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.
