Got Beef Tongue?

[legendrockranch]

I was reading Texas Agriculture a small newspaper put out by Texas Farm Bureau, it had an a short article called "Japanese consumers love cow tongues" It peaked my curiosity so I went on to my computer and googled "Japanese beef tongue"
Now I've had tongue sandwiches but it was many years ago and I loved it. We saved a tongue from one of the animals we butchered and I cooked it up. Let's just say next time I plan on using another recipe.

Anyway here is one of the articles I found when I google it, titled Japan’s soaring demand for cow tongue drives U.S. exports

www.mcclatchydc.com/static/features/Yen2Trade/Japans-soaring-demand-for-cow-tongue-drives-exports.html?brand=mcd

Barb

[zephyrhillsusan]

I'm afraid that's just one part of our beef that goes to waste. I had cold tongue with lemon sauce prepared by a very elderly Victorian lady when I was in grade school. I ate it, and all I remember was it feeling rubbery to chew, and you could see AND feel the taste buds.   We were raised to be polite, so my one sister and I ate it, but my picky-eater younger sister still gags today if you mention it.

It reminds me of a joke I heard many years ago.  A lady went into a restaurant and sat down.  When the waiter came to ask what she would have, she asked him, "What's the special of the day?"  "Cold tongue with lemon sauce, madam," he replied.  "Oooh!" she exclaimed.  "I couldn't eat anything that came out of an animal's mouth!  I'll have an omelet, please."   

It's kind of funny when you think of it--American cow tongue is the rage in Japan, and Kobe beef is the rage here!

[midhilldexters]

Same here Barb, never cooked it where I have enjoyed it. In England it's sold at the deli counter as sandwich meat, but I believe it's pickled. I'd never eat it as a kid though, well because it was tongue lol.

Now my dogs get it as they are on a raw diet, so it's never wasted, but I will try it again when I get a better recipe.

Interesting that it's all the rage in Japan.

Carol K

[dexterfarm]

Never tried it and probably never will. but nothing goes to waste here we get everything back including the fat. What we dont eat goes to the dogs and chickens. I also recommend to my customers to get everything back and feed those items they dont want to there dogs.

[cddexter]

Any tongues going to waste will be gratefully received here. If I could breed cows with 30 tongues I would. Love'm.

Try keeping in the fridge for up to a week in a high salt brine with about 1/2 cup pickling spice and some pepper corns. You'll need to put a weight on it to keep it submerged. If the water gets slimy, toss it and make a fresh batch. You can rinse off the tongue too, if you like, before putting it back in the new brine.

Cook it on the stovetop in water to cover, with MORE pickling spice, and simmer at least 1.5 hours or until tender like a well cooked carrot. I tend to flip it about half way through to help it cook evenly. Cool. Peel, thinly slice off the bumps and a bit of the surface meat on the top toward the root end of the tongue--that gets rid of the rubbery stuff. We used raisin sauce: cornstarch, raisins and water and a little vinegar and brown sugar. There is a grain to the meat at the tip end, but the root end is almost textureless and very rich.

Sigh.

cheers, c.

[Dahdo]

Never tried tongue but I remember being fascinated as a kid, watching Julia Childs slap one around on the cutting board. We keep some liver and we have tried steak and kidney pie, but we save the heart and tongue for a Hispanic friend who absolutely cherishes the organ meat.

[cjsfarm]

One of my favorite tongue recipes is pickled tongue. Boil until tender, let cool, skin and slice thin. Place in layers with every other layer sliced onions in a crock or large jar. Cover with a brine of 1/3 water, 1/3 sugar, 1/3 vinegar. Place in frig for a couple of days and then get out the crackers and beer. I also like mustard on it. Also works well with heart.

[zephyrhillsusan]

I see the problem with the dear little old Victorian lady's tongue that she fixed for us when we were kids--she didn't skin (peel) it OR slice off the bumps! Yep, "rubbery" just about describes it. Well, maybe I'll give it another chance . . .

[cddexter]

no, no, susan, invite me over instead. I guarantee the tongue will be gone in no time.

[tonhou]

Yes, pickled tongue is a favourite with our family - ranks far higher than many other parts of the beast, dare I say it probably higher than the better steaks!

--Tony

[legendrockranch]

Well the next tongue I make will be pickled, you all have talked me into it.

Barb

[midhilldexters]

Me also Barb.
Will be fall before I have anything going, but will need pickling recipe I guess.

Carol

[cddexter]

carol, now that we have you interested, you could try a butcher...around here the tongues all get sent off for dogfood or get added to the wieners, along with the other less desirable bits. You can't buy tongues in the stores at all.

It's pretty bland in flavour, but with our English heritage, it's probably going to become a favourite, if you pickle it until it picks up the flavours.(eng. spelling, of course). I don't like the word, but it has a 'mushy' texture, you can squash it, almost like premade pate. Speaking of which, it makes outrageously delicious pate, too, if you want to try it first in a less formidable form. cheers, c.

Tony, I'm with you.