Beef Tongue: How to Boil It, Peel It Cleanly and What to Make With It

01What comes in the box

Our tongue is Swiss cut: with the throat end removed. The larynx, glands and fatty root are cut off at the plant, so the kitchen doesn't need to trim it and you pay for meat, not waste. It arrives frozen, vacuum-packed, and is stored at −18 °C.

• Astra Foods

  Tongue weight

  1-1.5 kg

  Best for

  Slices for starters and sandwiches: a long piece with an even cross-section. The producer holds a halal certificate.

• Frigon

  Tongue weight

  600-800 g

  Best for

  Plated dishes, stews and breaded slices. Cooks faster.

A box weighs 20-22 kg; the minimum order is 10 kg.

02Getting it ready to boil

1. 01

   Step 1. Thaw in the fridge

   In the vacuum bag, on the bottom shelf at 0-4 °C. A 600-800 g tongue thaws in about 18-24 hours, a 1-1.5 kg one in 24-30 hours. Not in warm water: the outside goes soft before the middle thaws.

2. 02

   Step 2. Rinse

   Under cold water; scrape off any slime with the back of a knife. Nothing needs trimming.

3. 03

   Step 3. Soak if you like

   30-60 minutes in cold water. The stock will be clearer and there will be less scum.

03How long to boil

Start in cold water, bring to the boil and skim. Then keep a gentle simmer, 90-95 °C, lid ajar. A rolling boil makes the tongue rubbery and cracks the skin.

After skimming add aromatics: an onion in its skin, carrot, celery or parsley root, bay leaf, peppercorns. Salt lightly, 30-40 minutes before the end: the tongue will later go into sauces and onto slices with horseradish.

• 600-800 g

  Time

  2.5-3 h

  How to check

  A skewer goes into the tip without resistance

• 1-1.5 kg

  Time

  3-4 h

  How to check

  The skin at the tip starts to lift by itself

• Several in one pot

  Time

  By the heaviest + 20-30 min

  How to check

  Check each one separately

In a combi oven on steam at 95-100 °C the time is the same, but there's no water level to watch. Sous vide: typically 24-36 hours at 70-75 °C; the skin comes off the same way, after ice water.

04How to peel it

These are the five most important minutes. The sudden temperature change lifts the skin away from the meat.

1. 01

   Step 1. Straight into ice water

   With tongs from the stock into a container of ice and water for 2-3 minutes.

2. 02

   Step 2. Cut near the base

   Catch the skin and pull it towards the tip like a stocking.

3. 03

   Step 3. Back into the stock

   For cold dishes, cool the peeled tongue in the strained stock so it doesn't dry out.

For the slicer, press the tongue while still hot into a gastronorm pan under a light weight: you get an even block, and the end slices don't go to waste. Cool it quickly; don't leave it on the stove overnight.

05Slicing and yield

Thickness depends on the dish: 1.5-2 mm for a cold starter, 3-4 mm for a sandwich, 8-10 mm for breading, 2-3 cm cubes for braising. Slice it chilled to 2-4 °C.

The cooked yield is 60-65 % of the frozen weight. A 1.2 kg Astra tongue gives about 720-780 g, a 20-22 kg box about 12-14 kg. It's a guide: the exact yield depends on the batch and how cleanly the skin is removed.

To work out cost: divide the price per kilogram by 0.62, and that's the price of a kilogram of cooked meat. Then multiply by the portion weight: 80 g for a starter, 100 g for a sandwich, 120 g breaded, 150 g braised.

06Six dishes from one batch

Boil a batch, cool it, vacuum-pack it, and the cold kitchen, hot kitchen and bar have something to work with for several shifts.

• Cold starter: thin slices, horseradish with sour cream, pickled red onion.
• Tartine: sourdough toast, mustard, tongue, pickled gherkin.
• Warm sandwich: 3-4 mm slices warmed in a pan, sauerkraut, horseradish sauce.
• Breaded: 8-10 mm slices fried golden, with tartare sauce.
• Braised: cubes in a sour cream and mushroom or tomato sauce, 30-40 minutes on low heat.
• Smoked: hot-smoked, usually an hour to an hour and a half, for a charcuterie board.

07How to store cooked tongue

At 0-4 °C: in the stock, under film or vacuum-packed; vacuum keeps the moisture in longer. Shelf life follows your kitchen's own rules. Sliced tongue dries out fast, so slice for the shift.

Cooked, peeled tongue can be frozen in vacuum-packed portions. After thawing it goes into braises, breading and sandwiches. For thin slices, freshly boiled is better.

Swiss-cut beef tongue: today's price, weight, minimum order 10 kg.View in catalogue →

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