Boiled Beef Tongue

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you boil a tongue? Gather your ingredients. If needed, defrost the tongue first. Trim off any excess fat. Then rinse it well under cold running water.

2. Step 2:

   

   Put the tongue in a pot and cover it with cold water. Set the pot on the heat. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Then carefully drain the water from the pot. That water absorbs everything harmful and unwanted from the tongue, so it's best not to use it for anything.

3. Step 3:

   

   Cover the tongue with fresh water that's already boiling. I boiled the water in a kettle. You can also take the tongue out for a moment and boil the water right in the same pot. It's important that the water be hot, so the tongue stays soft and tender.

4. Step 4:

   

   Bring the water back to a boil and drop a peeled whole onion into the broth. You can also add a whole carrot and a celery root.

5. Step 5:

   

   Cook the tongue at a gentle boil over low heat for 2 to 4 hours. The cooking time depends on the size of the tongue and the age of the animal. I cooked my 800-gram tongue for 3 hours. Check it for doneness from time to time.

6. Step 6:

   

   Half an hour before the end of cooking, salt the tongue and add ground pepper and bay leaf to the pot. It's important to salt it at the end of cooking, or the tongue may stay tough. You can do this 2–2.5 hours after you started cooking.

7. Step 7:

   

   When the cooking time is up, plunge the tongue into cold water. I fill a basin in the sink and hold the tongue under running water for a while so I don't burn myself later.

8. Step 8:

   

   Let the tongue sit in cold water for 2–3 minutes. After this, the skin will peel off the tongue easily. Once you've peeled off the skin, pat the tongue dry with paper towels and put it, covered, in the fridge to chill.

9. Step 9:

   

   A chilled boiled tongue is much easier to cut into thin slices. Enjoy!