Help, as always I'm in a flap...I seem to have missed placed my Mum's recipe for cold pressed

joanie

Well-known member
Tongue. She arrived here for a four month visit and didn't bring her recipe book (she is 80 so we'll excuse her) but she always does the pressed tongue for New Year...she pops it into a brine with salt petre...that brine recipe is what I am seeking.

Greatful for any recipes I can give her to suss out and hopefully and use.

TIA

 
tongue

Cold Pressed Ox Tongue
2-3kg (4-6lb) Salted Ox Tongue
2 Carrots, halved
2 Onions, halved
1 Celery Stick, cut into chunks
1 Bouquet Garni
8-10 Peppercorns

Soak the ox tongue in cold water for 24 hours, changing the water occasional, wash and drain.
Place the tongue into a large saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil, skim the surface as needed.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Cover and simmer gently for 4 hours, or until cooked and the small bones at the base can be easily pulled out.
Remove from the heat and allow the tongue to cool in the liquid.
When the liquid is cold, remove the tongue, drain and transfer to a board.
Remove the skin, trim the root to remove any gristle or bones.
Roll the tongue to fit into a 20cm (8 inch) 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.

 
Joanie, it sounds like she wants to corn the tongue before cooking it (more)

My mother used to cook tongue and I remember she could get either fresh or pickled tongue. I suspect your Grandmother corns the tongue and then presses it- I hope that is correct. If so, here is a corning recipe- I don't know how much salt petre to add but I bet she will remember:

To corn 5-6 lbs beef: Combine and stir well in a crock- 8 cups water, 1 cup salt, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 bay leaf, 6 peppercorns, 1 clove garlic minced, 2 tsp mixed pickling spices. Add the beef. Cover with a plate and place a heavy weight on it. Leave the meat in the brine for 36 hours.

 
thanks both of you...she really wants to use the salt petre but both these sound good...

I'm leaving the final choice to her.
At 80 I think she is quite amazing, she just flew here from SA, took 3 days, 2 overnight flights and she is rearing to get stuck into cooking!
I'm exhausted just being around her, LOL!

 
Joanie, if corning (and adding salt petre to the liquid) is not what she is after (more)

let me know and I will do more research for you- I have a lot of old cookbooks. I couldn't fine a method for brining tongue with salt petre on my first look through but if I know what other ingredients she uses maybe I can find another recipe.

 
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