Mexican cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Lengua en Salsa Verde

Butter-tender beef tongue, sliced and warmed through in a tangy, spicy tomatillo-serrano sauce.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 1 kg beef tongue
• 2 onions
• 6 cloves garlic
• 3 bay leaves
• 500 g tomatillos
• 2 serrano chiles
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 3 tbsp oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Rinse the beef tongue thoroughly and combine with a halved onion, three cloves of garlic, the bay leaves and 2 tsp salt in plenty of water.
2. Cook covered over low heat for 2–2.5 hours until a skewer pierces the tongue with no resistance, then peel it while still hot and let it cool completely.
3. Cook the tomatillos and serrano chiles in boiling water for 8 min. until the tomatillos turn from grass-green to olive, then drain.
4. Puree the tomatillos, chiles, the second onion, the remaining garlic and the cilantro with 100 ml of the cooking broth until smooth.
5. Heat oil in a wide pot until very hot, pour in the green puree all at once – it will spatter briefly – and reduce, uncovered, for 8–10 min. until the sauce turns velvety and the acidity mellows.
6. Cut the tongue into 5 mm thin slices, warm gently in the sauce for 10 min., season with salt and pepper and serve with rice or tortillas.