The Silence of the Mock Lengua

Aside from our obvious over of sea food, a dish, (even after finding out what it was) that I can't seem to get enough of is lengua estofada. A dish of Spanish origin, the braised beef tongue is one of the most succulent, rich and flavorful dish that can be the highlight of a meal when done properly. This recipe tastes like the real deal.

However, having this can be difficult for two main reasons: 1) someone at the dining table can't for the life of them, swallow tongue (pardon the pun). Then there's 2) when you buy the main ingredient to this dish, you have to buy the tongue whole, which often is way to much tongue if there's only a few of you to savor the dish.

My solution? Mock Lengua:

Ingredients:

• 1 kg beef kenchi/foreshank
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped
• 2 beef cubes
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 red wine, ıf ıt's not good enough to drink, ıt's not good enough to cook with
• water to cover your meat in the pot
• 1/2 c butter
• 3 bay leaves
• 5 peppercorns
• 200 grams button mushrooms, fresh or canned
• 4 tbsp cornstarch, diluted in 1/4 c water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 mediım sized tomato, seeded and chopped

Preparation:

1. Put meat into a pressure cooker, with enough water to barely cover the meat. Add the next 7 ingredients after the beef and cook for about an hour after you hear the pressure cooker start to make that steam induced rocking sound.
2. When done, set meat aside and about 3 cups of the broth.
3. In a saucepan, saute onions and tomatoes in a little oil til onions caramelize. Add button mushrooms and stir.
4. Add the broth. When it starts to simmer, add the diluted cornstarch. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook til it thickens.
5. Slice your beef into 1/8 to 1/4 inch and arrange on a platter. Pour a little of the sauce to slightly cover the meat and keep the rest on the side. Goes really well with mashed potatoes!

**you can make gravy instead of the sauce by skipping the sauteing part. Instead, boil the broth and add the diluted cornstarch and mushrooms. Cook til it thickens ans season to taste.

From Kitchen Wanderings, here's to life full of flavor!