Alright, let’s talk about tackling beef tongue in the slow cooker. It sounds a bit weird to some folks, I know, but trust me on this one. It’s easier than you think and pretty darn good.
First off, I had to actually get the beef tongue. Went down to my usual butcher. You gotta ask sometimes, it’s not always sitting out. Looked kinda strange, raw, sitting there on the counter. Big ol’ muscle. But hey, I was committed.
Got it home. The first real step was giving it a good wash. Just cold water, scrubbed it down a bit. Some people trim stuff off, but honestly, I didn’t bother too much this time around. Figured the slow cooker would handle most of the work.
Getting it in the Pot
So, I grabbed my trusty slow cooker. Plonked the whole tongue right in there. Didn’t fuss about fitting it perfectly. Then, it was all about adding flavor. I just threw in what I had lying around:
- A couple of roughly chopped onions. Didn’t even peel them perfectly.
- Some smashed garlic cloves. Like, maybe 4 or 5? Didn’t count.
- A few bay leaves.
- A sprinkle of peppercorns.
- Enough water or beef broth to mostly cover the tongue. I used a mix of both.
- A good pinch of salt.
That was basically it. No fancy marinades or anything. Put the lid on, set it to low. And then, the waiting game began.
The Long Cook
This isn’t a quick meal. I let that thing go for a solid 8 hours on low. Could probably do 6 on high, maybe? But low and slow is the way to go for tongue, makes it really tender. The whole house started smelling pretty savory after a few hours. You just gotta be patient.
After the time was up, I carefully lifted the tongue out. Used tongs, it was super hot and looked… well, cooked. Steaming. The key test is poking it with a fork. If it goes in easy, like butter, it’s done. Mine was perfect.
Peeling and Prepping
Okay, here’s the part that freaks some people out: peeling it. You gotta let it cool down just enough so you can handle it, but still warm. If it gets too cold, the skin is harder to get off. I made a slit down the top layer of skin with a knife and then, honestly, it peeled off pretty easily. Came off in big pieces mostly. It’s a thick, rough skin, you definitely don’t want to eat that. Underneath, the meat looked really good.
Once it was peeled, I let it cool a bit more. Then I sliced it up. Some people dice it for tacos, which is awesome. I sliced mine fairly thin this time, kinda like for sandwiches or just to eat straight up. Discarded any gristly bits at the very back, near the base.
The Result
And that was pretty much it. Tender, flavorful beef tongue. Seriously, it’s got a great texture when cooked this way. Not tough or chewy at all. We had some on crackers, put some in tacos the next day. Super versatile. Don’t let the look of the raw thing put you off, cooking it low and slow makes it delicious. Definitely doing this again.
