Beef Tongue Tartin

The discovery of an underrated protein.

First let me say this. Never in one million years did I think I'd be excited about eating beef tongue. Yes, I'm an adventurous eater. No, I'm not Andrew Zimmern seeking out the cornea of an alligator that has been stuffed with chicken testicles. I get it. Beef tongue sounds strange. But when at a restaurant that serves it, with the wait staff that can't stop talking about it, you just have to. It's like Nike. Just do it. So we did. It was delicious and in no way offensive.

My friend, Scarlett, and I went up to Chicago in January literally just for food. She's a foodie. I'm a foodie. It just made sense. We went to The Publican which was on Eater's 38 Essential List and had some of the best food of the trip. There I was introduced to beef tongue. I typically try to order dishes that I cannot recreate at home or ones that I am intimidated by. Scarlett and I were deciding between two appetizer options, and I realized beef tongue is a mystery to me. Decision made. Beef tongue was ordered and the next thing I know I'm raving about tongue!

I was so inspired; I attempted and succeeded to recreate this recipe at home. Below, you will find a combination of recipes that I utilized in recreating this at home. I was so prou of the way this one turned out. Channel your inner Andrew Zimmern and give it a try! #worthit

BEEF TONGUE TARTIN

Ingredients

For tongue

• 1 (3Lb.) fresh beef tongue

• 1 Large onion, sliced

• 6 Garlic cloves, smashed

• 1 Bay leaf

• 1 Whole star anise

• 1/2 Tsp. black peppercorns

• 2 Tbsp. salt

• 1 Loaf rustic quality rye bread sliced 1/2 inch thick with either butter or oil to create toast

For Sauce

• 1/2 Cup chopped shallot (1 large)

• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

• 1.5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

• 1/4 Cup heavy cream

• 2 Tbsp. whole grain mustard

• 1 Tbsp. bottled horseradish

• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley

• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

• 1/2 Tsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 Cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (aged, preferably)

For Garnish

• 1/2 Cup toasted and roughly chopped walnuts

• 1/4 Cup pomegranate arils

• 1/2 Cup finely shredded cabbage

Preparation

Cook tongue:

Rinse tongue well with cold water and place in a deep 6-8 qurt pot. Add cold water to cover by 3 inches, then add remaining tongue ingredients. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Simmer, partially covered, until tongue is fork-tender (2.5-3 Hours). This can be done 6-12 hours beforehand.

Transfer tongue to a cutting board (reserve 1.5 cups cooking liquid) and peel off skin and trim any fat or gristle. Skim off fat from cooking liquid and our liquid through a paper towel lined sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids. Cut tongue into 1/2 inch cubes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare Sauce and Toast Slices:

Line baking sheet with alumnium foil and lay bread down on baking sheet. Lightly smear with butter or drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 5-7 minutes (until desired crunch reached) per side. While the bread is in the over, begin the sauce. If the timing becomes an issue at this point, you can always turn off oven to keep bread warm and it will still keep its toast.

Cook Shallot in butter in a 2 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring frequencly, until softened. Whisk in flour and cook, whicking, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in reserved cooking liquid, cream, and cheddar cheese. Continuing to whisk, bring mixture to a soft boil to thicken.

Whisk in mustard, horseradish, herbs, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Compose Tartin:

Place all toasts on platter and drizzle sauce over them. Layer thinly sliced cabbage with the tongue pieces on toast. Next, sprinkle both the pomegranate arils and walnuts over toast points. If any remaining ingredients left over, use your judgement to make it look like a beautiful open face sandwhich.

Cheers!