Oh, I know. That excerpt above is quite a mouthful. But for readers who have never heard of salpicao, I wanted a description that allows the mind to imagine how the dish tastes in real life because, admittedly, salpicao is not the most photogenic dish. But I also wanted the description to be unembellished. So, no superlatives (you’ll use superlatives though to describe this dish after you’ve cooked and eaten it).
Okay, salpicao. Is it always made with ox tongue? Nope. The original salpicao is made with tenderloin or sirloin or some other quick cooking cut of beef. I’m admittedly more hedonistic than most people when it comes to food, so, I cook my beef salpicao with Wagyu.
In other words, tough cuts of meat that require long and slow cooking are not not ideal for cooking salpicao. You want a cut that you practically just sear in an ultra hot pan and braise in a sauce for a short time. If you have shank or brisket, the beef in your salpicao will be tough as leather.
Ox tongue (or call it it beef tongue or even lengua) is one of those tough cuts that you have to cook for hours and hours to tenderize the meat. I understand that there are cultures where ox tongue is cooked shortly and served chewy. In Osaka, I ordered skewered grilled beef tongue and, honestly, I experienced one of those “never again” moments.
So, you’re thinking… If ox tongue is such a tough cut of meat, how can it be cooked into salpicao? Well, the tongue is pre-cooked (I used a slow cooker), cooled, peeled then chilled overnight in the fridge.
The next day, the cold meat is cut into cubes and tossed with garlic, ground black pepper and olive oil. The ox tongue cubes are then left to soak up the flavors and oil. I do the marinating in the fridge because I want the meat to stay firm. That makes it easier to handle later.
After a few hours, the marinated beef is tossed with starch to get it ready for cooking. But before the ox tongue hits the pan, it is best that you prepare the remaining solid ingredient in the dish. Mushrooms. I always cook salpicao with button mushrooms. Depending on their size, I either halve or quarter them.
The cooking is fast. The ox tongue is already fully cooked, after all. So, you really just want the meat to get heated through and, at the same time, acquire body so it doesn’t have that boiled meat sensation in the mouth.
So, butter. You need butter. Melt it then spread the marinated and powder-coated ox tongue cubes on top. Leave for the undersides to brown then flip with a wide spatula to brown the top sides. Then, stir to break up clumps. Pour in the sauce and toss.
Immediately add the mushrooms, toss around for a minute or two or until the mixture is dry. And it’s done! Best with rice and soup on the side.
Ingredients
- 500 grams beef (ox) tongue 1.1 pounds (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 to 8 button mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons liquid seasoning (I used Knorr — I do not recommend substituting soy sauce)
- 3 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch or all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Peel the cooked tongue and cut into one-inch cubes.
- Place the ox tongue cubes in a mixing bowl, add the garlic, pepper and olive oil and mix lightly but thoroughly.
- Transfer the tongue and marinade to a covered container and chill in the fridge for at least two hours.
- Halve or quarter the button mushrooms.
- Stir together the Worcestershire sauce and liquid seasoning.
- Dump the beef tongue and marinade into a mixing bowl, add the starch and toss to coat every piece.
- Heat the butter in a frying pan.
- Over high heat, spread the beef tongue in the hot butter and leave to cook for a minute or or or until the underside is lightly browned. Using a wide spatula, flip the pieces over and cook until what was the topside is lightly browned too. Stir the beef to separate pieces that may be stuck together.
- Drizzle the mixed sauces over the beef and stir.
- Add the mushrooms and, cook, tossing a few times, just until the mixture is dry.
