SLOW COOKED LENGUA IN MUSHROOM SAUCE

I had always been intimidated by the thought of cooking ox tongue.  It's has always seemed to require so much work, and then you'd have to find people who would eat it. After all, tongue is not the prettiest ingredient in the world.

I figured I'd start out with something easy and simple like Lengua in mushroom sauce.

I got the tongue from the supermarket where it is, more often than not, sold parboiled.  This means the plastic-like coating has already been removed. All you need to do is soften the meat. Just make sure you choose a piece that's between 2-3 kg so it softens faster.

A warning before you make this dish. Don't be fooled. It may look lean and mean but it has high saturated fat content. A serving would give you about 6.9 grams of saturated fat (and about 241 calories).  Remember, don't eat the whole damn thing!

INGREDIENTS
2.5-3 lbs. beef tongue, cleaned and thinly sliced
200 g.  white button mushroom, sliced2  onions, chopped
1 1/2  head garlic, chopped
2 pcs bay leaf
1 can cream of mushroom
250 ml all-purpose cream
½ cup butter
10 cups water
light soy sauce to season
peppecorn

TO MAKE

Prepare the tongue by boiling it at high heat in a deep pot, for15 minutes, making sure it's always covered in water. Then, boil it for another 2 hours in medium heat. Remove the scum. 

Rinse in cold water and remove the outer skin.  If your butcher is kind, you can ask them in advance for tongue without the outer skin.

Return the tongue to the pot. Add the aromatics- onions, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt. Over medium heat, simmer for another 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Add more water as needed, making sure the tongue is submerged at all times.

Drain the broth, but keep about 2 cups  for later. Rinse the tongue again and set aside. To make the slicing easier, when it has cooled down, refrigerate it.

Blend the broth, cream of mushroom soup and all-purpose cream in a bowl. Set aside.

Melt the butter in the pan and brown the mushrooms. Set aside.

Take the beef out of the ref and slice into 1-inch thick cuts.

Sauté the onions and garlic over high heat and add the tongue. Stir it gently to let it absorb the taste of the butter for about about 2 minutes. Add  the creamy mixture. Bring to a boil then turn the heat  down to medium.  

Season with light soy sauce (or salt) and pepper before reducing the sauce. This should take about 15 minutes.

Serve while hot with steamed white rice or sides of baked potatoes and zuchinni.