Lengua (ox tongue) in cream and corn sauce

November 19, 2009 • Hello. I am currently out of the country and unable to respond to comments and e-mails. Rest assured, however, that future posts have been scheduled so new recipes will go live almost everyday during my absence. I'll be back soon with lots of stories and photos. Ciao for now! ~ Connie

Ingredients :

1 ox tongue (about 1-1/2 kg.)
1 whole onion
1 whole garlic
1 tbsp. of peppercorns
a bay leaf
1 225 g. carton of all-purpose (single) cream
1/3 c. of butter
4-6 tbsps. of corn starch
3-4 c. of corn kernels
3/4 c. of chopped onion
salt
ground pepper

Cooking procedure :

Thaw and wash the ox tongue. Wash in vinegar to remove the sliminess. Rinse. Place in a large cooking pan and cover with water. Add the whole garlic, whole onion, peppercorns, bay leaf and some salt. Bring to a boil, remove the scum as it rises, lower the heat and simmer until tender. It usually takes at least four hours to cook ox tongue, sometimes longer. With a pressure cooker, it takes about two hours and fifteen minutes from the moment the valve starts to turn.

When the ox tongue is tender, lift it out of the broth and cool. Strain the broth and cool, then chill to remove any fat the hardens on the surface.

When the ox tongue has cooled, chill for a few hours to make slicing easier. Chilled meat, even when very tender does not crumble easily when cut. Peel off the outer skin (if the skin does not come off easily, the ox tongue hasn’t been sufficiently cooked). Cut the ox tongue into half inch slices.

Melt the butter in a shallow cooking pan. When frothy, cook both sides of each slice of ox tongue just until heated through. Remove each piece as it cooks, set aside and keep warm. In the remaining butter, add the chopped onions. Cook for about 30 seconds. Add the corn kernels and stir to coat each kernel with butter. Return the ox tongue slices into the cooking pan. Pour in enough broth (reserve a cup for later use) to cover the meat. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until the ox tongue is very, very tender and the corn, sufficiently cooked.

Dissolve the corn starch in the reserved broth and pour into the meat and corn. Stir carefully. Continue simmering for a few minutes until the sauce thickens and clears. Pour in the cream. Stir. Season with salt and ground pepper. Simmer (uncovered to avoid curdling) for another minute. Turn off the heat. Let the flavors infuse for a couple of minutes longer before serving.

Just a few notes. You don’t have to use fresh corn. You can substitute canned corn — just drain and they’re ready. This recipe, however, uses fresh corn. If you’re using canned, add the corn together with the cream since they don’t need further cooking; you just want them reheated.

If you’re using fresh corn, here’s how to cut off the corn kernels from the cob: On the chopping board, hold a corn cob firmly in a vertical position with one hand. Cut off the kernels with a small sharp knife, turning the cob around as you cut. Do not cut too close to the cob — just use a spoon to scrape off any remaining parts of the kernels that you weren’t able to cut off.

Now remember that the corn I used had been previously steamed. You can cut off the kernels from the cobs of uncooked corn just as easily but you will have to cook them a little longer. You may want to simmer them separately before adding to the ox tongue if your ox tongue is already very tender. You don’t want the meat falling apart while waiting for the corn kernels to cook.

Serving suggestion: I know that we Filipinos are rice eaters but did you know that this dish of ox tongue in cream and corn sauce was just so good with toasted focaccia? You don’t have to bake your own bread. You can buy focaccia in bigger supermarkets and bakeries.

Cut the focaccia into 1-inch wide slices. Brush with softened butter and bake in a hot oven until toasted and crisp.

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