Generally, it is the tongues of ox, calf and lamb that are used in cooking. The best way to cook them is by simmering or braising until they are tender. Once cooked, they are skinned and then eaten either hot or pressed in a tongue press and then eaten cold. Cold sliced tongue was often served in sandwiches at afternoon tea.
Tongue, like sweetbreads and tripe is classed as offal but, it seems, can also help a family’s finances. According to Chamber’s Journal of 1891 there is an old superstition saying that if a person keeps the tip of an ox tongue in his or her purse, there will be a plentiful supply of money. Why not try one of these recipes below and then preserve the tip of the ox tongue to test the superstition out?
Recipe for Braised Lambs’ Tongue
Ingredients:
- 4 lambs’ tongues
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ lb carrots
- 2 onions
- 1 pint water
- ½ oz butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp tomato purée
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- Soak the lamb’s tongues in cold water for a couple of hours and drain
- Peel and slice the onions
- Peel and thinly slice the carrots
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and place the vegetables in it and the tongues on top
- Cover and fry gently for five minutes or so before adding the stock
- Bring to the boil and then simmer, covered, for about 1 ½ hours or until the tongues are tender
- Take the tongues from the stock then skin them and cut away the cores
- Slice them thinly lengthways
- Drain the stock from the pan, into a bowl and save ½ pint of it along with the vegetables
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour and cook for a minute or so, stirring all the time
- Slowly add all the stock, stirring, until it begins to thicken
- Add the tomato purée, season and then add the carrots, onion and tongue slices
- Simmer gently for five minutes or so
- Serve with mashed potatoes, peas and cabbage
Gourmet Rabbit and Tongue in Aspic Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 oz aspic jelly
- 2 oz cooked rabbit
- 1 oz cooked ox tongue
- 4 tbsp cooked peas
- Grated lemon rind
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- Prepare four or more dariole moulds (the exact quantity depends on the size of the moulds)
- Melt the aspic jelly and put a teaspoonful of it in each mould, and, turning the moulds gently, let the aspic coat the bottom of them
- Wait for the aspic to set
- Put six or seven peas in each mould
- Melt some more aspic and cover the peas with it
- Wait for the aspic to set
- Chop the rabbit and tongue into small dice and mix well
- Fill the moulds with the rabbit and tongue mixture
- Pour more liquid aspic over the meat and leave to set in the fridge overnight
- To turn the moulds out, put them in hot water briefly then carefully tip them onto a plate
- Serve with a garnish of green peas
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