Why It Works
- Slow cooking the beef tongue for hours tenderizes the meat by transforming its collagen into gelatin.
- Cilantro stems, warm spices, and vegetables complement the meaty flavor of the broth.
- Crisping the diced beef tongue in the tallow skimmed from the broth adds another layer of beefiness.
- Finishing with lime and cilantro provides acidity and herbiness to balance the richness of the beef.
Tacos de lengua (beef tongue) may not be as popular as other options on the taco truck menu—it’s hard to compete with smoky carne asada and zingy al pastor—but they’re among my favorites. Lengua is prized for both its mild, beefy flavor and its meltingly tender texture when properly cooked. My favorite versions are served with a side of hot consomé—something to sip between bites or dip tortillas into—which is exactly what this recipe delivers.
This is a two-part dish by design. The tongue is slow-simmered until tender in an herby, aromatic broth, then peeled, diced, and briefly crisped in the beef tallow skimmed from that same consomé. The result is a deeply flavored taco filling and a savory broth that’s finished with lime, cilantro, and onion. You can ladle it over the lengua and eat it as a light soup, spoon it alongside tacos for dipping, or do both—highly recommended.
Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
Humans have been eating tongues from birds, fish, and mammals for centuries—everything from flamingo tongues in ancient Rome to fried cod tongues in eastern Canada—and there’s a reason the cut has endured. If you’ve never cooked beef tongue before, this is a great place to start. Despite its reputation for being intimidating to cook (and the fact that, yes, it does look like a tongue), lengua is forgiving and largely hands-off: Once it’s simmering, time does most of the work. You’ll likely need to order it from a good butcher or ask at a well-stocked Latin American market, but the payoff is substantial.
A cow’s tongue is a hardworking muscle rich in collagen and fat, which means low-and-slow cooking is key. As it simmers, that collagen converts to gelatin, enriching the broth and giving the meat its signature tenderness. Beef tongues are also large—typically two to four pounds—so while the cooking time is long, the yield is generous and will keep you fed for days. After cooking, be sure to peel away the thin outer membrane—doing it while the tongue is still warm is far easier than once it cools, and reveals the silky meat underneath.
Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
Aromatics like cilantro stems, coriander seeds, and black peppercorns keep the consomé savory and balanced, while a squeeze of lime at the end cuts through the richness and brings everything into focus. I keep the toppings simple to avoid overshadowing the delicate flavor of the liquid, but you can tailor the recipe to resemble caldo de res (beef soup) by adding potatoes, chickpeas, carrots, or zucchini.
