Tongue Two Ways

There are people who consider tongue freaky, but it’s been part of South Africa’s culinary history(mostly cooked and pickled) for centuries. I find it strange that people eat chicken livers, but won’ttouch beef tongue. Many think that it’s an organ (it’s not - besides, there’s nothing wrong with organs), it’s a muscle. Perhaps it’s because tongue is so visceral – connected with everything from talking to kissing – that makes eating it uncomfortable and a bit weird. Rich and textured, tongue is best poached, before it’s peeled. From there, it can be prepared in a number of ways: chopped into a base for a spicy tomato sauce or cut into steaks, cooked on a fire. Either way, because tongue is fatty and deep in flavour, it needs an acid contrast (mustard, onions and sultanas) or to be accentuated with something earthy and sweet (like beetroot). The best recipes have traces of both.