Ox Tongue

[Oddley]

I decided to cure an Ox tongue seeing as I had never tasted it before.

As I seem to be giving others advice on cures, I thought it about time to take my own advice. So this cure I calculated myself from scratch. the spices I converted from a recipe found on the net.

Spiced Ox Tongue

Tongue weight 1216 gm

Spice Mixture

36g Soft Brown Sugar
36g Coarse Salt
1/2 Onion, finely minced
4 gm Ground Allspice
6 gm Ground Black Pepper
1 gm Ground Cloves
1 gm Ground Ginger
1 gm Ground Mace
1 gm Ground Nutmeg
1 gm dried Bay leaves, finely ground
1 gm dried Thyme

Cure #1 = 3 gm = 145 ppm (nitrite)
saltpetre = 0.3 gm = 247 ppm (Potassium Nitrate)

To get 0.3 gm saltpetre I used 9 gm salt well mixed with 1 gm saltpetre, then took 3 gm of this mix. Which meant I had 0.3 gram saltpetre mixed with 2.7 gm salt.

Simmering Stock

1 Onion, stuck with cloves
1 Small Turnip
2 Carrots
2 Sprigs of Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
6-8 Cloves
1 Small bunch Parsley
Freshly Ground Pepper

Method

Combine the dried spices in a bowl, add the onion, fresh thyme, salt, sugar cure #1 and saltpetre cure mixing well. Rub the tongue thoroughly with the mixture and place in a large ceramic dish in a bag or vacuum packed. Put in the bottom of the fridge 1-4 Deg Centigrade for 21 days, rubbing in the spice and turning the tongue once a day.
When ready, wash the tongue. Place in a deep pan of cold water, add all of the simmering stock ingredients. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 hours or until cooked and the small bones at the base can be easily pulled out. The tongue is ready when it feels tender when tested with a skewer.
While still warm, skin the tongue and trim the root to remove any gristle or bones. Fix it lengthwise on a board, skewering both ends. When cold, the skewers can be removed and the tongue will remain in shape, enabling it to be carved at right angles.

MY NOTE: I used the following method to press the tongue

Alternatively, the tongue can be pressed: Roll the tongue to fit into a cake tin, it should be a tight fit. Cover the tongue with a plate, stand a heavy weight on top. Leave in a cool place for 12 hours. Run a knife around the edge to free the tongue. Transfer to a serving plate, serve thinly sliced.

You may well ask how it came out. Well after tasting quite a bit of it, the wife and I decided we didn't like it. We gave it to a couple of people who could judge these things. They said they liked it. So it's up to you, if you want to give it a try.

[sausagemaker]

Hi Oddley

You & your good lady may not have liked it but it look good enough to me.
Stamped addressed envelope coming down for a sandwich by return.

Regards
sausagemaker

[Oddley]

The sandwich is in the post lol.

As I said I gave it to a couple of Irish friends and they said it was nice. Who am I to argue.

[Robert May]

Regarding the taste of the Cured OX Tongue; Oddley wrote

the wife and I decided we didn't like it

Looking back over time, it was never everyones' favourite. Hence the expression "getting a tongue sandwich", along with other gems such as "getting the cold shoulder", referring to roast or boiled lamb many days old served cold to unwanted house guests.

best wishes
RM

PS If you're going to experiment you should think about getting a dog, it worked for Bob

[Wilf]

It looks good to me, I've always liked tongue but you only seem to get pork lunch tongue in shops now, proper ox tongue is scarce and very expenxive, maybe I will give it a go as the Aberdeen Angus man at the farmers market always has one, but I will end up with too much for me to eat as no one else seems to like it! I'll let you know

[Oddley]

Hi wilf I know very little about chillies so I would value your advice. Firstly is it to late to plant from seed. Secondly could you advise me on a species to plant that has plenty of body loads of taste and about 6 out of 10 hot. I would be growing them inside on a window sill.

I would like to air dry any excess crop. Any hints tips advice welcome. I would of course buy the seeds from you.

[aris]

There are several places to buy seeds online.

I bough mine from here

http://www.chillifire.co.uk/

And depending on the variety - it is not too late.

[Wilf]

Hi Oddley, Its not too late but you need to get going NOW. Your idea of what to grow is what we are doing this year as too many of the smaller thin skinned varieties have no flavour at all. Good ones to start with bearing in mind they are not small plants but can be grown in 10 inch pots are, Jalapeno, Hungarian Wax types, Bulgarian Carrot, Anaheim, Serrano Del Sol, Santa Fe Grande, Nu Mex's, most of these are 2 inch plus long, thicker skinned with a flavour, Check out my diaries for some ideas as there are 4 years worth of pictures with varieties. I'm afraid due to regs I cannot sell seeds, also I have swapped a lot with various people wordwide and they cross pollinate very easily, so can't ensure true strain. Airdrying is very easy, just string them up hang out if weather is good and about 2 weeks depending on size and flesh thickness they should be done.

http://www.chillisgalore.co.uk/pages/growingtips.html

[Oddley]

Thanks for the info Wilf.

[chrisdubna]

proper ox tongue is scarce and very expenxive

Ox tongue here in France is very cheap and on the shelves of most supermarkets. It is not my favourite meat but a French friend cooks it very well indeed and when hot is delicious. Less appetizing when it is cold.

CHRIS

[Epicurohn]

The Italians make different tongue dishes including an antipasto of boiled tongue marinated in a vinagrette, sliced thin it's delicious. In Mexico they make grilled tongue tacos. I think I'm going to try Kutas' smoked tongue recipe. Anydoby tryied it?

David

[Epicurohn]

Hey Wilf I tried smoking the Habaneros (Scotch Bonnets), they came out delicious. Not as smoky as a Chipotle but the fire was significantly reduced and the keeping is significantly extended. I used the wood of a tropical fruit called Nance. I still can't as much of the Habanero taste as I would like. Any ideas?

David