Grilled Tongue with Salsa Verde & how to prepare and peel beef tongue

I’ve heard Sally Fallon Morrell say that tongue is one of the four prized fatty organ meats – along with liver, brains and marrow. As it turn out, it isn’t an organ at all… It’s actually a muscle, just one that happens to be high in good fats and cholesterol. Along those lines, it’s easy to eat, without the jiggly texture of some other organs, but also more tender than all other muscle meats.

Preparing beef tongue

Preparing beef tongue does require time for poaching in advance (and optionally a saltwater brine as well).  Though once you’ve poached and peeled it, there are many directions to run.  Additionally, you can do this a day or two in advance as it stays well in the poaching liquid in the fridge.

Preparing cow tongue: raw tongue, after saltwater brine, aromatics, after poaching, and peeled – ready to go!

These steps can be easily be divided, with each step performed on subsequent days. This makes tongue an easy food to prep in advance. Your brine can sit in the fridge for 1-2 days.  Similarly, after poaching, the peeled tongue can rest in the poaching liquid for another 1-2 days in the fridge. After peeling the tongue, it will be ready to use for countless recipes.

Peeling your beef tongue

To peel the tongue, a long simmer is essential so that the outer skin will slip off easily. Poke your tongue with a skewer or the sharp tongs of a carving fork to see if it’s tender.  Start doing this early so that you’ll feel the difference as it softens over time.

You really can’t cook the tongue for too long though, so it’s best to err on the side of too long.  Else, for a shorter cooking time, maintain a hearty simmer.  Either way, keep your pot covered so that any part poking out of the broth will still cook well.

For peeling, start with the thicker skin on the side of the tongue to get started.  Be careful and peel gingerly near the tip of the tongue so that you don’t rip or break it off.  If your skin membrane is really stuck, use a paring knife to get past that spot.  In this video below, the skin came off cleanly, though I had my paring knife nearby, just in case!

Finishing your dish

One of the simplest ways to prepare tongue is to slice it and grill.  The outside will be crisp and flavorful, whereas the center will be rich and meltingly smooth.

The first time I made the Salsa Verde below, my mom said it tasted like my grandma’s Portuguese molho cru – raw herb sauce.  This version is adapted from Alice Water’s Art of Simple Food, and it’s the perfect accompaniment. Enjoy!

Grilled tongue with salsa verde

February 6, 2018

by Janine Farzin

Category Tongue

Persons

6

Ingredients

For the tongue

• 1 Cow's tongue
• salt
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 cloves
• 1 head garlic, halved
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 stick of celery, sliced
• 3/4 t peppercorns
• 3/4 t allspice berries
• 1 bay leaf
• small bunch of parsley

For the molho cru/salsa verde (parsley sauce)

• 1 bunch parsley, chopped fine
• a few sprigs of cilantro
• 1 small garlic clove, diced small
• 1 T capers, rinsed
• 1 t grated lemon zest
• 1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
• salt

Instructions

1. (Optional) Brine tongue in saltwater for up to two days. Place tongue in large bowl and add water to cover. Remove tongue momentarily and add salt and stir until a few crystals linger at the bottom without incorporating into the brine. You want the water to be very salty. Replace the tongue back in the bowl and leave in fridge until you are ready to use. Drain water.
2. Poach the tongue with aromatics. Place tongue in pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Skim any foam off the top as necessary. Add remaining ingredients to simmering water: onion with two cloves stuck into two of the quarters, garlic, carrot, celery, peppercorns, allspice, bay leaf and parsley. Cover pot and leave at a hearty simmer for at least two hours, but optionally many more. Try to keep the tongue fully submerged, though if any of it is peeking out, make sure to turn during cooking. Poke the tongue with a skewer or tines of a sharp carving fork, it should give easily.
3. Remove the tongue from the pot and let rest on a plate or cutting board to cool. Once cool enough to handle (but still warm!), peel off the outer skin. If there are any troublesome areas, use a paring knife to remove the skin. It won't look as pretty, but serves well. If you are not using the tongue right away, strain out the vegetables and return tongue to broth and place in fridge when cool.
4. The tongue will keep this way for another day or two. Either way, reserve the broth and save for soup or cooking grains later in the week.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the parsley sauce by chopping and combining all ingredients, stirring well and seasoning to taste.
6. Cut tongue into 1/2-1 inch slices. Grill slices to crisp outer edges and to warm meat through. Serve with parsley or other herb sauce.

Tags

Alice Waters,

gluten-free,

soup

https://offallygoodcooking.com/grilled-tongue-with-salsa-verde/