Beef tongue is a unique and flavorful cut of meat that can elevate many dishes when prepared properly. However, cleaning beef tongue thoroughly before cooking is essential for getting the best results. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through each step of cleaning beef tongue from start to finish.
Why Choose Beef Tongue?
Beef tongue has a rich meaty taste and becomes exceptionally tender when cooked low and slow. It’s more economical than premium cuts like ribeye or tenderloin. When cleaned and cooked correctly beef tongue can be just as delicious.
In addition to its wonderful flavor, beef tongue offers these health benefits:
- High in protein to support muscle growth and repair
- Contains collagen for gut and joint health
- Provides iron, zinc, phosphorus, and B vitamins
- Relatively low in fat and calories
With proper preparation, beef tongue makes an excellent addition to tacos, sandwiches, soups, and braised dishes.
Gather Your Beef Tongue Supplies
Before getting started, you’ll need to gather a few essential supplies:
- Fresh or thawed beef tongue
- Sharp knife
- Kitchen shears
- Large bowl or pot for soaking
- Vegetable brush or washcloth
- Paper towels
Step 1: Rinse the Beef Tongue
Rinsing removes any blood, bone dust, or other debris on the surface of the tongue Place the tongue under cool running water and rub briskly with your hands or a vegetable brush Rinse for 2-3 minutes, ensuring all crevices and folds are cleaned.
Step 2: Trim Away Excess Fat
Use a sharp knife to carefully trim away any large fat deposits or glandular tissue. Minimal fat marbling can be left intact. Removing the bulk of fat now prevents unpleasant textures later.
Step 3: Remove the Outer Skin
The thick outer skin of the beef tongue must be removed before cooking. After rinsing:
- Place the tongue in a pot and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. This partially cooks the tongue and makes the skin easy to remove.
- Drain and rinse with cool water until handleable.
- Use a knife to loosen the skin at the tip and peel it off slowly. Go slow to avoid tearing the meat underneath.
- Use kitchen shears to trim any remaining bits. Rinse away skin remnants.
Step 4: Soak the Tongue
To draw out any lingering impurities, soak the peeled tongue in ice water or milk for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator. The milk proteins also help further tenderize the meat.
Step 5: Rinse and Pat Dry
Remove the tongue from the soak and rinse under cool water. Pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. At this point, the beef tongue is cleaned, peeled, and ready for your recipe.
Storage Tips
For short term storage, rub the cleaned tongue with salt and refrigerate for 2-3 days. For longer storage, tightly wrap the tongue and freeze for 4-6 months. Always thaw in the refrigerator before using frozen tongue.
Cooking Methods
Popular cooking techniques for cleaned beef tongue include:
- Braising: Brown the tongue then cook in flavorful liquid for 2-3 hours until fork tender.
- Slow roasting: Roast seasoned tongue with vegetables for 3-4 hours.
- Grilling: Parboil tongue then sear over high heat and finish roasting indirectly.
Delicious finishes include sautéing, breading/frying, or glazing with sauce. Slice thinly across the grain before serving.
Serving Ideas
Here are just a few ways to serve up your cleaned beef tongue:
- Tacos – Dice or shred tongue and top corn tortillas with onion, cilantro, salsa
- Sandwiches – Thin slices on toasted rye or sourdough with mustard
- Salad – Chilled, sliced tongue served over fresh greens
- Soup – Simmer chunks of tongue in tomato-based or veg broth
Any way you serve it, properly cleaned beef tongue is fork-tender perfection! Follow these simple steps for a mouthwatering mealtime treat.
How to clean cow tongue
Add cow tongue, salt and hot water to a bowl, place on medium heat and cook for 15 minutes.
The outer layer would toughen once its in the water do not fret
Take it out of the hot water and peel the white thick layer off the tongue.
Now truth be told some of the white tough skin can be stubborn to peel, like in the below simply get a sharp knife and scrape till clean. Repeat this process until you have exhausted the tongue steak.
Place the cleaned tongue in a bowl and rinse till clean.
It is now ready to use but not ready to eat. Cleaned cow tongue can be placed in the freezer for up to 3 months. Use up as desired
How to cook cow tongue
Cut the washed tongue into steaks. This allows it to cook quicker
Place in a pan, add enough water to cover the tongue. (Now, this is my go-to way to cook beef) I usually season with salt, beef or chicken bouillon cubes and onions.
If you dont want to use bouillon cube, feel free to use fresh herbs like parsley, chives, spring onions etc. but ensure you add salt and onion. Other options to consider are ginger, garlic, bay leaves and the likes
Cook the tongue on low-medium heat for another 30 minutes or until meat is tender enough to your liking.
Dont forget to leave some feedback for me when you try this tricky yet easy cow tongue cleaning procedure. #myactivekitchen on Instagram. Thank you for stopping by and see you in my next post.
Clean cow Tongue |Simple way to peel beef tongue | Do this to enjoy cow Tongue
FAQ
How to prep beef tongue?
Put the whole tongue inside a large stockpot and submerge it completely in water. Add onions, garlic cloves, salt, and bay leaf for flavor. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and slow cook the meat for three hours.
Does beef tongue need to be peeled?
Now, there is some pretty funky looking skin you will need to peel off the actual tongue meat, and it’s best to do this after it has been poached. It’s much easier to peel this way. You may need a paring knife to help you in spots.
How to clean beef before cooking?
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Reddit · r/Cookinghttps://www.reddit.comWashing the meat?!? : r/Cooking – RedditJan 5, 2022 — The only meat I typically *might* wash are pork chops, and that’s just to remove any small bone chips created when the butcher cut them with the meat…
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USDA Food Safety and Inspection Servicehttps://www.fsis.usda.govWashing Food: Does it Promote Food Safety? | Food Safety and Inspection Service
Do you eat the skin on cow tongue?
One thing to note, the skin from a beef tongue, needs to be peeled off before serving. It’s just to damn thick and chewy, whereas tongue from pork, lamb, and venison, are easy to chew. You’ll most likely not even notice the the skin is still on the tongue, when properly cooked!
How to clean tongue steak?
To clean a tongue steak, first take it out of the hot water and peel off the white thick layer using a sharp knife if necessary. Repeat this process until the tongue is clean. Scrape off any stubborn white tough skin. Place the cleaned tongue in a bowl and rinse thoroughly.
How to cook beef tongue?
Ingredients: 1 whole beef tongue 1 onion 1 carrot 4-5 garlic cloves 1-3 bay leaves 1 tablespoon of whole black peppers Some parsley, dills, and basil if you have. Directions: 1. Bring the tongue to boil and simmer for one hour removing the foam. 2. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to simmer from 3 hours to 5 hours.
How do you Pierce a beef tongue after cooking?
After cooking, the beef tongue should be tender enough that you can easily pierce it with a fork. At this point, remove the tongue from the cooking liquid and peel off the outer layer of skin, which should come away readily. Step 4: Finish.