PICKLED PRESSED BEEF TONGUE
- TO CURE THE MEAT:
- 1 x 1.5 kg beef tongue
- 2.5 l water
- ¾ teaspoon salt-peter dissolved in a ¼ cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon pickling spice
- 250 ml salt
- 1 whole star anise
CURING THE MEAT
Add all the ingredients, except for the tongue, to a large stockpot and bring to the boil. Stir until the salt is completely dissolved, then kill the heat and let the brine come down to room temperature. If at all possible, place it in the fridge and let it cool overnight. To speed up the process, you could also add only half of the water to the stockpot and put the other half in the freezer, then add the cold water to the brine once it has boiled and the salt has completely dissolved.
Once the brine has cooled down, place your tongue into a non-reactive container and pour the brine right over it until it’s completely covered. Now you need to make sure that your meat is completely submerged and that it will remain submerged for the entire duration of the curing process. If it wants to float to the top, weigh it down with a plate or any other similar clean and non-reactive object that fits snugly inside your container.
Place your meat in the fridge and leave it to cure for 5 days. Check daily to make sure that your meat is still submerged.
- TO COOK THE MEAT:
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 celery rib, cut in half
- 1 large carrot, cut into large chunks
- 2 pork trotters
- 3 cloves
- 3 pimento
- 2 bay leaf
- enough water to cover the meat
After the meat is done curing, rinse it under cold running water and place it in a large pot; add onions, garlic, celery, pork trotters and carrots and spices and cover with cold water.
Discard brine.
Bring to the boil, skim any impurities off the top and gently simmer for 3.5 hrs.
To test if cooked enough, insert a skewer and make sure it goes in easily.
Remove the cooked tongue from the pot and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes and then peel the skin off.
If your meat is cooked all the way, the skin should come right off.
Once the tongue has been completely peeled, transfer it to a cutting board, cut of any rough bits and cut it in half length wise.
Strain a little of the liquid from the pot into your press and place the tongue flat side to the bottom in your press. Add some more liquid to fill spaces between the tongue.
If you don’t have the proper press you can put it into a pudding basin, or small saucepan place a plate on top and press down with a weight.
Refrigerate overnight. You can dip your press for a few seconds in hot water to un-mould.
Slice thinly.
Serve with horseradish sauce or mustard.
Recipe and Photo: Elize de Kock
