Delicious Homemade Corned Beef Tongue

If you’re looking to venture beyond the traditional cuts of meat, you should try this corned beef tongue recipe which was sent to us by our lovely reader, Laurie B.

I have never made corned beef tongue before but it turned out perfectly and the flavor is indeed out of this world. The concoction of aromatic spices and seasonings (peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander, ginger, cloves, and red pepper flakes) used in this recipe creates an unique flavor that is like no other.

This recipe is only suitable for those who are able to handle a bit of seasonings. If you need to be on a strict carnivore diet for whatever reasons, please don’t try.

Like other animal-sourced food, beef tongue is very nutritious. It is high in protein and a good source of iron, zinc, choline and vitamin B12 as well as other essential nutrients in smaller quantities.

If you can’t get beef tongue, lamb tongue or pork tongue are great alternatives.

Ingredients

1 beef tongue – leave skin on
1 gallon water -adjust water to whatever amount you will need to sufficiently cover tongue in the chosen brining container
3/4 cup salt
1 tbs honey
2 tsp pink curing salts (Optional – this salt is only to keep the meat looking pink and has nothing to do with preserving)
1 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp whole mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon or 1/2 of a cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves.

Instructions

Step 1

Minus the tongue, mix the water and everything else together. Simmer for about 5 minutes in order to release the spice flavors more.
Let the brine cool down to lukewarm temperature.
Wash tongue thoroughly.
Pour the brine into a large container and add the beef tongue. Weigh down with a plate or heavy object to keep the tongue submerged. Alternatively, you can place the tongue into a large storage bag and remove all of the air.

Note: I used lamb tongues instead of beef tongues to try out this recipe. Because lamb tongues are a lot smaller than beef tongues, I only brined them for 8 days.

Step 2

Brine in the refrigerator for 10-14 days, depending on tongue size.

Step 3

Remove the tongue from brine and use any of these methods to cook:

Boil in a large pot of water 2-3 hours
Place in instant pot with pressure setting on high for 15 minutes per pound, use slow release method to open
Use stove top pressure cooker with high pressure weight and cook for 50 minutes, using slow/natural pressure release method to open

Transfer the tongue to a plate. Let it cool down sufficiently before peeling the skin off to avoid burning your fingers. Slice thinly.

Due to its rich and robust flavor, you may not want to eat too much of the corned beef tongue all at once. Laurie recommends portioning out the tongue slices and storing any leftovers in the freezer for later. When you want to eat it again, grab a portion from the freezer and sear the thawed slices in tallow or butter to reheat.

(I made a mistake here and did not peel the skin off before slicing and created extra work for myself!)

Thank you very much, Laurie, for sending us this recipe, as you said, the flavor is truly out of this world!