Cuban Braised Beef Tongue (Lengua Estofada)
Beef tongue boiled until tender, peeled, and simmered low and slow in a rich sofrito of tomato, wine, olives and capers until the sauce turns glossy and the meat is melt-in-the-mouth tender. A true Cuban Sunday-table classic.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Boil the tongue
Place the tongue in a large pot and cover with the water. Add the halved onion, 1 bay leaf, peppercorns and coarse salt. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam that rises, then lower the heat and simmer gently, partly covered, for about 2.5–3 hours.
- 1.6–1.8 kg whole beef tongue
- 3 litres water
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp peppercorns
- 1 tbsp coarse salt
✅ Done when: a thin knife slides into the thickest part with no resistance and the skin looks loose and wrinkled
Peel while hot
Lift the tongue onto a cutting board and keep the broth in the pot; you'll need it later. While the tongue is still hot, slit the skin from base to tip with a small knife and peel it off along with any rough white tissue underneath — this is much harder once it cools. Slice the peeled tongue into medallions about 1 cm thick.
- cooked tongue peeled and sliced
✅ Done when: the tough outer skin is fully removed and the tongue is sliced
Make the sofrito
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Build the sauce
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Braise the tongue
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Rest and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Boil the tongue
Place the tongue in a large pot and cover with the water. Add the halved onion, 1 bay leaf, peppercorns and coarse salt. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam that rises, then lower the heat and simmer gently, partly covered, for about 2.5–3 hours.
- 1.6–1.8 kg whole beef tongue
- 3 litres water
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp peppercorns
- 1 tbsp coarse salt
✅ Done when: a thin knife slides into the thickest part with no resistance and the skin looks loose and wrinkled
Peel while hot
Lift the tongue onto a cutting board and keep the broth in the pot; you'll need it later. While the tongue is still hot, slit the skin from base to tip with a small knife and peel it off along with any rough white tissue underneath — this is much harder once it cools. Slice the peeled tongue into medallions about 1 cm thick.
- cooked tongue peeled and sliced
✅ Done when: the tough outer skin is fully removed and the tongue is sliced
Make the sofrito
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Build the sauce
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Braise the tongue
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Rest and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Estofado-style braising came to Cuba with Spanish settlers, who had long used slow, moist cooking to tame tougher cuts and offal. Beef tongue, inexpensive and widely available on an island where cattle were raised mostly for dairy and labor, became a natural fit for this technique, simmered with the tomatoes, olives and capers that define Cuban criolla cooking.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's a dish built on patience: a long boil tenderizes the tongue, and a second slow simmer in a glossy, savory sauce makes the meat silky and deeply flavorful.
💡 Fun Fact
Lengua estofada is part of a broader Cuban tradition of using every part of the animal — offal dishes like this and ropa vieja-style braises are everyday proof that nothing goes to waste in a well-run Cuban kitchen.
Cuba, home kitchens island-wide
23.11°N, -82.37°W
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!