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Braised Tongue with Baby Vegetables, Potatoes and Beef Gravy

Serves 4 Once you have your first of braised tongue, you’ll find yourself saying, “Brisket who?” Tongue is amazing meat and when prepared properly, it can be more tender, less fatty and less stringy than brisket. Served with simple accompaniments and richly flavored beef gravy, you’ll have the pot roast of pot roasts.

Ingredients

  • 1 Beef Tongue, fresh, rinsed well and soaked overnight in several changes of ice water
  • 1 Onion, small, sliced
  • 1 Carrot, large, peeled, sliced
  • 2 Celery Stalks, sliced
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1 Thyme Sprig, fresh
  • 1 tsp. Black Peppercorns
  • 1 Garlic Clove, unpeeled, slightly smashed
  • 1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
  • 1 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet
  • As needed: Wondra Flour, to thicken broth
  • As needed: Water, to cover
  • 1 cup Baby Potatoes, blanched until just tender
  • 1 cup Baby Sweet Potatoes, blanched until just tender, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 8 Baby Carrots, blanched until just tender, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/2 cup Fava Beans, fresh, blanched until just tender
  • 2 bunches Scallions, fresh, trimmed of green, blanched until just tender
  • 1/2 tsp. Thyme Leaves, fresh
  • To taste: Kosher or Sea Salt and Black Pepper, freshly ground

Directions

  1. Place tongue in a snugly fitting pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes and pour off water. Cover with new warm water and add onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme sprig, black peppercorns, garlic, tomato paste and Kitchen Bouquet. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for an additional 2-1/2 hours at a mild simmer. Remove tongue to a bowl and cool until it can be handled.
  2. Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil and reduce down to approx. 1-1/2 cups. Follow directions on Wondra Flour to thicken reduced broth into silky-smooth gravy. Season with salt and pepper. Hold warm.
  3. Using a sharp knife and your finger, carefully peel off outer skin of tongue to reveal the tender meat within – trim ends too, as fat runs along underside of the meat (keep some fat by only trimming the outer layer, but don’t remove from within the meat). Slice the meat into nice medallions.
  4. Add carrots, fava beans and thyme leaves to gravy and warm through. Divide meat onto warmed serving plates. Divide potatoes among plates, placing around vegetables. Spoon remaining sauce over meat, season with a touch of salt and pepper and serve.

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