The Odd Bits
Once the food of royals, offal and the odd bits are delicacies in some cultures — yet strange and unusual to many.
The sharpness of the lemon and Dijon dressing cuts the richness of the beef tongue and is well suited to many other rich off al dishes. The addition of capers, tarragon and mustard resembles a sauce gribiche, a traditional French mayonaise-style sauce made with cooked eggs, pickles and capers that can be used to elevate just about anything from asparagus and potatoes, to tripe and cold meats.
About this recipe
Brine
4 litres of water
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup of pickling spice (homemade or store bought)
Bring all of the ingredients to a boil, then let chill. Cover the beef tongue in the brine and leave in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Remove the tongue from the brine and let dry on a rack in your fridge overnight. Hot smoke beef tongue until it reaches an interna temperature of 190F. If you don't have a smoker, you can boil the tongue in a pot of water with vegetables until tender — approximately 4 hours.
When tongue is cool enough to handle, but still warm, peel the outer skin. Let the tongue cool in the fridge, then slice thin for sandwiches or slice thick and pan-fry to serve warm with a beet salad.
Beet Salad
8 beets, cooked and quartered
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon capers
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped
salt to taste
To make the dressing, add lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic and tarragon into a medium-sized mixing bowl and slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsifi ed. Gently mix the beets in with the dress ing and add capers. Serve with sliced tongue.
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