Ox-tongue
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Select a young, tender tongue with a smooth skin.
If the tongue is dried, soak it for 12 hours; if fresh, soak it for 2-3 hours.
Cook
Place the tongue in a pot with plenty of cold water and the herbs.
Bring the water to a boil, skim off the foam, and simmer gently until the tongue is tender.
Finish and serve
Peel off the skin and garnish with cauliflower or Brussels sprouts.
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
- Tongue
- Is the main protein; simmering slowly until tender breaks down its tough connective tissue.
- Savory herbs
- Add a subtle aromatic flavour to the cooking water as the tongue simmers.
The step that matters
Simmer gently after the boil. A rolling boil toughens the meat and makes it stringy, while a gentle simmer lets the connective tissue soften slowly. Skimming the foam keeps the broth clear and the flavour clean.
“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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