Tacos de Lengua

Browning and crisping the tongue is key to great tacos, adding a bit of texture to the meltingly rich meat.

Sous Vide Tacos de Lengua

Not only does cooking a tongue sous-vide make for complete set-it-and-forget-it ease (as it does with any braised or confit dish), it also creates a more flavorful finished product as the tongue slowly stews in its own juices.

Pueblan-Style Cemita Sandwiches

Cemitas are a Mexican sandwich that originally hails from the State of Puebla and gets its name from the bun itself, also known as a cemita. This recipe shows you how to make a Pueblan-style cemita with a fried milanesa beef, chicken, or pork cutlet filling. Loaded with fine strands of shredded Oaxacan cheese, plenty of ripe avocado, chipotles or pickled jalapeños, and papalo, a fragrant Mexican herb with a flavor all its own, it's a masterpiece of sandwich construction.

Chorizo, Avocado, and Egg Cemitas with Chipotle Mayonnaise

A messy, yet satisfying Mexican sandwich of chorizo sausage, chipotle mayonnaise, avocados, tomatoes, lettuce, and Oaxacan cheese all topped with a fried egg.

Roosevelt Avenue-Style Cemita Sandwiches

Cemitas are a type of Mexcian sandwich that originally hails from the State of Puebla, but they've taken on a life of their own in New York City. This recipe creates a cemita sandwich as served in the restaurants and taco trucks of New York, in particular along Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights. These are gently warmed sandwiches served on a griddled sesame bun with taco-meat fillings of your choice, avocado, lettuce, tomato, chipotles, refried beans, mayo, and queso Oaxaca, a Mexican string c...

Cemita Burger With Refried Beans, Chipotle Mayo, Avocado, and Oaxacan Cheese

What do you get when you take Mexico's greatest sandwich and combine it with a good ol' all-beef burger from the U.S. of A.? Why, the cemita burger, claro! Refrieds, chipotle, avocado, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, and more come together for this extravaganza of burger toppings.

Very Crispy Tongue with Chili Bean Paste and Sichuan Peppercorns

Tongue simmered until tender and pan-fried to crispness.

Pickled Tongue

Squeamishness aside, the tongue is such an appealing cut: tender and fatty, and delicate in taste (unlike kidneys or liver, for instance, which have a more distinctive flavor). I enjoy tongue sandwiches. Like corned beef or pastrami, the thin slices of tongue are so rich and satisfying that it's perfect between two slices of rye bread. All it needs is some horseradish and mustard, and maybe a dill pickle.

Crispy Grilled Beef Tongue

Tongue is a stress-free option for the grill. You simmer the tongue in water or stock, adding aromatics and spices. Because tongue is so fatty, you don't have to worry about it getting tough or dry.

Confit of Pork Tongue with Warm Lentil Salad

If beef tongue is something of a monstrosity, then pork tongue is the smaller, subtler of the two. Even so, at five or more inches in length, the tongue of a pig is not to be sneezed.