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Boiled Beef Tongue

Boiled beef tongue, peeled and soaked in a vinegar and sugar solution for two days.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
By Warren, Pa. Presbyterian church. Second auxiliary missionary society. [from old catalog] · From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 8 ingredients
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Why it works: Pepper and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,814 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓

Boiled Beef Tongue

Ingredients

Directions

Cook the tongue

  1. Place the tongue in a kettle of boiling water.

  2. Add 1 pint of salt, 1 pod of red pepper, or a pinch of cayenne.

  3. If the water boils away, add more to keep the tongue submerged until done.

  4. Boil until it can be easily pierced with a fork.

  5. Remove the tongue from the water.

  6. Remove the skin.

Pickle and rest

  1. Take 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar, and 1 tablespoon sugar.

  2. Scald the mixture and pour it over the tongue.

  3. Let stand for two days before using.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

23Calories
1 gProtein
1 gFat
4 gCarbs

Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 5 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Cayenne1 tsp (1.8g)6
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Vinegar1 tbsp (15ml) distilled3
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By Warren, Pa. Presbyterian church. Second auxiliary missionary society. [from old catalog]. Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Pepper + vinegartop 14% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together27,814 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Tongue
Main protein; boiling until tender softens its dense muscle and connective tissue.
Vinegar
Adds acidity to the pickling liquid, giving the tongue a tangy flavor.
Sugar (in the method)
Adds sweetness to the pickling liquid, balancing the sharpness of the vinegar.

The step that matters

Keep the tongue submerged while boiling. If the tongue is exposed as water boils away, the uncovered part can dry out and cook unevenly. Topping up the water keeps the meat evenly moist and tender.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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