CookEat Recipe
Larded Beef Tongue in Meat Jus
A whole beef tongue larded with pork fatback, braised in meat jus and served sliced with buttered cooked greens.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 1 whole beef tongue without the throat portion, about 1.2 kg, professionally cleaned; 60 g cured pork fatback, cut into narrow larding strips; Salt and black pepper; 50 g butter, divided into 30 g for browning, 10 g for the sauce and 10 g for the greens; About 600 ml unsalted concentrated beef stock or meat jus, with a little extra hot water if needed; 1 teaspoon plain flour, less than half a tablespoon; 400 g spinach or other tender cooking greens, washed and trimmed; Water for the initial simmer and cooking the greens.
Step 2
Cover the cleaned tongue with water and simmer gently for about 60–75 minutes until the outer skin can be peeled away. While it is still warm enough to handle safely, remove the skin and any inedible gristle. This modern peeling method replaces the red-hot metal tool in the source. Continue immediately to larding and braising; do not store the partly cooked tongue.
Step 3
Season the fatback strips with salt and pepper. Insert them lengthwise into the tongue with a larding needle, or make narrow channels with a small sharp knife and push the strips into them. Tie with kitchen string so the tongue remains extended rather than curling.
Step 4
Melt 30 g butter in a heavy casserole. Add the tongue, season lightly and brown on all sides. Add a little of the meat jus, cover mostly and simmer gently, adding more jus in small amounts as needed. Cook until the centre reaches at least 72°C and the meat is very tender, about 2–2 1/2 hours after peeling; check sooner if the tongue is smaller and continue longer if needed.
Step 5
Near the end, boil the spinach or chosen greens in water until tender, then drain well. Remove the cooked tongue, strain its juices and simmer them with 10 g butter worked together with the teaspoon of flour for about 4–5 minutes, until lightly thickened. Add a splash of hot water if too concentrated.
Step 6
Toss the cooked drained greens in a pan with the remaining 10 g butter and a spoonful of the finished meat sauce. Remove every piece of string from the tongue, slice it and arrange with the greens. Spoon the remaining sauce over the tongue and serve hot.
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