Pastel de Lengua is one of those classic holiday dishes that immediately bring to mind both the feast of the season and the warmth of the home. It also comes with a lot of history that can be clearly gleaned as steeped in Hispanic influences, not the least of which is the name. First there’s the ox tongue, which will always result in a tender, almost velvety, bite, especially coupled with a rich, creamy sauce. The use of pastry is also very European. Its presence in this dish, which is usually served in the form of a pot pie, is something we think of as decadent.
Pastel de Lengua
- beef tongue, cleaned and boiled until tender, cut into large cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pc onion (medium), minced
- 1 pc carrot (big), sliced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 2 cups Nestlé cream
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup button mushroom, sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
1 Saute onion and garlic in olive oil.
Add carrots, celery and ox tongue. Add water.
2 Stir in Nestlé cream and mushroom.
Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Pastry
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, cold and diced
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 1 egg (beaten) for egg wash
1 In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Using your fingers, mix in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, mix until it forms a ball.
2 Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove plastic and roll out dough.
To assemble
1 Transfer cooked lengua to an oven-proof dish. Lay out dough on top and make few holes by poking the dough. Brush with egg wash.
2 Bake in preheated oven at 300˚F until dough is golden brown.