Years ago, you couldn't even give away this now-specialty food item: beef tongue. Beef tongue comes from cows and is a fatty, firm, mild-tasting meat. It's more of a delicacy in the United States, but the rest of the world eats it regularly with gusto. You might have to special order it from your grocer.
The average beef tongue weighs in at about three or four pounds. You might think twice about cooking one if you're a bit squeamish about visualizing a cow's tongue and wondering how to cook and eat it. Once you get past its appearance, it's simple to cook and goes well with egg noodles, wine, and tacos.
Cooking Beef Tongue
There's several ways to cook beef tongue. The easiest way is to simply rinse the tongue under water and scrub it a bit. Tongue is very rough on the outside but tender inside. Don't be surprised if you see the taste buds spring up after a good scrubbing.
Simply toss the tongue into a simmering pot of salted water. You will have to simmer it for a few hours. For a particularly hefty tongue, it's not unheard of to cook it overnight. Be prepared for a gamey smell to permeate your kitchen — and pretty much the rest of your house. Opening windows helps if you are particularly sensitive to strong meat smells.
Your beef tongue is done once the redness of the tongue turns white. The tongue will begin to split open a bit, revealing succulent beef that is prized in gourmet restaurants and food stores.
Processing Your Cooked Tongue
Here's how to peel the outer layer of the beef tongue: simply take your sharp knife and pull away the muscular covering. The top of the tongue is much easier to peel away than the bottom. You might have to slice the the underneath of the tongue, cutting it away instead of peeling it if it is still a bit tough.
The meat that is left after you peel off the outer layer of tongue is easily cubed and sauteed with some salt, pepper, garlic, and onions. Serve over rice or egg noodles for a filling dish that is delicately mild in both flavor and texture.
In Mexico, beef tongue is shredded for taco filling. Instead of cubing the meat, run it through a meat shredder and season it to taste. It's a specialty food that takes a bit of work to cook, but it's worth the wait.
If you want a bit of European flair, cook your tongue in some red wine like the French do for a kiss of sweetness that only gourmet tongue can provide.
Contact a gourmet food store to learn more about cooking and eating gourmet foods.
Share4 May 2020
Hello everyone, my name is Jorgio Aislen. I would love to share my knowledge about specialty foods on this site. I have traveled all around the world, sampling each region's ingredients on their own and prepared in exotic meals. I would like to talk about the various ways these foods are prepared and presented. I will also discuss the nutritional values of foods found in each region. I hope you will visit my site on a regular basis to increase your knowledge of specialty food ingredients. I will update often to keep everyone informed about this interesting subject. Please feel free to visit often.
