Tongue

Name: Tongue, usually beef (also lamb, veal and pork) — a muscular, tender and rich organ, with a thick outer skin that is removed after cooking. It is simmered until very tender, and served sliced hot or cold, in sandwiches, tacos (lengua) and pickled.

Description

Beef tongue has been eaten for centuries, and is popular in Jewish delicatessens, as pickled tongue, in Mexican tacos de lengua, Japanese gyutan (grilled slices, a speciality of Sendai), French langue de boeuf with sauce piquante, and Eastern European dishes. A large beef tongue weighs 1.5 to 2 kg, and feeds many people.

Despite its unusual appearance, it is a mild, tender meat that tastes like pot roast or brisket. It is a tough muscle, so needs long, slow simmering for 2.5 to 4 hours, and the rough skin peels off easily while still warm.

Main nutrition value

Offal is dense in nutrients, including vitamin B12, iron, zinc and other minerals and B vitamins, and much cheaper than muscle meat. Beef tongue is a good source of protein, vitamin B12, zinc and iron, but is also quite high in fat, including saturated fat.

How best to be consumed

Tongue is simmered until tender, peeled and sliced.

1. Simmer gently in water with onion, bay, peppercorns and carrot for 2.5 to 4 hours, until a knife slides in easily.
2. Peel the thick skin while still warm, and trim away fat and gristle at the root.
3. Slice thinly for sandwiches, tacos, salads, or serve hot with a sauce, such as horseradish or caper.
4. Chill and slice thinly for cold cuts, or fry the slices crisp in butter.
5. Use the cooking broth for soups.

Overconsumption could cause…

Tongue is healthy in moderation.

1. Raised LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk from the saturated fat in fattier cuts, skin and processed products, so choose lean cuts and trim visible fat.
2. Higher risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer with regular high intake of red meat, which the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies as probably carcinogenic, so many health bodies advise keeping red meat to about 350 to 500 g (cooked weight) a week.
3. Dietary cholesterol, which is higher in organ meats, although current evidence suggests it affects blood cholesterol less than saturated fat does for most people.
4. Gout flare-ups in people with gout, since meat and especially organ meats are high in purines.
5. High salt (sodium), which can raise blood pressure over time, particularly in cured, canned and processed products. This applies to pickled and cured tongue.

GroupsOrgan MeatsMammals (red meat)High proteinHigh saturated fatLow sodiumRich in vitamin B12Fresh

Related foodsLamb LiverBeef LiverPork LiverBeef HeartSweetbreadsBeef Kidney

Wikipedia — Beef tongue, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef_tongue