An Ox-picious feast

MANILA, Philippines – In Chinese culture, the ox has long symbolized prosperity — attained through fortitude and hard work. This is why those born under this sign have a lot to be optimistic about this year, an Ox year.

Good fortune and prosperity is, however, not limited to the Ox, which is why the San Miguel Culinary Center has come up with special ox dishes aimed at helping gourmands, foodies, and amateur home chefs attract all that good fortune.

Creamy Lengua

Ingredients:

1 pc. Monterey ox tongue (800g-1 kilo)

2 tbsp. rock salt

1/4 cup Supremo cane vinegar

1/2 cup Magnolia Gold butter

1 head garlic, sliced

1-400g can whole button mushrooms, thinly sliced   

1-298g can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 1/2 cup beef stock (use liquid from ox tongue)

pepper to taste

1 cup Magnolia Quickmelt cheese, grated

Procedure:

Rub tongue with salt and vinegar. Rinse and boil tongue for 30 minutes. Scrape white coating and excess skin off tongue surface.

In a pressure cooker, cook ox tongue for another 30 minutes or until tender. Reserve the liquid and set aside. Slice tongue into thin serving portions and set aside.

In a large pan, melt the butter over high heat and pan-fry tongue slices until brown. Set aside tongue slices. In the same pan, sauté garlic until slightly brown, then add mushrooms.

Add the condensed soup and reserved stock and mix well until free of lumps. Add the tongue slices to the sauce and season with pepper to taste. Bring to a boil then lower temperature down to simmer. Cook for another five minutes.

Place and assemble everything in an ovenproof casserole dish and sprinkle with grated cheese on top. Oven-broil until cheese melts and turns golden brown. Makes 8 to 10 servings.