Bullock's Tongue, Cured
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the cure
Mix together equal quantities of salt and sugar, and add saltpetre.
Rub the tongue with a handful of common salt and let it sit overnight.
Drain and wipe the tongue before applying the salt and sugar mixture.
Cure the tongue
Rub the mixture all over the tongue, including the hole underneath.
For the first 2-3 days, turn and rub the tongue with extra salt.
Moisten the tongue with a large spoon every morning for two weeks.
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.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Common salt
- Draws moisture out of the tongue and helps preserve the meat.
- Sugar
- Balances the salt and adds a mild sweetness to the cured meat.
- Saltpetre
- Helps the meat keep its pink colour during curing.
The step that matters
Rubbing the cure in evenly, including the hole underneath. Salt only preserves where it reaches the meat. Covering every surface, including the hollow underneath, helps the cure penetrate evenly and prevents spoilage in spots that were missed.
“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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