Name: Corned Beef or Veal Tongue
Yield: Serves at least 6
Ingredients: 1 egg, in its shell (to test the brine); 1 fresh (or frozen and thawed) beef tongue (3 to 4 pounds), well trimmed, or 3 or 4 calves’ tongues (about ¾ pound each), trimmed; 2 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole; 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, bruised; Water as needed; ½ teaspoon whole allspice berries, bruised; ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns, bruised; 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, bruised; 2 bay leaves, crumbled; Coarse (kosher) salt as needed; ½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

Preparation info

Serves at least
6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Better Than Store-Bought

By Helen Witty and Elizabeth Schneider

Published 1979

About

Tongue takes particularly well to spicing, but if you prefer a plain cure, omit the spices from the brine. If calves’ tongues are available, be sure to try them; they are very lean and delicate-flavored. Home-cured tongue does not have the excessive saltiness or the deep-rose hue of commercially brined tongues, which are cured with saltpeter.