Lengua Estofado, which translates to tongue (lengua) stew (estofado) in Spanish, is a Filipino delicacy with heavy colonial influence. Adapted from Andalusian-style cooking, it’s a type of braised dish where ox tongue is cooked low and slow in a rich tomato sauce seasoned with vinegar, soy sauce, and aromatics.

If you haven’t tried lengua before, this is the perfect recipe to get your first bite! You’ll be pleasantly surprised how the the tough muscle turns to a velvety-soft, flavorful meat with none of the off-taste or smell you’d expect from an offal.

Add a generous smothering of the luscious red sauce plus hearty mushrooms, and creamy mushrooms, and you’re in for a treat!

Ingredient notes

• Beef/ox tongue– you can substitute pork tongue which are usually smaller and thus cook quicker
• Aromatics–onions, garlic, and bay leaves infuses the meat with additional flavor
• Broth– reserved from pre-cooking the beef tongue
• Potatoes–cut into 1/2-inch rounds or quarter into cubes
• Mushrooms– you can use fresh or canned button mushrooms
• Tomato Sauce– you can use ½ cup tomato paste and ½ cup water to replace tomato sauce.
• Soy Sauce– adds umami flavor
• Sugar–balances the sour notes with sweetness
• Carrots, bell peppers, and/or green olives– feel free to add these vegetables for extra color and texture

Cooking tongue

Lengua is usually served for special occasions as it can be pretty pricey and takes hours to tenderize. By following the simple hacks below, you can enjoy this magnificent cut of meat for everyday family dinner fare.

• You can cook the tongue in advance, portion the serving slices in resealable plastic bags or airtight containers, and store them in the freezer until ready to use in your favorite dishes like tacos de lengua lengua in mushroom sauce and of course, this lengua stew.
• You can also use an Instant Pot or pressure cooker to save time. From the usual 4 to 5 hours to tenderize, it will take about 50 to 60 minutes to pressure cook the lengua depending on weight.

Peeling and slicing

• Allow the cooked tongue to just cool enough to touch and peel before it’s completely cooled. The skin is easier to pull off while still warm.
• If the tongue is cold,  a vegetable peeler is the best tool to shave off the skin cleanly and without a lot of waste.
• While it’s easier to peel while slightly warm, it’s easier to cut into neater slices when chilled. After peeling, refrigerate for about 1 to 2 hours until cold before slicing.

How to serve and store

• Lengua estofado is delicious nashville filipino food as a main dish for lunch or dinner. Serve with steamed rice, mashed potatoes, or noodles for a hearty meal. For a lighter option, enjoy it with a tossed salad and a crusty bread loaf to sop up the tasty sauce.
• To store leftovers, transfer in a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
• To reheat, place in a saucepan and heat until internal temperature reads 165 F.

More lengua recipes

Creamy lengua in mushroom gravy is the ultimate holiday or special occasion dish! It takes a few hours to make but worth the wait. Delicious with rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles!

Get Recipe

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6servings

Ingredients

• 3poundsbeef tongue
• water
• 1small onion, peeled and quartered
• 1headgarlic, peeled and crushed
• 2bay leaves
• 1teaspoonpepper corns
• 2tablespoonssalt
• 1/4cupcanola
• 2medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick
• 1can(4 ounces) button mushrooms, drained
• 1small onion, peeled and chopped
• 2clovesgarlic, peeled and minced
• 1cuptomato sauce
• 1cupreserved broth
• 2tablespoonssoy sauce
• 1tablespoonsugar
• salt and pepper to taste

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

• In a deep pot over medium heat, combine beef tongue and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil for about 10 to 15 minutes, skimming scum that may float to top. Drain tongue and rinse well. Discard liquid and wash pot.
• Return tongue to pot and add enough water to cover. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 4 to 5 hours or until meat is fork-tender. Add more water as needed.
• Drain the cooked tongue from liquid, reserving 1 cup of the broth. Strain and discard aromatics.
• Allow tongue to slightly cool and refrigerate for about 1 to 2 hours or until completely cooled. Peel the skin and cut meat diagonally into 1/2-inch slices.
• In a skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add potatoes and cook until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
• Remove excess oil from the pan except for about 2 tablespoons. Add mushrooms and cook for about 1 minute. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Add the chopped onions and minced garlic and cook until softened.
• Add tongue and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Add tomato sauce, reserved broth, and soy sauce, stirring well to combine. Bring to a boil.
• Lower heat, cover, and continue to cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until sauce is slightly reduced.
• Add sugar and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add potatoes and mushrooms and continue to cook until tender and sauce is thickened. Serve hot.

Notes

• Allow the cooked tongue to just cool enough to touch and peel before it’s completely cooled. The skin is easier to pull off while still warm.
• If the tongue is cold,  a vegetable peeler is the best tool to shave off the skin cleanly and without a lot of waste.
• While it’s easier to peel while slightly warm, it’s easier to cut into neater slices when chilled. After peeling, refrigerate for about 1 to 2 hours until cold before slicing.

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”

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