Grilled veal tongue tacos
“This underappreciated beef cut might just be the most important culinary discovery of your BBQ life!”
Veal tongue is better than you think it is! This underappreciated meat cut might just be the most important culinary discovery of your BBQ life. Those of you that have been keeping up with Smokey Goodness’ cooking style know we aren’t afraid to try new things, however crazy they may seem.
This recipe for grilled veal tongue tacos is our version of the famous street food smash hit and its flavor is impeccable. The texture of the boiled and grilled veal tongue is tender and crispy at the same time, and the spicy adobo sauce is the bomb! To score that typical Mexican flavour of jalapeños in adobo sauce you might need to find a specialty store, but once you’ve tasted it you’ll want to add that store to your Google Maps’ favourites.
The ingredients:
(4 serves)
Veal tongue:
- 1 veal tongue (about 28 oz / 800g)
- 2 bottles lager
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
Adobo-mole sauce:
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp brown caster sugar
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 tbsp jalapeños in adobo sauce (available at international supermarkets or specialty stores)
- 1 espresso
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp cocoa
- 2 tsp coriander stems, finely chopped
- 2 tsp honey
Finish it with:
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 12 gorditas (small but thick wheat tortillas)
- 3 heads little gem lettuce, finely chopped
- 2 red onions, diced
- 4 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
Gear:
- BBQ or grill for direct grilling
- (Hand) blender
- Cast iron grill grate
How to make:
Duration:
Prep 3½ hours
Cooking about 15 minutes
Place the veal tongue, beer, garlic, and black peppercorns in a pan. Add water until the veal tongue is submerged. Turn the heat on low and leave the simmer for 2-2½ hours, until the fleece on the tip of the tongue comes off easily. Take the pan off the heat and let cool until you can grab the veal tongue with your hands without burning your fingers. Peel the fleece off the tongue and use a sharp knife to remove any hard tendons on the bottom or back. Cut the tongue into slices about ¼ inch (7mm) thick.
While the meat is simmering, make the adobo-mole sauce. Heat the oil in a pan and add the red onions and garlic. Cook until the onion turns glassy. Add the brown caster sugar and stir well. Once the sugar has dissolved and starts to caramelize, deglaze with the balsamic vinegar. Add the jalapeños in adobo sauce, espresso, cumin, and cocoa and leave to simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the coriander stems and honey and use a (hand) blender to puree until the mixture is smooth.
Prepare a BBQ or grill with cast iron grill grate for direct grilling and heat to 220 °C (428 °F)
Brush the veal tongue slices with oil and season with with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cumin. Grill hot and fast for a few minutes, until crispy, and cut into small cubes.
Heat the gorditas on the BBQ and layer on the little gem, veal tongue, adobo-mole sauce, red onion, and coriander leaves. Squeeze out a lime wedge over your taco and enjoy!
