What Is Beef tongue and How Can I Use It?
Here's everything worth knowing about beef tongue and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 5 recipes to cook tonight.
What is beef tongue?
Beef tongues usually weight 3 to 4 pounds. They are sold fresh, pickled, corned, or smoked.
Tongues are tough and should be cooked over low heat for several hours. Soak a fresh tongue in cold water to cover with 2 tablespoons cider vinegar added. Soak for several hours. Drain and cook.
Pickled, corned, or smoked tongue should be covered with boiling water and cooked for 1 hour. Drain, add fresh boiling water, and continue cooking until tender.
When tender, the gristle and the bone at the thick end should be removed. Split the skin the length of the tongue and remove. Cut the meat into thin slices crosswise.
| In Chinese: | 牛舌 | |
| British (UK) term: | ||
| en français: | langue de bœuf | |
| en español: | lengua de ternera |
Recipes using beef tongue
There are 5 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Favourite Feijoada
Feijoada: Brazil's national dish, a rich black bean stew slow-simmered with an array of smoked and cured meats, then served with rice, collard greens, and orange slices. A weekend feast for a crowd.
Pickled Meats
Old-fashioned pickled beef tongue or pork cured with salt, pickling spices, brown sugar, and garlic. Dry-rubbed and refrigerated for weeks, then simmered low and slow until fork-tender.
Potted Tongue
Old-fashioned potted beef tongue blended with butter, nutmeg, cloves, sage, and parsley, then sealed under clarified butter. A classic British larder spread for toast, crackers, or sandwiches.
Hutchinson Beef Tongue with Raisin Sauce
Old-fashioned beef tongue simmered tender, sliced thin, and served with a sweet-tart raisin sauce. Classic nose-to-tail dish from the Pennsylvania Dutch and German-American kitchen tradition.
Pickled Tongue
This is a favorite dish of my family's, especially on holidays like Easter and Christmas. Most people cringe at the idea of eating a cow's tongue, but actually the meat is very tender, and even if you have to close your eyes and plug your nose to try it, please do. I guarantee it won't be what you expect!
