By Melissa Pette

If you really want to vibe with a place like Costa Rica, you gotta do more than just hit the beaches and post sunset pics.

You gotta eat like the locals, the Ticos. And trust me, they know how to throw down in the kitchen. We’re talking flavor so bold it makes you forget your name.

Now, today’s dish?  It’s for the adventurous.

My dear friend, doña Tereza Molina, a straight-up legend in her neighborhood,  hooked me up with her family’s beef tongue recipe.

This is one of those old-school meals that’s been passed down for generations. And before you scrunch your nose, hear me out,  done right, beef tongue is rich, tender, and packed with flavor. We’re talking melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness.

So, let’s get cookin’!

Here’s what you need (feeds 4 hungry people), and yes, you can grab all of this at any Costa Rican supermarket:

• 1 beef tongue (about 1 lb.).

• 1 onion, chopped fine.

• 1 sweet pepper, chopped fine.

• 2 garlic cloves, smashed.

• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped.

• 1 can carrots.

• ½ kilo (about 1 lb.) fresh tomatoes, blended, or 1 can tomato sauce.

• 2 bay leaves (optional).

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

• 1 can beef or veggie broth.

• 1 tablespoon Lizano sauce. Mandatory if you want the real Tico taste; otherwise, salt and pepper.

First, clean it like a pro. You gotta peel off that tough outer skin of the tongue. Use a paring knife for the stubborn spots. There’s also a thick chunk at the base, edible, sure, but the texture’s... let’s just say not it. Slice it off in a quick “V” cut. What you want is that soft, beautiful meat inside.

The first option is a pressure cooker. Toss the tongue in your pressure cooker with a little oil. Add broth, onion, pepper, carrots, tomatoes, bay leaves, oil, and Lizano. Lock it down, cook for about 10 minutes under pressure, then let it chill until the steam is gone. Open it up and check for tenderness.

No pressure cooker? No problem. Put the tongue in a big pot with broth and enough water to cover it. Add bay leaves and let it boil hard for about 30 minutes, or until tender.

Pull out the meat, slice it up, and save that cooking broth.

In a skillet, heat oil and sauté the onion, pepper, garlic, cilantro, and carrots until the onion turns golden and sweet.

Add your blended tomatoes, hit it with Lizano, and let it bubble for a minute.

Drop in the tongue slices with a splash of the broth, and let it all simmer low and slow so the flavors hug every bite.

Plate it up with fluffy white rice, warm tortillas, and crack open an ice-cold beer. 

If you can handle it, you’re not just eating dinner, you’re getting a taste of pure Tico traditional flavor, rich, saucy, and made with love.

Have a "pura vida" weekend!

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Feel free to share your own recipes by emailing a horizontal photo of your dish to food@amcostarica.com. You can find more tasty Costa Rican recipes over on the AM Costa Rica Food page.

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