Tag: beef
Lengua Barbacoa (Instant Pot)
Lengua Barbacoa (Instant Pot)
Lengua is my favorite protein to go into a taco. The tongue meat is unbelievably tender and melts in your mouth. Roberto’s in Las Vegas make some of the best lengua tacos that I’ve ever eaten. Los Ocampos in Saint Paul makes a damn mean one as well. While most Americans might consider tongue a delicacy, it’s not for the rest of the world, especially in Mexico. This cut is relatively inexpensive and is becoming more and more common on menus.Lengua is usually prepared in a pot of water with onions, garlic, and bay leaves. It is simmered slow for about 8 hours. A crockpot would be a great choice instead of leaving your oven on all day. I’m using my Instant Pot, taking only 50 minutes. Once the tongue is finished, let it cool. Peel off the skin and shred with 2 forks. You can also chop it up and fry it in a little bit of lard.Be open minded and give lengua a try the next time your out at a real taco joint.
Equipment
- instant pot
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef tongue
- 1/4 medium white onion
- 6 garlic cloves
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp salt
- water enough to cover the tongue
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
To Serve
- corn tortillas
- white onion/cilantro/green onion mix
- red and green salsa
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Wash your beef tongue.
- Add the tongue to the Instant Pot along with the onions, garlic, bay leaves, and salt. Pour in enough water to cover the tongue. Set the function to Pressure Cook on high for 50 minutes. Put the lid on. Push start.
- Save the braising liquid.
- Let the tongue rest until cooled.
- Make a slit in the tongue with a knife and peel the skin of. Trim off any excess fat from where the tongue was severed. Cut up into bite sized pieces.
- Heat cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté for 10 minutes, slowly incorporating some of the braising liquid into the meat.
Argentinian-Style Grilled Flanken Beef Ribs
Argentinian-Style Grilled Flanken Beef Ribs
These Argentinian style beef ribs are very simple to prepare and take only 10 minutes to grill. Make sure that the ribs are cut 1/2” thick. All you need to do is season them with sea salt and let the rest for an hour. The salt acts as a tenderizer, breaking down some of the fat and connective tissue. Once the ribs are finished grilling, squeeze lime juice over them.
Servings: 2
Equipment
- charcoal
- chimney starter
- charcoal grill
Ingredients
- 4 flanken cut beef short ribs 1/2” thick
- coarse ground sea salt
- 1 lime
Instructions
- Season the ribs with coarse ground sea salt on both sides. Let rest for an hour at room temperature.
- Start the charcoal in a chimney starter until gray. Pour in the grill and place the grate on. Place the ribs directly over the charcoal.
- Grill the ribs for 5 minutes a side. Squeeze lime juice over the ribs instantly after they come off the grill.
Zigni
Zigni
Zigni is a traditional Eritrean dish of stewed beef in a tomato sauce seasoned with berbere spice. The dish is always served on top of injera. Zigni is fairly spicy, so adjust the amounts of berbere to fit your taste buds.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 lbs beef stew meat
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- 3 green onions chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 4 tbsp berbere
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add in the beef and brown for 5-6 minutes.
- Add in the green onions and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Mix in the berbere spice and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes. Season with salt.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
- When finished, the sauce should be smooth and the beef will be tender.
Berbere Spice
Berbere spice is a building block for all East African cuisine. It has a nice smokey and spicy taste. It is the main spice ingredient in Zigni, Doro Wat, and many other Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Somali dishes. Berbere spice is great on meat, fish, vegetables, and eggs.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 1 tbsp granulated garlic
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 tbsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cardamom
Instructions
- If you have any whole spices, lightly dry toast them in a pan for a couple of minutes. Then grind them in a coffee grinder used for spices only, or grind them by hand in a mortar and pestle. Mix all the spices together.
Injera
Injera is an East African staple, eaten with just about every meal. Similar in appearance to a buckwheat crepe, the injera is made out of teff flour. Teff is a grain grown in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The flour is mixed into a thin pancake like batter. The batter is left to ferment in the refrigerator for 2 days, giving the injera a flavor similar to sourdough. When ready to cook, ladle some of the batter on an oiled nonstick pan over high heat. The injera takes no more than 2 minutes to make, with no flipping required. The batter is thin enough to cook completely through. The injera is torn and eaten as a scoop for your food.
Equipment
- upright mixer
Ingredients
- 2 cups teff flour
- 1/2 package dry active yeast
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients except the salt in an upright mixer for a minute.
- Add the salt and blend for 15 seconds.
- Cover the batter and let sit in the refrigerator for 2 days.
- Lightly oil a nonstick pan over high heat. Pour a ladles worth of the batter into the pan, making a circular shape.
- Cook on 1 side for up to 2 minutes. No flipping required.
