Truly is Licking Good

[Mogorilla]

Tongue.   I have written about these before, but opted to take some pictures this time. 
So, I was shooting at NCOWS this weekend and was given a beef tongue.  I got to shoot and got a great piece of meat, how cool is that!   Thank you Duck Creek!   I had another tongue in the freezer, so I combined them.

Okay, I admit at first they do not look that tasty.

For stock.
2 beef tongue
1 carrot chunked
1 onion quartered
2 stalks celery chunked
2 cloves of garlic.
8 peppercorns.

Place above items in a stock pan and cover in cold water.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, checking periodically to ensure the tongue still covered with water, supplementing as needed.
Remove tongue from broth and place in an ice water bath, makes it easier to handle quicker.   Strain broth and reserve 2 cups.  Toss the veggies, they have given their all.   If you have a pooch, they will thank you for the rest of the broth with many tail wags.  (mine always did, but he expected a share of the meat as well.)

Pull tongue from ice and pull off the skin.  These are the taste buds.  Should come off easy, use a small knife to help if needed.  Throw that stuff away.  You now have a nice piece of very tender meat.   I could not resist, so I took a few slices, lightly floured them and browned in a skillet.  Placed on a toasted bun with onion and mustard.   Amazing!

Now to tacos.  Shred or cube the tongue when cool.
Tacos
~1 cup stock
2 ancho chiles
1 New Mexican chili (dried)
1 onion
1 green pepper diced
1 red pepper diced
1 or 2 jalapeno seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
salt and pepper/red pepper to taste
2 beef tongues diced or shredded


So, I really wanted to up the flavor profile, I was grilling a chicken, so I skewered an onion (quartered), a green bell pepper (sliced), a red bell pepper (sliced), and 2 jalapenos (seeded).   I sprayed them with some oil and tossed them on the grill to cook and get a little char.   

While the grill was going, I heated 1 cup of the broth and soaked 2 ancho peppers and 1 New Mexican dried chili.  Prior to soaking, I had dumped most of the seeds from the dried peppers.  I like to add my heat, so it allows me some control. 

So, grilled veggies allowed to cool.  I chopped half of the onion into a dice and did the same with the green bell pepper.  The red pepper, the remaining half of the onion and jalapeno went into the processor.   Pull the soaked peppers from the stock and add them to the processor.  (do not toss liquid, it is our adjustor).   Process mixture (adding liquid) to a thick sauce consistency.

In a skillet, add some oil and saute the chopped grilled onion and green pepper just to heat.   Add garlic, oregano, cumin and paprika, stirring to ensure garlic does not burn.   Add tongue meat and the processed pepper mixture.   Use some stock to rinse the processor to get it all.   Bring to a boil, adding stock if you want to thin it some.    Taste to get an idea of what you need, add salt to your preference and cayenne if you want some more heat.   
Serve with warm tortillas. (I like the street taco size in corn, but either is good.)   top with that Cotija cheese and some pico de gallo.

[Delmonico]

I'm not allowed to cook tongue in camp no more, wasn't my fault the tongue got loose and licked the intern from the radio station, then the afternoon DJ interviewed me about it and everyone at work heard it on the PA system.

[Professor Marvel]

Thank You Mog

that is another to print for Prof Marvels' Mystery Cooking Binder!

but... If I did not know it was tongue, one of those might look like a "not family friendly" photo...
watch out!  the new AI that the thought police have trolling the interwebs might register a "false positive"   
and then someone might have some 'splainin to do :-(   

yhs
prof (not pc but family friendly, mostly!) marvel

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