Beef Tongue
Beef tongue is an integral part of any Jewish holiday meal. Just like p'tcha (see recipe), this tradition comes from the good old times in poor Jewish towns (shtetls) of Eastern Europe, where people learned to prepare gourmet dishes from the cheapest ingredients available. This particular recipe originated in Argentina or Uruguay, there it is called Lengua a la Vinagreta. The tongue is cooked, sliced and kept in a marinade for several days and then served cold.
2 units of beef tongue
1 carrot
1 white onion
2-3 sticks celery
1 tsp. allspice
salt
pepper
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Marinade:
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped parsley
5 garlic cloves
2 eggs
1 tsp. sugar
salt
pepper
Preparation time: 2 hrs. 15 mins - 4 hrs. 45 mins
Difficulty level: Easy
Servings: 10
Special equipment: Pressure cooker (optional)
Ingredients
Preparation
Wash the tongue and put in the pressure cooker (or a pot).
Add the carrot sliced thickly and the rest of ingredients whole.
Put enough water to cover, cook covered for 1 1/2 hrs. in a pressure cooker or 3-4 hrs. in a pot until the tongue is ready but not too soft.
Remove from the pot and peel the skin while the tongue is still hot. Let it cool down and slice with a sharp knife into very thin slices. Arrange the slices in a plastic box with an air-tight lid.
Prepare the marinade:
Boil the eggs until hard.
Chop the garlic and the parsley
Mix all the marinade ingredients except the eggs and pour over the tongue. Add boiling water until the tongue is almost covered. Grate the eggs on top. Let cool, cover with a lid and put in the fridge for 3-5 days. Once a day turn the box over so the marinade gets to all parts. Serve cold.
