Ox Tongue (slow Cooked) Recipe

Clean and trim

Rinse the ox tongue well under cold water. Using a sharp knife, trim away excess fat and any thick connective tissue from the root end, but leave the skin intact. Pat dry with paper towels.

Season the tongue lightly all over with half of the salt (about 10 g) and a few grinds of black pepper.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbs neutral oil (not listed above — use from pantry). Sear the tongue on all sides until deep golden, 4–6 minutes total. Remove and set aside.

In the same pot, add the quartered onion, halved carrot and celery; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes until it darkens slightly.

Return the seared tongue to the pot. Add the beef stock, red wine and water so the liquid comes about three-quarters up the tongue. Add the remaining salt, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, whole cloves, garlic, thyme sprigs and parsley stems.

Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer on the stovetop. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to a preheated oven at 150°C (300°F) or reduce to the lowest simmer on the stovetop. Cook slowly until the tongue is very tender and a skewer or small knife slides in easily, about 4–5 hours depending on size.

Check after 2.5–3 hours and top up liquid with hot water if necessary so the tongue remains mostly submerged.

When tender, remove the pot from the oven and transfer the tongue to a cutting board. Reserve the braising liquid. Let the tongue rest 20–30 minutes until cool enough to handle but still warm.

Using a small sharp knife, make a shallow incision in the skin and peel it away; the outer skin should come off easily. Trim off the root end and any remaining tough bits.

Strain the braising liquid through a fine sieve into a saucepan, pressing on solids to extract flavor. Skim excess fat from the surface or refrigerate briefly and remove congealed fat.

Slice the tongue crosswise into 5 mm–1 cm thick slices. Warm the slices gently in the strained braising liquid for 5–8 minutes to reheat and infuse flavor.

Finish with butter and chopped parsley: add butter to the warm braising jus and whisk until glossy, then spoon a little over the warm slices. Adjust seasoning with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve with lemon wedges if desired.

Cooked tongue keeps refrigerated up to 4 days or freezes up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the braising liquid to avoid drying. Serve sliced with boiled potatoes, mashed root vegetables, pickles, or thinly sliced on rye bread with mustard.