Red Simmered Beef Tongue Food

MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH BEEF TONGUE

Steps:

• Rinse the tongue and place it in a large stockpot. Add enough water to cover - I use 14 cups of water.
• Bring to a boil. This will likely take 20-30 minutes. Skim the foam off from the top.
• Lower the heat to a simmer. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and allspice, and cook, partially covered, turning the tongue every hour to ensure even cooking on all sides. Cook 3 hours for a 2-lb. tongue, 4 hours for a 3-lb. tongue.
• Remove the cooked tongue to a cutting board. Allow it to cool until easier to handle, then remove the skin, as shown in the video, slice and serve, with or without sauce.
• To make the sauce, heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and swirl to coat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 10 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft.
• Add broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the sliced tongue, cover it with the sauce, lower heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.
• If you wish to thicken the sauce, 5 minutes before it's done, mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of cold water and stir the mixture into the sauce.
• Arrange tongue slices on plates and top them with the dsauce. Serve immediately.

BRAISED TONGUE

Steps:

• Pour the neutral oil into a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven set over medium heat. Sweat onion 5 minutes, stirring constantly so no color develops.
• Add the celery and carrot and 3 tablespoons of water. Cover with a tightfitting lid, and let the vegetables steam for a few minutes, being careful not to scorch. Add more water if necessary.
• Arrange the tongue in the pot, and add the parsley stems, bay leaves, peppercorns, red-wine vinegar and salt. Pour in enough water to just barely cover the tongue. Cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.
• Once the tongue braise has come to a boil, remove the lid, and reduce to a simmer. Cut a round of parchment the diameter of the pot and set it directly on top of the braising liquid. Simmer the tongue 4 hours, adding more water if needed to keep the tongue just covered. The tongue tends to suck up a lot of water quite quickly.
• Remove the tongue from the braising liquid. Strain the braising liquid (discard the solids), and return liquid to the pot. Peel the thick outer skin off the tongue while it is still warm. Trim off any fat or gristle, then return the tongue to the braising liquid and let cool completely.
• To serve, cut the tongue crosswise into thin slices, and arrange on a platter in a single layer. Drizzle with a few drops of the braising liquid. Spoon the gribiche over the tongue, and top with some fresh-picked parsley leaves and a generous glug of olive oil.

SLOW COOKER LENGUA (BEEF TONGUE)

Steps:

• Place beef tongue, onion, garlic, and bay leaf in the crock of a slow cooker; generously season with salt. Pour in enough water to cover beef mixture.
• Cook on Low for 8 hours.
• Transfer beef tongue to a work surface and cool slightly. Peel outer layer of skin from beef tongue and remove rough end. Chop the meat into bite-size pieces.
• Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir beef tongue meat until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

RED-SIMMERED BEEF TONGUE

Steps:

• 1. Place beef tongue in heavy pan and add cold water to cover. Bring quickly to a boil and parboil, uncovered, 5 minutes. Drain, discarding liquid. 2. Let tongue cool slightly then remove coarse outer skin. Return tongue to pot. 3. Cut scallion stalks in two slice ginger root. Add to pot, along with soy sauce, sherry, salt and remaining water. Bring to a boil then simmer, covered, until tender (about 2 1/2 hours). 4. Add sugar and simmer, covered, 15 minutes more. Drain, reserving liquid. 5. Let tongue cool then slice. Serve hot (reheat slices briefly in reserved liquid) or cold. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

TONGUE WITH MUSTARD-HORSERADISH SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook tongue:
• Rinse tongue well with cold water and place in a deep 6- to 8-quart pot. Add cold water to cover by 3 inches, then add remaining tongue ingredients. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Simmer, partially covered, until tongue is fork-tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. fork-tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Transfer tongue to a cutting board (reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid) and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin and trim any fat or gristle. Skim off fat from cooking liquid and pour liquid through a paper-towel-lined sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids. Keep tongue warm, covered.
• Make sauce:
• Cook shallot in butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until softened. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in reserved cooking liquid and cream, then bring to a boil, whisking.
• Simmer sauce, whisking, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in mustard, horseradish, herbs, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Slice tongue and serve with sauce.