How to Prepare a Beef or Veal Tongue for Soups and Stews
Beef or Veal Tongue Stewed Slowly with Tomatoes, Sage and Garlic (see recipe)
Yia Yia Zmaragda's Rustic Pasta Soup with Beef or Veal Tongue (see recipe)

How to Prepare a Beef or Veal Tongue for Soups and Stews

    You can make two hearty succulent dishes with one fresh beef or veal tongue. Boil the tongue and use a third of it plus most of the cooking liquid to make a delicious soup with the rustic pasta recipe on page 72 in Mediterranean Grains and Greens.  The remainder of the tongue is sliced and kept moist with 2 cups of the cooking liquid until ready to stew as described in Beef or Veal Tongue Stewed Slowly with Tomatoes, Sage and Garlic.

    Scrub the fresh tongue under running water; drain, rub with lemon and a handful of coarse salt and rinse well. Place tongue in a deep pot, cover with plenty of cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes and remove the tongue; discard the liquid. Rinse the pot, return the tongue, add garlic, bay leaves, allspice, peppercorns and enough water to cover. Bring to the boil and cook, covered, over reduced heat until the tongue is tender, about 2-1/2 hours. Allow the tongue to cool in the liquid. When cool enough to handle, remove it from the liquid and let drain. Peel off the skin, cut away the gristle, tiny bones and fat and cut two-thirds of the tongue into thick slices on the diagonal. Season the slices with salt and pepper and place in a deep bowl. Strain over 2 cups liquid, cover and refrigerate. The remaining tongue and cooking liquid can be reserved for  Yia Yia Zmaragda's Rustic Pasta Soup with Beef or Veal Tongue.

Pasta Soup

Tongue Stew