Cook Your Tongue

Tongue, one of the most muscular of variety meats, requires long, slow simmering to make it tender. But when prepared correctly, it has a rich flavor and a firm, meaty texture.

The most commonly found tongue is beef, although some markets carry veal, pork and lamb tongue. A beef tongue can weigh from two and a half to five pounds (those under three pounds have the best texture). Veal tongue typically weighs two pounds; pork tongue, one pound; lamb tongue, about four ounces.

Tongue is sold fresh, corned, pickled and smoked. It takes one third to one half pound of cooked meat to make a serving. All fresh tongue is prepared in a similar manner.

Rinse the meat well in cool water. Place in a large non-reactive pot, cover with cold water and soak for several hours to remove any blood. Change the water two or three times during the soaking period.

Drain and rinse the tongue again, then return to the pot along with enough water to cover. Add a carrot, a stalk of celery (including the leaves) and an onion, all cut into chunks (Step 1). Also add a bay leaf, about six peppercorns and a teaspoon of salt for each quart of water.

Bring the water to a boil and skim off any froth that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the tongue is tender. Beef tongue takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours, veal or pork tongue about an hour, lamb tongue 30 minutes. If the two small bones at the back of the tongue haven’t already been removed, they pull out easily when the meat is properly cooked. You can also test for doneness by piercing the meat with a sharp fork.

The skin is easy to remove when the tongue is still warm, but difficult once it gets cold. So as soon as the meat tests done, remove the tongue from the cooking liquid and immerse in cold water until just cool enough to handle. Place the cooled tongue on a cutting board and use a small sharp knife to trim any fat and gristle from the base (Step 2).

Turn the tongue upside down and slit the skin lengthwise from the tip to the base. Use the tip of the knife to loosen the skin at the slit. Then, with your fingers, peel away the skin (Step 3).

Strain the cooking liquid, discarding the vegetables. If the tongue is going to be served hot, reheat in this stock. The liquid may also be used in sauces for the meat.

Tongue served cold will be more flavorful if chilled in the stock. It stores well in the liquid up to two days under refrigeration. Tongue also freezes well if submerged in the cooking liquid.

To serve, slice the tongue diagonally (Step 4). Warm, the meat is an excellent entree accompanied by mustard, mayonnaise, vinaigrette or a variety of other sauces. Chilled tongue makes a delicious sandwich on rye bread with mustard. It can also be cubed and combined with other ingredients for a salad.