Anyone here eat beef tongue?

[Wee Bairn]

And want to tell me what to about it? I will have the opportunity to dine on some soon, and want to know what to expect. I've seen a few food shows where connoisseurs rave about it, one even saying its the tastiest part of the cow, but realize their tastes may different than normal.

[WhyNot]

If the taste buds have been taken off, it's pretty much like pot roast - stringy meat that's good braised. If it's ground, you won't be able to tell it's not regular ground beef. If it's roasted whole, with the taste buds still on, it's...weird. It looks weird. It looks like...well...like a tongue. I always cut off the taste buds before cooking it.

[Bill Door]

I simmer it for three hours. Add a half dozen or so cloves of garlic, a sliced onion, a couple of bay leaves, maybe a quarter cup cider vinegar, some black pepper, salt if desired. I sometimes stud a whole onion with cloves and drop that in the pot as well. I think tongue is best thinly sliced on toasted rye with mustard, although some people like horseradish.

[fishbicycle]

I've only tasted it once, at a neighbor's house. It was offered to me without the mom telling me what it was. I ate it, and said "mmmmmmm! That was good! What was it?"

So I guess if you can get past the part about it being a tongue, it tastes just like pot roast, as WhyNot said.

[Triskadecamus]

I have had it in sandwiches, smoked, Peeled, and sliced thinly. It was fairly tasty, and not tough. Nothing so special that I wanted to go out and buy some more, though.

Tris

[Stuffy]

I've had it in tacos it makes for a juicier consistency than steak.

[redtail23]

Mom used to try to hide it in soup, on the theory that we'd like it if we didn't know what it was. Never worked.

It tastes OK but the texture is odd.

I didn't much care for it.

[Scumpup]

I like to pickle it. Pickled tongue sandwiches and beer are a match made in heaven.

[TwoTrouts]

It has an odd texture, yes, but is very tasty. Use a dab of horseradish with it (like you would with prime rib). It makes WONDERFUL sandwichwes when used with a slice of fresh red onion!

[plnnr]

Grew up on a farm and raised steers so we had it fairly regularly. I could never tell if from regular roast beef and love it cold on good bread with spicy mustard.

[Bayard]

Years ago, I did. I thought it tasted like roast, but it was tough. Maybe it just hadn't been prepared that well (sorry, Mom). And, the taste buds freaked me out a little. I was about 12 at the time. Opening the fridge and seeing this giant tongue poking out at me was a little freaky too. To my 12-year-old self, it looked like it was about a yard long.

[Cervaise]

If it's prepared properly, it's delicious.

It is very, very easy to not prepare properly. It's very difficult to prepare well.

The best tongue I've ever had (hush, now) was at the New York restaurant wd-50. It was sliced as thin as tissue and cooked sous vide. Amazing. Perfectly tender, with robust flavor.

Where are you getting your tongue?

(I said hush.)

[Ephemera]

I had it in a local Colombian restaraunt and the owner smiled when I owned it.

It was quite good. Tasted just like very tender pot roast, as others have said.

[Wee Bairn]

If it's prepared properly, it's delicious.

It is very, very easy to not prepare properly. It's very difficult to prepare well.

The best tongue I've ever had (hush, now) was at the New York restaurant wd-50. It was sliced as thin as tissue and cooked sous vide. Amazing. Perfectly tender, with robust flavor.

Where are you getting your tongue?

(I said hush.)

I don't know- I'll be eating a friends at that's what's on the menu- don't know anything at all about it.

[rhythmonly]

Never tried it. I did, however, cause my Mom quite a bit of trauma by chasing her around the grocery store with one whenever I got the chance.

[Rysdad]

Edith tried to serve Archie some beef tongue. He refused it saying that he wasn't going to eat anything that came out of a cow's moth.

Instead he opted for a couple of eggs.

[Asimovian]

The best tongue I've ever had (hush, now) was at the New York restaurant wd-50. In a discussion with a coworker about properly prepared tongue, I had several people come in to me saying, "The only tongue I've ever tasted was my grandmother's."

Even though that happened over five years ago, there are people in my life who still won't let me live that down.

[jjimm]

My mother used to send me to school with tounge-and-mayo sandwiches. It was really tender and tasty - I didn't make the connection with the organ - I thought it was come kind of paté called "tung".

[Cervaise]

I'll be eating a friends at that's what's on the menu- don't know anything at all about it.Ah. Cross your fingers then.

Maybe you'll get lucky and the tongue will be from Asimovian's granny.

[OneCentStamp]

I've had it in tacos it makes for a juicier consistency than steak.Same here. Most of the taco wagons I frequent have tacos de lengua on the menu. They're good; the meat is slow-cooked so it's about like brisket or pot roast.

[Lust4Life]

I'm wondering if we're actually talking about the same thing here.
In the U.K. tongue is mostly a sandwich meat and quite expensive,I've eaten it quite often but in my opinion its quite forgettable.

Its not revolting but on the other hand you wouldn't rush round and recommend it to all of your mates.

[RedRosesForMe]

I've eaten it once. It still had the taste buds, so it looked like a tongue. It was also cold, I tried a bit at a deli where my friend worked, although they normally served it as a hot sandwhich.

Not bad, actually. The appearance and texture sort of reminded me of pastrami, with taste buds instead of those little hard bits. The looks on my friends faces made the experience a lot grosser than it was in reality.

I'd say go for it.

[Hilarity N. Suze]

I had it once. My mother served it to me as a "roast beef sandwich." She asked if I wanted another one and I said, "Okay." But then she took it out of the refrigerator and, even though the sandwich had tasted perfectly fine and exactly like a roast beef sandwich, I suddenly realized I wasn't hungry anymore.

She spent a few minutes ridiculing me for being silly (which I probably was). I've neve knowingly had it again.

[Equipoise]

Same here. Most of the taco wagons I frequent have tacos de lengua on the menu. They're good; the meat is slow-cooked so it's about like brisket or pot roast.Same here too, it's in all the Mexican restaurants around here. It's delicious. Not quite as delicious as beef cheek, but up there. I've never tried to fix it myself at home, but I would like to someday.

[want2know]

Same here. Most of the taco wagons I frequent have tacos de lengua on the menu. They're good; the meat is slow-cooked so it's about like brisket or pot roast.

I was planning on picking up dinner at my local Roberto's on my way home tonight. You have all piqued my interest; think I may try one of those tonight. I've never had tongue before (don't make me come back there!) and have always wanted to try it. I'll let you know tomorrow how it was.

[Sapo]

Tongue falls in the same list as liver and heart. Delicious if prepared properly, disgusting if not.

I have always had it "in sauce", which is closer to a stew than anything else. Like this is comes very tender and has nothing of the texture problems that most people complain about.

[GorillaMan]

Never had it, but I'm interested. I feel a trip to the butcher's is looming. (Well, it was anyway to stock up, but hey.)

[Spiny Norman]

Used to eat tongue quite often as cold sandwich meat - not bad at all. Can be a little tough, but the taste is quite good. I wouldn't worry.

[Voyager]

Now I'm hungry for it. My mother made it all the time when I was growing up - boiled it is both tender and tasty, nothing at all like pot roast (which I like also). It is sweeter, in a way. I've never had it tough. I like it with a bit of deli mustard, both by itself and in sandwiches. I like it sliced fairly thick myself, like pastrami which is properly served hand carved and relatively thick.

Not that I can find it in the goyisher Bay Area. :(

[GorillaMan]

Oh, I suppose pure observation...it's always prominently displayed at the deli counter at my local supermarket, alongside all the more 'normal' cuts of meat, so presumably there's a market for it

[SkeptiJess]

[obligatory joke] The thing about eating tongue is, how do you know when you're done? [/obligatory joke]

I actually liked tongue the one time I had it. We owned a hobby farm when I was in high school and tried a lot of different things when it was all new to us. Tongue, as prepared by my grandmother, was quite good -- very tender and tasty. We also tried heart, and it was also very good.

The reason we didn't have tongue or heart other than the one time was the smell of cooking them. They absolutely reek while cooking -- and this is a problem because they need to be cooked for hours. So, good as they were, we only had those meats once.

My grandmother didn't care for beef liver, so we never ate that -- she liked calves liver, but we never butchered our cows young enough for that. And she didn't like sweetbreads or kidneys, so we never tried those, either.

[Darryl Lict]

This thread got me hungry, so I went down to the 'hood and got a lengua burrito at one of the more authentic Mexican restaurants in town. Delicious! I don't normally order it, but I'll definitely get it more often now.

[Voyager]

The reason we didn't have tongue or heart other than the one time was the smell of cooking them. They absolutely reek while cooking -- and this is a problem because they need to be cooked for hours. So, good as they were, we only had those meats once.

I believe cloves get put into the water, which makes it smell pretty good. My wife has Mennonite ancestry, and she likes it also. (Also yummy pig's stomach.) I've never noticed a bad smell while cooking - how did your grandmother do it?

[Tamryne]

Same here. Most of the taco wagons I frequent have tacos de lengua on the menu. They're good; the meat is slow-cooked so it's about like brisket or pot roast.

Thirding this. They are consistently the best meat for tacos, especially from the various trucks around town.

When the tastebuds are on they can be creepy looking, otherwise they're a real treat to try. I'm not a fan of them in sandwitches though, something about the mix of textures just doesn't work well for me.

[singular1]

Same here too, it's in all the Mexican restaurants around here. It's delicious. Not quite as delicious as beef cheek, but up there. I've never tried to fix it myself at home, but I would like to someday.

Beef cheek! :eek: (Band name!)
I've never considered this food, but now I must have some! I adore halibut cheeks, but it never occured to me to try the cheeks of other creatures!

Holy Butt Cheeks! Is that what the much-ridiculed hog jowls are? :eek: Have I missed out on a delicacy through cultural snobbism? :o

But seriously, I've tried to buy tounge everywhere in Bellevue, WA, with no luck, as Mr. singular is a huge fan. Whole Foods said they get it occasionally, but apparently it's a bad idea to cook your own if you're not a professional chef. I hope they have beef cheek there - we're making a rare trip there, financed by a bit of overtime. Is that where one would buy beef cheek? What's the best way to cook it?

[Hunter Hawk]

Beef cheek! :eek: (Band name!)
I've never considered this food, but now I must have some! I adore halibut cheeks, but it never occured to me to try the cheeks of other creatures!

Holy Butt Cheeks! Is that what the much-ridiculed hog jowls are? :eek: Have I missed out on a delicacy through cultural snobbism? :o
Yeah, beef cheeks and pork cheeks are really good. I've never had hog jowls, but based on a really quick Googling I think they're from the same basic area but a different cut--the pork cheeks I've had were reasonably lean muscles, but the references to hog jowls mentioned them being fatty and cut like bacon.

I've tried to buy tounge everywhere in Bellevue, WA, with no luck, as Mr. singular is a huge fan. Whole Foods said they get it occasionally, but apparently it's a bad idea to cook your own if you're not a professional chef. I hope they have beef cheek there - we're making a rare trip there, financed by a bit of overtime. Is that where one would buy beef cheek? What's the best way to cook it?
I wouldn't get my hopes up on finding either tongue or cheek at Whole Foods. You might want to try that butcher shop on Bel-Red that's down the hill from Uwajimaya, or check with some of the people at the U-District farmer's market (or the Thundering Hooves folks; I'm not sure they still come to the market, but I think they have a web site).

Re how to cook cheeks: They're well-exercised muscles, so you braise the living fuck outta them.

[Hunter Hawk]

(or the Thundering Hooves folks; I'm not sure they still come to the market, but I think they have a web site).
...and here ya go (http://shop.pageland.com/catalog.cfm?ItemsPerPage2=100&BasketID=cTePlseHazCHOFj&StoreID=2&RefID=&CID=&search=variety).

[Quartz]

Are you having it hot or cold? It's delicious when cold. Serve with various salads. I've had lambs' tongues and calves' tongues hot in a stew and very nice they were too.

[Equipoise]

Beef cheek! :eek: (Band name!)
I've never considered this food, but now I must have some! I adore halibut cheeks, but it never occured to me to try the cheeks of other creatures!

Holy Butt Cheeks! Is that what the much-ridiculed hog jowls are? :eek: Have I missed out on a delicacy through cultural snobbism? :o

But seriously, I've tried to buy tounge everywhere in Bellevue, WA, with no luck, as Mr. singular is a huge fan. Whole Foods said they get it occasionally, but apparently it's a bad idea to cook your own if you're not a professional chef. I hope they have beef cheek there - we're making a rare trip there, financed by a bit of overtime. Is that where one would buy beef cheek? What's the best way to cook it?In the Mexican restaurants I've eaten at around here I've always asked for "barbacoa tacos" and that got me beef cheek tacos. They don't always have it, and some restaurants I go to only have it on weekends.

Using the word "barbacoa" elsewhere is an iffy prospect though, since the word also means barbecue and you could get some other kind of meat just barbecued, including the whole beef head. If I'm at a new place and they say they have barbacoa, I specifically ask if that means beef cheek meat.

As far as buying it in the store, I've never looked for it at the meat market/supermarket and tried to fix it myself, though it'd be easy to find if I wanted to because I live in a very ethnic neighborhood (mostly middle eastern, asian and hispanic), and just a short train ride away from a huge Mexican neighborhood. Are there any hispanic enclaves where you live? If so, go check some markets there.

Do a Google or Yahoo search for "beef cheeks" and you'll find lots of recipes. A search for "barbacoa" will be much broader and might not be exactly what you want, unless you come home with a whole beef head.

Good luck! Post again if you find some.

[Long Time First Time]

The lunchmeat type of tongue is generally corned. I've had corned beef tongue many times and it's delicious. I heartily recommend it.


I've tried to cook non-corned beef tongue and it's hard to do and I've never had it turn out well.

[phouka]

I teach at a Jewish private school and just finished a unit on nutrition. The boys there advise me that tongue is the yummiest thing ever to be served on a slice of bread.

I thought they were getting me back for a having a "protein group" transparency with a pig on it, but maybe not.

[Hostile Dialect]

I've had it once in a Tijuana-style taco. It took every fiber of my being not to spit it out. The texture is absolutely disgusting. YMMV.

[percussion]

Cod Tongue yes, Beef Tongue no

[DrDeth]

Pickled cold Beef tongue is often served at Basque "family" restaurants as an appetiser. I found it quite tasty.

[singular1]

...and here ya go (http://shop.pageland.com/catalog.cfm?ItemsPerPage2=100&BasketID=cTePlseHazCHOFj&StoreID=2&RefID=&CID=&search=variety).

Wow! Thanks for the web site! I had heard of Thundering Hooves and SPUD, but never while at my computer, and I keep forgetting to look them up. I'll have something to share with Mr. singular when I get home tonight. Thanks again!