The Best cut of Beef

Nick had this silly idea to invite Will and Emily over for dinner last night and serve them something a little out of the ordinary, but not tell them what it was.  Until after they ate it, that is.  I myself was rather proud of what we decided to cook and wanted to tell, but I promised Nick I wouldn't.

Can you guess what it was?  I'll give you a hint…..*blows raspberry*

That's right, Tongue!

Now, I myself have never been partial to beef.  I was a chicken nugget Happy Meal kid.  And being raised on moose, how could I ever possibly like cow?  I mean, ewww.  But I am a sucker for trying new things.  After tasting the delicacy of yummy veal, I suggested to Nick we get a tongue sometime.  I know he likes it, and I was dying to try cooking it.  So while we were grocery shopping on Saturday, we asked the butcher for a beef tongue.

Prep for tongue?  A little complicated.  I can't believe I thought turkey was hard.  However, this dinner was completely successful.  I'll spare you the gruesome details, but suffice it to say, there is a whole layer you have to remove and it is extremely difficult.  Most people suggest boiling it first, but we didn't want to cook it at all.  We wanted to clean it and then roast it with onions and bratwurst.  We both agreed boiling it might toughen the meat.  Unlike other cuts, tongue has no fat.  So it needs a fat element added while cooking to give it moisture and flavor, hence the brats.

And with the aid of some coriander, fennel seed, rosemary and assorted peppercorn, I made a tasty beefy broth for everything to cook in.  Because our knives suck, and our knife skills are even worse, we ended up with stewing chunks instead of a whole roast.  No big deal, everything roasted together beautifully.  Two hours later, it was ready.  And with the left over broth, I made a fantastic gravy, which Nick and I agreed was probably the best dang gravy we have ever had in our lives!  If I could dehydrate it, put it in a package and sell it in stores, we would be rich and famous overnight.

Sadly, to Nick's dismay, Will and Emily hardly had any crazy reaction when we told them they were eating tongue.  They both had had it before, and enjoyed the way we had prepared (or at least they told us that, haha!)  But what have I got to say?  That was the best beef I have ever tasted in my life!!!!  It reminded me of moose actually because it was so lean and the texture was a little more spongy.  (Yes, I chewed up a piece and spat it out as well as blending it all up).  It soaked up the brat fat and became very moist and flavorful, just had to be the best dinner we have had.  And that includes veal!

I would highly recommend trying it for yourself sometime if you haven't already.  Just make sure you have a VERY sharp knife to work with when you are preparing it.