Calves’ Tongues

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5 to 6 quart (4.7 to 5.7 liter) heavy cocotte or Dutch oven
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Tongs
• •Sharp paring knife
• •Potato ricer or sturdy masher

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the tongues

   Rinse the tongues under cold water, scrub them well, and pat them completely dry. Trim away only loose pieces of throat tissue, leaving the thick skin in place. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy cocotte over medium-high heat. Brown the tongues for 8 to 10 minutes, turning with tongs until they take patchy, deep-golden colour. Their shape is awkward and the browning won't be perfectly even. It is exactly right. Transfer them to a plate.

2. 2

   Build the braise

   Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the same butter and cook for 8 minutes, stirring until the vegetables colour at their edges and loosen the fond from the pot. Add the garlic for the final minute. Return the tongues and pour in the stock, then enough water to bring the liquid about two-thirds of the way up their sides. Add the bouquet garni, peppercorns, cloves, and 2 teaspoons of the salt. This is the fresh, braised path of Langue de Bœuf (No. 1153), scaled for two smaller tongues rather than a brigade’s ox tongue.

3. 3

   Braise at a tremble

   Bring the liquid just to a simmer and skim away the first grey foam. Cover the cocotte, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and hold the liquid at the barest tremble for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, turning the tongues every 30 minutes. Begin testing at 1 hour 30 minutes: a slim knife should enter the thick end with very little resistance. If the liquid boils hard, lower the heat immediately and add a little hot water; continued gentle cooking will recover the tenderness. If the knife still meets rubbery resistance, the tongue isn't ruined, it simply needs more time.

4. 4

   Make the potato purée

   During the final 30 minutes of braising, put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover them with cold water, and add the remaining tablespoon of measured salt. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until a knife passes through without resistance, about 18 to 22 minutes. Drain thoroughly and return them to low heat for a minute to dry. Pass them through a ricer or mash them smooth, then fold in 4 tablespoons of butter followed by the warm cream. Season with white pepper and additional salt if needed. If the purée is stiff, loosen it with another spoonful of warm cream; if it is loose, stir it over low heat until it gathers softly on the spoon.

5. 5

   Peel while warm

   Lift one tongue from the cocotte and let it rest only until your hands can manage it, about 5 minutes. Make a shallow slit along the underside, catch the thick white skin with a clean towel, and pull it away in broad pieces. Trim the coarse root end and any remaining gristle, then repeat with the second tongue. If the skin clings, do not carve away good meat. Return that tongue to the braise for 15 minutes and try again. If it merely cooled too far, rewarm it in the liquid for 5 minutes. Ça se rattrape. Keep the peeled tongues covered with a little strained braising liquid while you make the sauce.

6. 6

   Build sauce piquante

   Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, skim off excess fat, and measure 2 cups. In a small saucepan, combine the shallot, wine, and vinegar; boil steadily until only about 3 tablespoons remain, then scrape the reduction into a bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same pan, stir in the flour, and cook the roux for 2 to 3 minutes, until it smells nutty and reaches the colour of a plain biscuit. Whisk in the measured braising liquid little by little, return the shallot reduction, and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce naps the back of a spoon. If it lumps, don't pour it out. Pass it through the sieve and return it to the heat. If too thick, add braising liquid by the spoonful; if thin, reduce it further. Off the heat, whisk in the final tablespoon of butter, then fold in the cornichons.

7. 7

   Slice and serve

   Cut the peeled tongues crosswise into ½-inch (1 cm) slices. Slide them into the sauce piquante and warm them over low heat for about 5 minutes without boiling, which keeps the meat tender and the butter in the sauce. Spoon the potato purée onto a warm platter, arrange the tongue generously over it, and cover the slices with sauce and cornichons. Finish with the parsley. For the formal cold version, use Langues de Bœuf Froides (No. 1158) as its own preparation; its brining and cooling are part of that dish, so don't imitate it by merely chilling tonight’s braise. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask the butcher for fresh, unsalted calves’ tongues with the skin intact. Sizes vary considerably, so buy by total weight rather than appearance; two tongues weighing roughly 2½ to 3 pounds together will feed four generously.
• •Fresh and salted tongue are different branches of Langue de Bœuf (No. 1153). Salted tongue has a firmer, cured character and is cooked plainly after soaking; don't slip one into this fresh braise without changing the method.
• •Use unsalted or low-sodium stock because the braising liquor becomes the sauce. A heavily salted carton may taste harmless at first and become punishing once reduced.
• •A young Beaujolais or another light, lively Gamay suits the tender meat and the vinegar-bright sauce. Heavy, tannic wine bullies calf’s tongue, and there is no prize for bringing the loudest bottle.

Advance Preparation

• •The tongues may be braised and peeled up to 2 days ahead. Cool them promptly in enough strained braising liquid to cover, refrigerate, then reheat gently in that liquid before slicing.
• •The sauce may be prepared 1 day ahead through the simmering stage. Reheat it gently, then add the final butter and cornichons just before serving.
• •If cold service is the intention, plan Langues de Bœuf Froides (No. 1158) as a separate preparation with its full brining and cooling schedule. That method requires advance planning and should not be compressed into this same-evening dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 640g)