Fiambre De Lengua De Vaca
"Cow Tongue Loaf"
From the treasured pages of La Cosina en el Bolsillo No. 1
Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo
Fiambre De Lengua De Vaca
"Se cuece la lengua en vino y vinagre se corta en pequeñas rebanadas que se acomodarán en un plato. Se despolvorea allí con clavo, pimienta, canela molida en seco, echándole encima cebolla y lechuga picada con sal, vino, vinagre y aceite. Se sirve fría."
English Translation
"Boil the tongue in wine and vinegar, then slice it into small pieces and arrange them on a plate. Sprinkle with dry ground cloves, pepper, and cinnamon, then add chopped onion and lettuce with salt, wine, vinegar, and oil on top. Serve cold."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is brief, assuming readers understood fundamental kitchen processes—a reminder that cookbooks of the day were designed for already-skilled home cooks. Proportions, times, or measurements are not given explicitly, as women (the intended audience) were expected to cook by sense rather than by scale or clock. Ingredient names follow contemporary spellings—'cosina' not 'cocina', 'despolvorea' for sprinkling, for instance—showing lively early-20th-century Mexican orthography. The focus is on economy and practicality, emphasizing resourceful use of available meats and preservation with vinegar and spices.
Title
La Cosina en el Bolsillo No. 1 (1913)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Antonio Vanegas Arroyo
Era
1913
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful entry from the famed 'Cocina en el bolsillo' series, this charming 1913 volume artfully tucks a world of recipes into your pocket—ready to inspire delicious adventures at every turn!
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
This recipe is taken from 'La Cosina en el Bolsillo No. 1,' published in 1913 by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, a famed Mexican printer and publisher known for popular chapbooks and accessible literature. The numbered 'Cocina en el bolsillo' series was designed for practical home cooks and offered a blend of traditional and modern culinary wisdom of early 20th-century Mexico. Fiambre de lengua de vaca reflects the era's fondness for cold meat dishes and the growing influence of European culinary techniques—specifically the use of wine and vinegar for poaching and preserving. It reveals how Mexican home cooks adopted and adapted international flavors and preparation styles, merging indigenous and colonial traditions.
In 1913, the tongue would have been simmered in a heavy pot over a wood or coal-burning stove. Cutting was done with a sturdy kitchen knife and chopping block. Spices would be freshly ground with a mortar and pestle. Serving involved a large, shallow ceramic or enameled platter. There were no refrigerators—marination and chilling relied on cool pantries or iceboxes, so the dish would be served at 'room cold' rather than brisk refrigerator chill.
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Servings
8
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 1 beef tongue (approx. 2.6 lbs)
- 3 1/4 cups dry red wine, plus 7 tbsp for garnish
- 1 cup red wine vinegar, plus 3 1/2 tbsp for garnish
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
- 4-5 large lettuce leaves, finely chopped (use romaine, escarole, or similar)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Begin by simmering 1 whole beef tongue (about 2.6 lbs) in a mixture of 3 1/4 cups dry red wine and 1 cup red wine vinegar until tender, which should take around 2-3 hours.
- Once cooked and cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and slice the tongue into thin pieces, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Arrange the slices neatly on a serving platter.
- Sprinlke the slices with a pinch of ground cloves, freshly ground black pepper, and a touch of ground cinnamon.
- Next, finely chop half a medium onion and about 4-5 large lettuce leaves, mixing them together with 1 tsp salt.
- Distribute this mixture generously over the beef tongue.
- Drizle the platter with 7 tbsp more red wine, 3 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar, and a generous glug (about 2 tbsp) of extra virgin olive oil.
- Let it all marinate and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
- Serve cold.
Estimated Calories
350 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 2.5 hours to cook the beef tongue until it's tender. Preparing and chopping the vegetables and arranging everything should take about 25 minutes. This recipe makes about 8 servings, and each serving has around 350 calories.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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