Beef Tongue has a rich beefy flavour and smooth texture. The traditional approach to this popular Japanese dish is to thinly slice the beef and keep the seasonings simple. Serve with a crunchy slaw and robust Tare sauce for a unique menu item that comes together quickly during service.
Ingredients
Here are the following ingredients:
Beef Tongue
- 3 Beef Tongues, about 3.5 lb (1.75 kg) each
Tare Sauce
- 1 cup (250 mL) mirin
- ⅔ cup (150 mL) mushroom stock
- ⅔ cup (150 mL) sake
- ½ cup (125 mL) dark soy sauce
- ½ cup (125 mL) soy sauce
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) white miso paste
- 4 tsp (20 mL) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60 mL) finely chopped green onion
Napa Cabbage Slaw
- 1 lb (500 g) thinly sliced napa cabbage, about 8 cups (2 L)
- 6 oz (175 g) shredded carrot, about 2 cups (500 mL)
- ⅓ cup (75 mL) rice wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup (75 mL) sesame oil
- ⅓ cup (75 mL) canola oil
- 3 tbsp (45 mL) honey
- 1 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt
- ½ tsp (2 mL) ground white pepper
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) toasted sesame seeds
Service
- Kosher salt
- Ground white pepper
- 3 tbsp (45 mL) canola oil
- 1 cup (250 mL) thinly sliced green onion
- 16 lemon wedges
Preparation
- Freeze beef tongue until well-chilled and very firm but not frozen. Remove outer skin and portion into four sections: Back (where tongue was cut from the neck; tender), Middle (thickest section; most tender area), Tip (front of the tongue; chewy), and Bottom (fatty piece running across the underside; chewy).
- Trim and discard excess pieces of fat and blood vessels. Reserve the tip section and bottom section for another use.
- Thinly slice the back and middle sections of tongue into ¼-inch (5 mm) thick slices. Return to freezer to chill as needed as tongue is easier to slice when cold and firm.
- Tare Sauce: Add mirin, mushroom stock, sake, dark soy, soy, white miso paste and brown sugar to saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 2 cups (500 mL). Remove from heat; stir in green onion.
- Napa Cabbage Slaw: Toss cabbage and carrots together. Cover and refrigerate. Whisk rice wine vinegar with sesame oil, canola oil, honey, salt and pepper. Stir in sesame seeds. Cover and refrigerate. Just before service, toss slaw mixture with dressing.
Service
- Season 5 oz (150 g) sliced tongue with salt and pepper. Brush with 1 tbsp (5 mL) canola oil.
- Cook on a very hot grill for 1 minute per side or just until grill-marked and nicely charred around the edges.
- Meanwhile, toss ½ cup (125 mL) slaw with 1 tbsp (15 mL) vinaigrette.
- Plate grilled tongue with Napa Cabbage Slaw and 2 tbsp (30 mL) Tare Sauce. Garnish with 1 tbsp (15 mL) green onion. Serve with lemon wedge.
Chef's Tip
Reduce prep time by ordering cleaned and thinly sliced beef tongue from a supplier.
If cleaning and butchering tongue in-house, reserve the trim pieces (tip and bottom sections) to use in braised dishes such as soups, stews, ragùs and sauces. Trim can also be used to make ground meat mixtures. Slicing the beef thinly and cooking over a very hot grill are essential to achieving a tender mouth feel. This dish can also be served family-style alongside other Japanese barbecue dishes or as an entrée with rice, pickled cucumbers and soup.
Beef Cuts
