The leftovers are excellent, too, whether gently reheated in the microwave or served cold. Nose-to-tail eating is the responsible and ethical way for meat-eaters to consume meat, and cow tongue makes it very palatable indeed. It’s wonderfully flavorful and tender, and it’s also surprisingly easy to make. I learned how to cook tongue from my Dad, and my friend Irina taught me to add a rich onion mushroom sauce. My entire family loves this recipe—yes, even the kids!

Ingredients

Recipe Card

For Cooking the Tongue:

Beef tongue: It’s not usually available in U.S. supermarkets, so I special-order it at Whole Foods Market (by the way, some of their stores carry frozen tongues). You can also order it online at Wild Fork Foods or U.S. Wellness Meats. If you’re lucky enough to have a Hispanic market nearby, you should also be able to find it there. To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, dried bay leaves, whole peppercorns, and whole allspice.

For the Sauce:

Butter: I typically use unsalted butter, but it’s fine to use salted butter. Onions and mushrooms: To make life easy, you can buy pre-chopped onions and sliced mushrooms. Beef broth: Store-bought is fine. I like the Kettle & Fire broth. Cornstarch: A tablespoon to thicken the sauce.

You start by simmering the tongue in water with spices until tender for 3-4 hours, depending on its size. Allow it to slightly cool until it’s easier to handle, then remove the skin.
Slice the tongue and serve with or without the sauce. Thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with cold water). Serve the tongue topped with the sauce.

Mashed cauliflower Roasted carrots Roasted asparagus Cauliflower steak Green beans almondine Zucchini noodles Steamed broccoli, as shown in the photo below.

You can also freeze the leftovers in a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and reheat them covered in the microwave. If you made the sauce, you can keep it in a sealed container in the fridge (as shown in the photo below) for up to 4 days. Reheat it gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. I don’t recommend freezing the sauce. Cold tongue is exceptionally creamy. See the photo below - this was a delicious lunch of cold tongue slices, mustard, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber pickles.

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