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Lengua estofado (braised ox tongue)
Beef tongue simmered until tender, sliced and braised in tomato with mushrooms and green olives
FilipinoLengua estofado is a Spanish-era special-occasion dish that Luzon families still cook for town fiestas, when it sits beside the lechon as the dish for people who know their food. An ox (beef) tongue is first simmered slowly until it is silky and tender, then peeled, sliced and finished in a tomato sauce with mushrooms, olives and a touch of soy. The slices are soft, fine-grained and rich, almost buttery, and the sauce is glossy and savoury. Serve with rice or warm pandesal to mop up the sauce. Chef's tip: the tongue is done when a skewer slides into the thickest part with no resistance; under-cooked tongue is chewy however long you braise the slices afterwards.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For simmering the tongue
- 2 ⅝ lb ox tongue1 whole, scrubbed
- 1 onionhalved
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 tsp salt
- 12 ½ cups waterenough to cover
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 5 cloves garlicchopped
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 1 cup tomato passata
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 7 oz button mushroomshalved
- 2 ⅛ oz green olivespitted
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Put the 2 ⅝ lb ox tongue in a large pot with the 1 onion, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 2 tsp salt and 12 ½ cups water. Bring to the boil over a high heat and skim off the grey foam.
15 minStep 2: Cover and simmer over a low heat for 2 hours, topping up with hot water to keep it covered, until a skewer slides easily into the thickest part.
120 minStep 3: Lift the tongue onto a board and, while it is still hot enough to handle with a cloth, peel off the thick outer skin and trim away any gristle at the root. Common mistake: letting it cool first; the skin then clings and tears off in tiny bits. Keep 500 ml of the broth.
8 minStep 4: Slice the tongue across into 1 cm slices.
3 minStep 5: Heat the 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and cook the 1 onion and 5 cloves garlic until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the 7 oz button mushrooms and cook until they are golden and their liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
9 minStep 6: Add the 2 tomatoes and cook until they break down, then stir in the 1 cup tomato passata, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar and the reserved broth and bring to a simmer.
5 minStep 7: Lay the slices in the sauce with the 2 ⅛ oz green olives, cover and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat the slices.
20 minStep 8: Sprinkle with 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and serve. Leftovers keep, covered, in the fridge for 3 days; reheat gently until steaming.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lengua estofado (braised ox tongue) take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 160 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
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