Fresh Beef Tongue: Buying, Preparing

[Shelby]

I know Deb would like it too!  Oh well, more for you   That looks AMAZING.  Do you have a meat slicer or did you do that with a knife?

[HungryChris]

16 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I know Deb would like it too!  Oh well, more for you   That looks AMAZING.  Do you have a meat slicer or did you do that with a knife?

Yes Shelby, I bought a Globe slicer on Craig's list several years ago for $100  and never looked back. I used to roll it in and out of the kitchen on a cart because it weighs a ton, but now it is a permanent fixture there.

HC

 

Edited April 11, 2016 by HungryChris (log)

[HungryChris]

Smoked corned beef tongue  grilled Ruben on Russian rye.

HC

 

Edited April 12, 2016 by HungryChris (log)

[Slick]

Beef tongue is a really great simple to make meat. You might consider Jamie Bissonette's The New Charcuterie Cookbook  recipe. It has a good basic brine, with smoke and simmer directions. Excellent meat cookbook.

I have found a plastic specialty item: The Briner to be at the best answer for my brining needs (Amazon: The Briner). It comes in two sizes. I use a Bradley smoker for meets with very good results. 

Cured, smoked tongue is one of my favorites. Right up there with Jambon de Paris!

[Shelby]

On 4/10/2016 at 9:22 AM, HungryChris said:

Bought a beef tongue before leaving for vacation and mixed up a batch of brine using Morton Tender Quick (6 cups of water and 1 1/2 cup of the TQ). Injected the brine in several places to insure the entire tongue is cured, then added peppercorns, bay leaves, brown mustard seeds and  a little cider vinegar. Put this in the downstairs fridge for a little over 2 weeks. Cooked for one hour in the instant pot and peeled. Covered with a dry rub of brown sugar, cumin, salt garlic powder and lots of ground pepper. Made a slightly different rub for some baby backs which I will smoke at the same time as the corned tongue. Currently smoking at 225 F with hickory. At the 4 hour mark, the ribs will come out, 1 for dinner, the other for a gift and exchange for fresh eggs from Deb's BIL. At that  time I will evaluate the tongue.

 

HC

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ronnie's daughter wanted to get rid of gave us some beef tongue that came from her uncle's cattle and I immediately thought of what you did with yours @HungryChris

 

As long as it's not freezer burned, I will be following your instructions  

 

 

[rotuts]

@Shelby

 

Oh Wow

 

am I looking forward to this !

 

take the FB'd tongue

 

you might trim it off

 

abd do the same

 

or chop and SV or Saute for for Cats and dogs ?

 

you could even dry it for a Full Flavor Treat !

 

I hope to get to Tongue and Leg of Lamb soon

 

based on my under standing of SV , Cold Smoke etc

 

yet

 

F_b and F_c

 

the two freezers downstairs 

 

ager fairly full

 

with SV deliciousness 

[kayb]

I suspect beef tongue is one of those things I might like just fine if I ever had it done right. The only tongue I've ever eaten was in Japan, and the texture put me off -- it was tough and chewy, two characteristics I Do Not Like in meat. 

 

I may ask my farm folks where I get my beef if they have any beef tongue, and try the corning/smoking. I suspect I could steam it in the IP for 30 minutes after smoking, like pastrami, if I needed to. 

 

Come to think of it, the only things Japanese that I have not liked have been due to texture; abalone sushi, for one. And texture is the major reason I don't like calamari, and by extension, squid  or octopus. Only calamari I ever tried was like chewing rubber bands, and I haven't been able to bring myself to try it again.

[rotuts]

@kayb

 

fried calamari

 

can be very tender.   calamari toughens up if over cooked.

 

https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/fried-calamari-27913

 

this sort of thing.

[kayb]

Intellectually, I know that. But viscerally, when I see calamari on a menu, I flash back to chewing rubber bands, and I pass it up.

 

[rotuts]

Ah , O.K. then

 

more for me.

 

[andiesenji]

3 hours ago, kayb said:

I suspect beef tongue is one of those things I might like just fine if I ever had it done right. The only tongue I've ever eaten was in Japan, and the texture put me off -- it was tough and chewy, two characteristics I Do Not Like in meat. 

 

I may ask my farm folks where I get my beef if they have any beef tongue, and try the corning/smoking. I suspect I could steam it in the IP for 30 minutes after smoking, like pastrami, if I needed to. 

 

Come to think of it, the only things Japanese that I have not liked have been due to texture; abalone sushi, for one. And texture is the major reason I don't like calamari, and by extension, squid  or octopus. Only calamari I ever tried was like chewing rubber bands, and I haven't been able to bring myself to try it again.

I learned how to cook a prepare tongue when I was a child.  It involved cooking the tongues (there were usually several in a huge pot) also cooking calves feet (for the gelatin).

The strips of cooked tongue were put through a meat grinder with the coarse die, seasoned with whole peppercorns and spices, the still hot gelatin stirred in and the mixture packed firmly into large casings that were tied off.  The "loaves" were put into large rectangular baking pans, two to a pan, and another pan with bricks for weight was placed on top and they were cooked in a low oven (275 was the temp I used) for 3 hours.  Cooled and then into a fridge.

 

No problems with texture or chewiness.  A great "luncheon meat" that sliced thin was in tea sandwiches and sliced thick, went into the hearty sandwiches for those family members who were out working in the fields, barns, at the sawmill or the grist mill.  

 

I made this the same way when my kids were still at home and they loved it.  We did not buy commercial lunch meat. I made several types.

[HungryChris]

19 hours ago, Shelby said:

Ronnie's daughter wanted to get rid of gave us some beef tongue that came from her uncle's cattle and I immediately thought of what you did with yours @HungryChris

 

As long as it's not freezer burned, I will be following your instructions  

 

 

Funny, I was just looking at one in the market yesterday and thinking it was about time to do another. I am looking foreword to hearing about yours!

HC 

[rotuts]

@andiesenji

 

Ive had tongue loafs similar to what you made

 

made by various single firm sausage makers

 

notably 

 

https://www.dittmers.com

 

https://www.dittmers.com/lunch-meats-1

 

don't see the tongue loaf in the pic, but they made it

 

http://www.hapanowiczbros.com

 

http://www.hapanowiczbros.com/products.php

 

the Krakow loaf had a lot opt tongue in it.  I  used to fry it up then put it on toast w a poached egg on top.

 

heaven.

 

boy do I mess places like that

 

there used to be 

 

The SmokeHouse in my area that was similar

 

then people thought it was unhealthy etc

 

idiots !

Edited June 22, 2018 by rotuts (log)

[Toliver]

4 hours ago, kayb said:

Intellectually, I know that. But viscerally, when I see calamari on a menu, I flash back to chewing rubber bands, and I pass it up.

 

Yes, it's the same with me for calamari. And when I tried escargot it was like chewing pencil erasers. I will never eat either one again.

When I first arrived here to town, there was a media function for the launch of the local county fair put on by the Fair people. One of the appetizers was pickled roast beef only to find out later that it was specifically pickled tongue. It was sliced thinly and the texture was similar to thinly sliced roast beef and it did taste just like pickled roast beef. But I swore off it as I don't like to eat anything that can taste me back.  

Pickled tongue is a mainstay of the local Basque community and you can still get it at local Basque restaurants.

[rotuts]

I think SV probably radically changes tongue preparation at home.

 

bag it , and be patient.

 

you still have to peel it if you don't want the   ' working surface "

[Shelby]

The tongue has been injected and is now in it's swimming pool

 

 

[Shelby]

LOL what happened to my follow-up?  I even went back through my phone and I have no pictures of my finished tongue.  Did I screw it up?  I have absolutely no memory of what happened lol.

 

Sigh.  

 

So, I'll re-boot.

 

Thawed out a couple of beef tongues and a beef roast about 3 weeks ago,  peeled the tongues and put them all in a brine of pickling spices and Morton's Tender Quick.

 

 

 

Took every thing out early last week and vac packed.  

 

After brining

 

Decided to keep a tongue out and make corned beef tongue sandwiches last night.

 

Used the Instant Pot.  Put the tongue in, filled pot up with water until it was about an inch over the tongue.  Added a TB or so of more pickling spice.  90 mins. on High.  Natural release.

 

Very very good.  I was waffling between doing the tongue this way or SV'ing.  Glad I chose the IP.  TENDER.  Honestly one of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten.

 

[Daniel-J]

On 3/7/2020 at 11:11 PM, Shelby said:

LOL what happened to my follow-up?  I even went back through my phone and I have no pictures of my finished tongue.  Did I screw it up?  I have absolutely no memory of what happened lol.

 

Sigh.  

 

So, I'll re-boot.

 

Thawed out a couple of beef tongues and a beef roast about 3 weeks ago,  peeled the tongues and put them all in a brine of pickling spices and Morton's Tender Quick.

 

 

 

Took every thing out early last week and vac packed.  

 

After brining

 

Decided to keep a tongue out and make corned beef tongue sandwiches last night.

 

Used the Instant Pot.  Put the tongue in, filled pot up with water until it was about an inch over the tongue.  Added a TB or so of more pickling spice.  90 mins. on High.  Natural release.

 

Very very good.  I was waffling between doing the tongue this way or SV'ing.  Glad I chose the IP.  TENDER.  Honestly one of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten.

 

 

This is awesome! I love the way you made all this.

[SLB]

I am about to dive into a scary-looking tongue that came with my meat, sometime before too long.  I was really glad to find this thread, with the very delicious looking pictures.  

 

Also?  I miss @HungryChris

[heidih]

You will be fine. Go for it! I did my first following Julia Child's directions. Yes Chris is missed. The internet - odd closeness but peeps can vanish into the ethernet.

[weinoo]

On 3/7/2020 at 11:11 AM, Shelby said:

 

 

 

 

 

What's on that sandwich, @Shelby ?

 

You're not gonna tell me mayo, are you?

 

I really like tongue, especially deli style, like the stuff I grew up with. WITH MUSTARD.

 

Then there was this plate...

 

 

Of rare langue de veau, at Amarante in Paris, the last time we were there in February, 2020. Possibly the most tongue ever eaten in one sitting.

[SLB]

Weinoo, what is that yellow scoop to the left?  It looks thick for mustard.

[weinoo]

2 minutes ago, SLB said:

Weinoo, what is that yellow scoop to the left?  It looks thick for mustard.

 

It'a more precisely a sauce Rémoulade.

 

Remember, I said this:

 

I really like tongue, especially deli style, like the stuff I grew up with. WITH MUSTARD.

 

[Shelby]

16 minutes ago, weinoo said:

What's on that sandwich, @Shelby ?

 

You're not gonna tell me mayo, are you?

Nooooo.  I'm sure that was a melty Swiss or something similar with a bit of thousand island dressing.

[rotuts]

id deli style pickled ?

 

i.e. ' corned ? '

 

the only place I ever had 

 

' fresh cooked ' was

 

in France.

 

unfortunately I not remember too much about it 

 

must have been OK  

 

or id remember more.

 

very thinly sliced ' corned ' in a sandwixh

 

is a slice of heaven

 

w SV as a fresh cooking option

 

the sky is the l9mit.