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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Lengua Estofado (Beef Tongue Stew)


When I planned on making this dish, I didn't really know what to expect. I just knew that this is quite a popular dish the high end restos in the Philippines. I personally have not tried it. Seen it on some buffet spreads but haven't really tried it. But I always knew that I eat beef tongue. I mean I eat other offal and the lengua seems to have the least "yuck" factor of all.
Finding beef tongue and tripe in Carrefoure's (City Center, you can check out the location here) meat section made me think of preparing lengua at home. I then checked some recipes in the internet and it looks like there are two popular dishes you can make out of beef tongue, it could either be a tomato-based stew "Lengua Estofado" or a cream based "Lengua in mushroom sauce". Personally I am more inclined to do the cream based recipe, but thinking of the Fam who will be having it for dinner... my gut feel is that they'd opt for the tomato-based Estofado. 
Most of the recipes I find are quite similar and looks very simple so I'm thinking maybe it's really just the tongue which makes it so special, bacause, well, you can make the sauce with any type of meat, I think :)
The tongue we got from Carrefoure looks fine to me, nothing really eecky about it. We had to save it for a few days since it was Holy Week so I plan to make it after then. Yesterday, I asked our maid to cook it in the pressure cooker for 30 minutes so it would be ready when I get home. That she did, and the sight that greeted me was "Yaiks!" So that's how it looked! I mean seeing it with that white skin and those spikes that looks like taste buds, ngyaiks! This is not for the faint-hearted hahaha! Ok since I don't really have the chance to back out now, I started cleaning the tongue by peeling the skin off. I also decided to slice the meat already just to remove the picture of that tongue in front of me earlier. I actually meant to simmer it in the sauce whole and just slice it when cooked, but I changed my mind. This piece has to look edible! 
I turns out quite good surprisingly. Everybody loved it and there were no left overs after dinner, which was what I was worried about. Because I knew, if they didn't eat it the first time, then they wouldn't touch it again no matter how many times I serve it. 
As for me, I can still cook Lengua anytime, but I think the "yuck" factor will stay so officially, I'm a "No-Lengua" type of person :)
  
Ingredients:
1 Beef Tongue
1 cup Tomato Sauce
1 tbs rice vinegar
2 tbs soy sauce
3 tbs olive oil
1 medium tomato, diced
1/4 cup pineapple chunks  
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 small can button mushroom, sliced
12 pcs olives
spring onions, coarsely chopped (for garnish)
salt & pepper
3 tbs flour
2 tbs bread crumbs (optional)
water for boiling Beef Tongue
1-2 cups water for sauce


To prepare Beef Tongue:
Put beef tongue and water in pressure cooker. Sprinkle with a bit of salt. Cook for about 30 minutes until tender.
Let cool and peel off tongue's skin by using either knife or fruit peeler. Slice thinly about 1/2 cm.
Sprinkle evenly with flour and brown both sides in a pan with olive oil for about 1-2 minutes. Do not overcook.
Remove from pan and set aside.


Method:
Transfer the oil into a saucepan and add garlic and onion. Cook until onion is translucent. Add the tomato and pineapple. Saute for 5 minutes.
Mix the vinegar and soy sauce in a bowl and add into the saucepan. Follow with the tomato sauce and 1 cup water. Let simmer for about 5 minutes then add in the tongue. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to simmer for another 15minutes. Check if desired taste is achieved, add salt and pepper to achieve desired taste.
Add the olives and mushrooms and cook for another 10 minutes, add another cup of water if sauce had dried dried up. Put in the bread crumbs (if using) and stir gently to avoid from sticking unto the pan. Let simmer until desired thickness of sauce is achieved.
Turn off the heat and transfer to a serving plate. Serve with rice. Enjoy!


Beef Tongue or ox tongue on FoodistaBeef Tongue or ox tongue

2 comments:

  1. The list of ingredients shows no pineapple but the instructions say to add it . . . chunks? how much? Also, what is the weight of the tongue you used?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi,
    Thanks for your question, I have used 1/4 cup of pineapple chunks in the dish :)

    ReplyDelete

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