Lengua Estofado Recipe

Beef Braised with Garlic and Olives 

Lengua Estofado

A product of strong Iberian influence, this fiesta dish is usually cooked with beef tongue—a prized cut of meat—braised in wine, spices and vinegar.

• 20 oz (600 g) beef shin or tongue
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 2 carrots (8 oz/250 g), sliced
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup (30 g) stuffed olives
• 5 button mushrooms, halved (optional)
• 2–3 small plantains or unripe bananas, halved and fried (optional)

Marinade

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) water
• 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns, cracked
• 1 bay leaf
• 11/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar o
• 2 tablespoons white wine or sherry
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

1 Boil the beef in a large pot of water for 15 minutes. Drain the meat. Combine the Marinade ingredients with the beef and set aside to marinate for 40 minutes. Then heat the oil in a large pot and brown the beef on all sides, reserving the marinade in a bowl. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.

2 In the same pot, stir-fry the garlic until golden brown, then stir-fry the onion until translucent. Add the tomato and stir-fry until soft. Return the beef and the reserved marinade to the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until the beef is tender.

3 Add water as needed and prick the beef with a fork to allow the juices to penetrate into the meat (a pressure cooker may be used to reduce the cooking time).

4 Remove the beef and slice into serving portions. Return the sliced beef to the pot, add the potatoes and carrots, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

5 Add the stuffed olives and mushrooms, if using, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve hot with the fried plantains if desired.

Serves 4–6
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 mins