Braised Cow Lips
David and I almost shit ourselves when we took a good look at the beef lips we had brought home from the meat market. This is honestly the scariest looking food we’ve ever seen — even more so because it comes from a cow rather than some other crazy reptile/bird/fish thing where you would expect slime and spikes. Once we toughened up, there was a huge pay off in terms of yumminess. The meat was absolutely delicious and flavourful! I realize it is extremely unlikely that most people will have access to cow lips — but in case you run into it, here is how we prepared it:
Braised Cow Lips
- 3 lb beef lips, cut in fairly large sections
- 3 oranges, peeled, and pith removed but left whole
- a generous handful of dried pequin peppers (again if you can’t find them that really sucks for you but probably any hot pepper would work)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- 1 head garlic, cloves peeled but left whole
- 1 white onion, peeled, roughly chopped
- cracked pepper
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 4 cups beef stock
- water to cover
- Rinse off the beef lips and try to keep yourself from screaming.
- Place in a large casserole with the remaining ingredients.
- Add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and braise on low for 6 hours.
- Remove the meat from the braising liquid, cut/peel off any gross hard bits and excess fat.
- Shred the meat.
- Heat a dry cast iron skillet over medium and add the meat.
- Fry until nicely browned.
- Serve.
- Stace Prints - "Tomato Cigarettes"
- Jel - "Matkimble Is Crazy"
OMG!!!I I have a pretty strong stomach, but this photo and thought of eating it has really sent my stomach for a loop! I was just thinking about getting a candybar to munch on – thank you – this has totally turned me away from putting anything in my mouth for awhile…my stomach is truly rolling! Excuse me while I go hurl! And, although I could NEVER do it – good for you for giving it a try. YUK!!
Haha, that was awesome. I didn’t heed the advice to not search beef lips on google because well, I’ve got a wondering mind. I’ve really enjoyed your recipes with offal. Your website is beautifully designed too. Can’t wait to see more.
I love your directions. Even more so…I skimmed whatcha guys work with. Sited you guys on tastespotting.
*thumbs up*
Hey I liked this video. you guys have a good site – I’m surprised you don’t have any advertisements on here with such a fancy nice looking site. You guys sounded a little stoned in this video but it’s okay. Hahahahaha.
I’ve had beef tongue before and loved it, but never before have I heard of someone eating cow lips. Glad to know that it’s tasty!
Wow you guys are brave!!! I could barely look at that stuff when he was cutting the cooked spikes off…that part was the worst. But it looked pretty normal and appetizing at the end. Bravo
I never even new that you can get cow lips. That is incredible! My kids would definitely want to move out of my house if I prepared these for dinner.
Because of your videos I have been getting up the nerve to try all different things. I have had tongue, heart, kidney, liver and I have cooked up pigs ear but have not been able to eat it yet. I told my husband he should take it to work on a sandwich. It is just not your normal cafeteria food.
Thank you for your videos!
Wow, that’s so cool! I showed the picture to my boyfriend who grew up on a cattle farm and he could not name that meat. I was wondering if there’d be something to do with those spikes after they’ve cooked and gone hard. But that’s the crazy craft side of me…
i can’t not post. why on God’s green earth would you eat cow lips. there is so much more out there to choose from food wise!!! i mean it is so not necessary to go there! please know i am just grossed out. not being judgemental!!! if you like it eat but yikes, not me!!! =)
I came across your blog on Tastespotting. I thought I was adventurous when it comes to food. I must say you’re brave. Very brave.
I ‘ve just seen all of your videos and although I’m a veggie I totally love ‘m! Keep them coming
ps. How are the little chicks doing? Still living the good life in your backyard?
That is the nastiest thing I’ve ever seen! You guys are tres brave! Bravo!
A couple of friends just sent me this link on facebook, and I am in awe. I’ve got a total thing for offal — let’s just say that tongue is a staple, I experimented with half a pig’s head last weekend (yummy!), and the highlight of a recent trip to Rome was a meal featuring tripe, coratella (lamb’s liver, heart, lungs, and spleen all braised together with onions), and pajata (suckling lamb’s intestines with the milk still in them). But I have NEVER seen anything as intimidating as those raw cow lips, and my hat’s off to you guys for going through with it. The meat actually looked a bit like shredded tongue when it was done, though, and if it tastes anything like tongue, it must have been pretty damn good.
That is so disgusting! Ugh! I love that line, wash of the lips and try and keep yourself from screaming. Bravo to you for your bravery.
No…never…you guys get the tough guys award. There is no way I could eat that!
Thanks everyone for checking out our video! We would probably seem a lot less brave if David hadn’t edited out initial gagging noises! Seriously it was really fun though and I would absolutely encourage anyone to give it a try!
Found you via Adam over at Serious Eats. These little beasties look interesting, and I’m glad they turned out so well. Very, very cool!
got here via serious eats too~ i must say that although i was actually frightened up until david started peeling the spikes off – afterwards it looked delicious! can’t wait to try them for myself!
OMG! That sure looks like something not from this earth! Did you remove the scales or what??
I don’t even understand how they’re lips!
ihhhhhh..its scary food
but you have great flash player .
Thanx for a lovley idea! i now have the perfect dish for this years Haloween party. and this i promise i will try to get hold of some lips….
NIce site, nice ideas… i will keep comming back!….
Next time I’m at the Persian meat shop, I’m going to buy the weirdest-looking piece of meat I can find and then I’m going to come to your site and figure out what to do with it. I feel that I can be confident that you’ll have already gone and done it and made it look cute. As cute as weird meat can be.
In Africa (South Africa) we call it Shireche in my language (Tsonga). This meat is given to young boys to eat while the adults are busy skinning the cow. Its tough and it will keep you busy for some time….
I see myself as a pretty open-minded person when it comes to trying new things. But I don’t think I have the stomach to get thru step 1 of your directions. I just picture myself trying to wash those things off and having them slip and slide around the sink. I’m screaming now….
I saw this photo on photograzing, you are fearless.
That is marvelously disgusting! A group of folks I hang out with on twitter have been talking about a dinner that included slugs for the last week (post on my site if you’re interested) and this is just awesome to toss into the mix. Thanks for being braver than the rest of us.
God…that chick is really cute!
Does anyone know of any links where you can buy “Cow Lips”?
Im in Austin, Texas and these “carneceria’s” are all over the place. http://www.lamichoacanameatmarket.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=5&Itemid=21
Yeah a meat market is definitely your best bet. in Laredo, TX we find beef lips in the Narvaez Meat Markets.
i’ve got a fantastic recipe for rocky mountain oysters – anyone?
I’m in L.A., and I find cow lips in supermarkets that cater to Hispanic communities. They are delicious. I will try the recipe presented here. I have used them so far only to make the German “Ochsenmaulsalat”, – a southern German dish, which I love, and which I grew up with. It is cooked, pressed, then thinly sliced beef lips, dressed in a sour mustard vinaigrette, with onions, – it is soooo gooood! I miss it a lot. I’m trying to make it here myself, but I can’t get the exact flavor down. .. keep practicing!
the spikes are called papilla, unless i’m mistaken. they are reasonably exciting in the context of animal by-product processing and utilization and you can find books on the subject,
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/papilla
the same applies to taste buds and warts.
you guys rock for eating the gross, but yummy food.
Here’s a good photo showing exactly where these spiky lips are inside the cow’s mouth.
wowee, I love a cook who isn’t afraid to use the spare parts!
What a great site
Hi,first of all’ thank you’.I am one of the student in China.I am learning fashion in school.Your photo gives me lots of inspiration.
I am so sorry because my English is very bad .
Major kudos for being adventurous cooks! I was born and raised in South East Asia and have grown up eating food most would consider “weird” or “exotic” now that I live in the States. Beef lips however, is a dish I have never ever had or heard of until today.
If I can find the key ingredient, I’ll be sure to try this recipe out.
Great site! But I’ll say no to braised Cow Lips. Scary!
Wow! What a great post and the video was fun and informative. You guys are great and while I’ve never seen cow lips in a market, now I know what I’m looking at if I ever run into them. Not sure I’ll buy them, but I’m happy to know they’re out there.
you guys are having an adventure with what I used to eat for breakfast as a child. Every Sunday morning certain restaurants, bakeries,or meat markets in the Hispanic Barrios would sell Barbacoa, a misnomer as directly translated it signifies bar-b-que, what it was literally, a baked cows head, cooked overnite at about 225, from there everything was edible and yummy, you could eat everything on a taco with salsa. from the eyes we would discard the pupils and spread it on a tortilla, fat and gristle and salsa, the tongue was so tender, as were the cheeks (lips) as you cooked them, and even the brain.It was food from the parts that nobody wanted (as is Menudo, tripas , and sweetbread) You most assuredly would survive a major catastrophe in this world as you could get by on anything you find dead on the road. You guys are fun to watch, and I look forward to watchin you cook.