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Beef Tongue Tacos

The beef tongue in this recipe is braised all day long in a mixture of chicken stock, baking spices, soy sauce, coca cola, and rice vine vinegar.

Ingredients

For the Braised Beef Tongue:

  • 1 whole fresh beef tongue cut in half to fit inside of medium soup pot
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp salted butter
  • 1 large white onion roughly chopped
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup coca cola
  • 1 cup water or enough to barely cover tongue
  • 2 whole cinnamon sticks
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 20 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic whole
  • ½ cup  rice wine vinegar
  • Salt  to taste

For the Additional Taco Components:

  • 1 red onion cut into thin 1/8” slices
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ¼ fresh pineapple small dice
  • ½ fresh jalapeno seeds and stems removed, finely minced
  • 3 Tbsp cilantro stems and leaves finely minced
  • 2 cups purple cabbage finely shredded
  • 12 flour tortillas
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves only, for garnish
  • 1 lime cut into wedges, for serving

Instructions

  • Season the two halves of tongue with salt and allow to sit in the fridge on a plate for 2 hours or overnight. 
  • Prior to cooking, remove from fridge and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  • Heat butter in a medium soup pot or small Dutch oven until melted.
  • Add onion and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
  • Add the salted beef tongue, chicken stock, soy sauce, coca cola, water, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, oregano, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and freshly-ground black pepper.
  • Bring to just below a simmer and cook slowly for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  • After two hours of cooking, remove the beef tongues from the liquid and carefully cut off all the papillae and exterior layer of skin on the tongue, reserving the flesh.
  • Cut the tongue meat into 1.5” cubes and place back into the braising liquid.
  • Continue to cook for an additional 5-6 hours.
  • During the last two hours of cooking, add the rice wine vinegar and adjust saltiness of the broth to taste.
  • While the beef tongue is cooking, prepare the additional taco components.
  • Combine the red onion, lime zest, lime juice, red pepper flakes, fresh pineapple, fresh jalapeno, and cilantro stems and stir to combine.
  • Taste pickled mixture and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
  • Allow pickled mixture to sit in the fridge while the tongue continues cooking and you prepare the remaining taco components.
  • Finely slice the purple cabbage and set aside.
  • When the beef tongue is finished cooking and is tender, turn off the heat and allow the meat to cool in the braising liquid.
  • Put in the fridge if using on another day.
  • If preparing the tacos immediately, slice the tongue meat into 1/8” slices and set aside.
  • Warm tortillas in the oven at 300F, wrapped in aluminum foil.
  • Warm slices of beef tongue in a small sauce pot with a small amount of the braising liquid to preserve moisture in the beef.
  • Construct tortillas with sour cream, beef tongue, pickled vegetables and pineapple, purple cabbage, fresh cilantro, and freshly-cut wedges of lime. 

Notes

I prefer to clean the tongue by cutting off the exterior layer of papillae and skin after it has been cooking for a while. This makes the removal process easier compared to when the tongue is raw and uncooked.
Try to avoid boiling the tongue during the cooking process. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and let it slowly cook at just below a simmer all day long.
You can braise the tongue the day before making the tacos, just remember to cool the tongue down at room temperature while it is still submerged in the braising liquid.
Any extra tongue meat you have will make for delicious leftovers.