The beef tongue is a great piece of meat, the portions are large enough for the whole family, and the price is relatively cheap. Even though the price is cheap, it doesn't mean the quality is low. In fact, its rich taste made beef tongue a luxury food in ancient times. Continue reading to find out how to cook it well so that this one dish becomes a mainstay in your kitchen.
Ingredients
Simple Beef Tongue Menu
- 1 small beef tongue (1.4 kg)
- Pepper
- Bay leaf (or other herbs)
- Onions and carrots (or other vegetables)
- Optional: flour or French onion soup for a thick sauce.
Tacos de Lengua:
- 1 small beef tongue (1.4 kg)
- Onions, carrots, herbs of your choice
- Oil
- Salsa Verde
- Corn tortilla
Raisin Sauce Beef Tongue
- 1 beef tongue (1.8 kg)
- 2 cloves of onions
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 large celery stalk (with leaves), sliced
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) butter
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) raisins
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) almonds (almonds), chopped
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/3 cup Madeira wine
- 2/3 cup tongue broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
Step
Method 1 of 3: Simple Boiled Beef Tongue
Step 1. Buy beef tongue
The bigger the tongue, the longer it will take to cook. So choose the smallest tongue, ideally measuring less than 1.4 kg. Tongue has a short shelf life, so buy fresh or frozen tongue from a trusted butcher. (If you bought frozen tongue, thaw it in the fridge to be safe.)
- Some people sell tongues complete with glands, bones, and fat at the root of the tongue. All parts of it can be eaten after cooking, but not everyone likes the soft and fatty texture. You can either throw the part away at home (before or after cooking) or find a tongue that is sold without it.
- Salted and flavored tongue can be prepared in the same way as fresh tongue.
Step 2. Clean the tongue
Place the tongue in a clean sink and brush it thoroughly under cold running water. Clean until the surface is free of dirt and blood.
Many recipes suggest soaking the tongue in ice water for one to two hours. Don't forget to change the water if it's cloudy. The tongue purchased at the supermarket is usually clean enough, so you don't have to do this step. But if you want to do it, this step can make the taste of fresh beef tongue stronger again
Step 3. Prepare the broth
Fill a large saucepan with chicken or beef stock, or water with a little salt. Add vegetables and herbs of your choice. Toss in an onion or two, two bay leaves, peppercorns, and carrots to make a simple, delicious basic recipe. You can also add other ingredients, such as galangal, lemongrass, garlic, or chili. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Use a pressure cooker or a slow cooker to speed up the cooking process.
- If you want a thicker gravy to serve with the tongue, add four cans of thick French onion soup.
Step 4. Insert the tongue
Add the tongue to the broth and cover the pot. Bring to a boil again, then let the gravy evaporate to thicken.
Keep the tongue completely submerged. You may have to add more water or press it with the steamer basket to let it sink
Step 5. Boil until soft
The tongue is ripe when it turns white and the knife can penetrate the thickest parts easily. The length of time required is 50–60 minutes per 0.45 kg of tongue.
- A fast or undercooked cooking process will make the tongue tough and tough. If you have plenty of time, it is better to let the tongue simmer for another one to 2 hours.
- If you're using a pressure cooker, heat it until the pan starts to steam. Reduce the temperature to medium heat and cook the tongue for 10-15 minutes per 0.45 kg. Refrigerate until the steam runs out on its own.
Step 6. Peel the tongue while it's warm
Transfer to a plate with tongs. Wait until the tongue is cool enough to touch, then slice the outer white layer lengthwise with a sharp knife. Peel off this layer by hand and cut with a knife if necessary. Actually this coating is edible, but the taste and texture is not very good.
- Once cool, the tongue will be more difficult to peel. If the tongue temperature has dropped to room temperature and has not yet been peeled, just soak it in ice water to make peeling easier.
- Save the tongue broth for making savory soups or sauces.
Step 7. Cut the tongue flesh to the size of about 0.6 cm per slice
Slice the tongue diagonally with a sharp knife and serve with salsa verde for sandwiches, topped with brown mustard and greens. Or bake for half an hour with potatoes. The portion of this tongue meat is very large, so save some for grilling, or use it for other recipes like the one below.
- If the meat is still tough, it means the tongue is still undercooked. Add back to the broth and boil until tender.
- You can turn some of the gravy into a thick sauce by adding flour.
Step 8. Store the remaining tongue meat in the refrigerator
Boiled tongue can last up to five days in an airtight container stored in the refrigerator.
Method 2 of 3: Tacos De Lengua
Step 1. Clean and boil the tongue
Tongue requires a long and slow cooking process to be tender. Follow the tongue-boiling method described above for instructions on cleaning and boiling the tongue in hot salted water for at least 1 hour per 0.45 kg of meat.
- For a more delicious taste, add onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, and/or your favorite chili.
- Check every hour. Add water to keep the tongue submerged.
Step 2. Make or buy salsa verde.
You have plenty of time to make your own salsa verde while you wait for the tongue to cook. Take the tomatillos (also called physalis, ceplukan, or cecendet), serrano peppers, chopped onions, garlic, cilantro, lime, and salt. Stir until well blended and slightly thick. (For quantities and other details, see salsa verde recipe.)
Step 3. Peel and slice the tongue
When the knife is able to slice through the thickest part of the tongue, remove the tongue from the water with tongs. Once it's cool enough to handle-but still warm enough-slice off the outer white layer and peel off by hand. Cut the tongue into 1.25 cm size for taco toppings.
Step 4. Fry or grill the tongue until crispy
Tongue is a fatty meat and is delicious when the outer layer is crisp. Add about 3 tablespoons (45 mL) of oil to the skillet for every six tongue slices, and heat to a simmer. Enter the tongue and fry until brown and all sides are crispy. Turn your tongue every now and then.
- If you choose to grill the tongue, apply enough olive oil to the slices of the tongue and preheat the oven to 220ºC for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally.
- For a healthier menu option, fry the tongue in a little oil until slightly browned, then simmer in salsa verde for a few minutes.
Step 5. Serve with corn tortillas
Prepare plates of beef tongue, corn tortillas, and salsa verde for your guests and let them make their own taco creations. You can also add your favorite taco toppings, such as lime and cilantro.
Method 3 of 3: Beef Tongue with Raisin Sauce
Step 1. Clean and boil the tongue
Clean the tongue as described in the recipe for boiled beef tongue above. Place the tongue in a pot of hot water along with 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 large celery, and 1 clove of garlic. Boil the tongue for one hour per 0.45 kg until the knife can pierce the thickest part easily.
- Coarsely chop all the vegetables, remove the leaves from the celery stalks, and crush the garlic.
- How to cook this recipe is similar to the simple recipe that has been described. Most beef tongue recipes are originally cooked like this. Follow this method for more details.
Step 2. Peel the tongue
Lift the tongue with tongs. Peel off the white layer as soon as the temperature of the meat can be touched by hand. If the tongue is still warm, the skin layer can peel off easily after slicing the knife in several parts.
Step 3. Fry the raisins, almonds and remaining onions
Heat 2 tablespoons 30 mL butter in a skillet. Chop and add the onions along with cup (80 mL) raisins and 3 tablespoons 45 mL chopped almonds. Heat and stir occasionally.
Step 4. Add all remaining ingredients to the pan
Once the almonds have turned golden brown, add cup (80 mL) white wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon 15 mL tomato paste. Add cup (80 mL) Madeira and cup (160 mL) stock from the saucepan with the tongue. Boil for three minutes to thicken the sauce.
Step 5. Slice the beef tongue and serve with sauce
Slice the tongue into thin strips and sprinkle the raisin sauce on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 6. Serve
Tips
- If you buy the tongue from a trusted butcher, all parts of the tongue are usually edible. You can cut off any part that feels like cartilage or mucus, but don't throw away too much of the good meat.
- Slices at the base of the tongue are richer and fatter than the front end.
- The tongue broth tastes richer than ordinary meat broth because the taste of the tongue is rich and fatty. You can use this broth little by little for other dishes.
