LINGUA ESTOFADO

Lengua Estofado is a type of ox tongue stew. The tongue was made very tender and cooked with tomato, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. This recipe is a hybrid of Spanish and Filipino estofado. The latter makes use of  soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar, while its Spanish counterpart utilizes diced tomato. White wine and olives are added, along with bay leaves to make the dish stand out. This is a recipe is a keeper.

If you have not tried cooking ox tongue before, you should know that there is a process to follow to tenderize it. The skin or outer layer of the tongue should also be removed completely  before cooking. I use a pressure cooker to tenderize the lengua (tongue). Cooking it for 45 minutes should be enough. Once tender, it is recommended to let the lengua cool down and then you have the option to remove the outer layer or put it in a freezer and remove the layer as you thaw it.

As for the other ingredients, you can use either of the two white wines for this recipe: Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon blanc. The green olives should be pitted so that it will be easier to eat. Adding dried bay leaves is also recommended to add a nice aroma and taste to your lengua estofado.

This is my favorite lengua dish next to lengua in mushroom sauce. I enjoy it best with rice. Make sure that the lengua gets very tender before serving. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. beef lengua, boiled until tender and sliced

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomato

1 Knorr Beef Cube

¾ cup white wine

1 medium yellow onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon vinegar

5 pieces bay leaves

½ cup sliced button mushrooms

1 cup pitted olives

¼ cup sliced black olives

1 cup water

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

¼ cup cooking oil

Procedures:

Heat oil in a wide cooking pot

Dredge the slice lengua in flour (shake away the excess flour) and then pan-fry in medium heat for 1 minute per side. Set aside.

Add onion and garlic on the pot. Continue to cook until the onion gets tender.

Pour the can of diced tomato and white wine. Stir.

Add the pan fried beef lengua.

Stir-in soy sauce and water. Add the Knorr Beef Cube. Let boil.

Add the bay leaves. Cover and cook in low heat until the sauce reduces to half.

Add the vinegar. Allow the sauce to re-boil.

Add sugar, green olives, black olives, and mushrooms. Stir. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes.

Sprinkle some salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Transfer to a serving plate. Serve.

Share and enjoy!