kinda like Haggis in Scotland
 
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Tacos Coranay is a Mexican food truck behind the gas station, across from Lowes in Indian Land, SC. Their food, especially the tongue tacos, is legit. The photo below is not their lengua, but is their standard prep for all the tacos they serve. Those peppers are frickin' hot, and their orange/red hot sauce in the little containers is equally legit.

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1709247057206.png
 
NCLivingBrit said:
To cook tongue the English way you boil the tongue in broth until it's fully cooked (2-3hrs), peel off the weird thick skin, then stick it in the oven for a bit to get a nice finish. Served sliced and usually in sandwiches. I suspect tongue for tacos is the same except they then dice it and the broth is different.
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Thankyou! I'm guessing beef broth. In the crackpot, another post mentioned cheek meat. I will probably try to get some of that too, cook it at same time. Probably different pots so I can sample them separately, if it's close to each other just chop them all together.
 
Desron23 said:
now I need to find a place to buy a whole tongue to experiment myself
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I've heard that ingles will order about anything you want. Just because it isn't in stock doesn't mean they can't order it. I'm going to talk with the butchers in the morning, see if this true and I will try to get back to you on it.
 
JR-WNC said:
I don't own an insta pot, but I was talking with my wife a week ago about buying a good one. I have pressure canners, but would rather have insta pot. Be easier to clean. Lol
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Only until you burn cheese onto the bottom then forget about it lol

Edit: It's surprisingly easy to burn stuff to the bottom of the Instant Pot, even following recipes with ingredient order and cooking instructions.
 
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NCLivingBrit said:
Only until you burn cheese onto the bottom then forget about it lol

Edit: It's surprisingly easy to burn stuff to the bottom of the Instant Pot, even following recipes with ingredient order and cooking instructions.
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That’s because you’re trying to make British cooking :p

Your folk have earned a reputation, though admittedly it’s highly undeserved. Some of the best meals I’ve had have been at a pub in your homeland.
 
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