Lengua a la Veracruzana (Veracruz-Style Braised Tongue Tacos)

Steps

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1. 1
   Chop the garlic and onion.
   ≈1:42
2. 2
   Place the tongue in an electric pressure cooker and add 1 cup of water.
   ≈2:10
3. 3
   Add the chopped garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and fresh aromatic herbs (marjoram, thyme, and California bay laurel) to the pressure cooker.
   ≈2:40
4. 4
   Cover, lock, and seal the pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 1 hour.
   ≈4:35
5. 5
   Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure. Open, remove the tongue, and fish out all the herbs from the cooking liquid.
   ≈5:17
6. 6
   Switch the pressure cooker to sauté mode and reduce the cooking liquid over medium-high heat until it is very thick and almost glaze-like, about 15 minutes.
   ≈5:55
7. 7
   Once cooled, clean the tongue: peel away the thick outer layer of skin and any thin inner membranes, remove exterior fat, trim the last inch and check for any gristle.
   ≈8:59
8. 8
   Cut the cleaned tongue into pieces slightly smaller than an inch, roughly half-inch to an inch in size.
   ≈10:40
9. 9
   Make the tomato mixture: pulse the fire-roasted diced tomatoes with the chopped Serrano chiles in a blender a few times to create a coarse puree.
   ≈6:59
10. 10
    Stir the capers and green olives into the tomato mixture.
    ≈7:47
11. 11
    When the reduced cooking liquid is almost glaze-like, pour the tomato-caper-olive mixture into the pressure cooker and stir gently.
    ≈8:24
12. 12
    Add the chopped tongue pieces to the sauce and cook for a few minutes until the flavors blend and the sauce is thick enough to coat the meat without being runny.
    ≈11:16
13. 13
    Chop fresh flat-leaf parsley and stir into the mixture just before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (note that capers and olives contribute significant saltiness).
    ≈12:27
14. 14
    Serve the tongue mixture on warm tortillas, optionally garnished with additional fresh parsley.
    ≈13:08