An interesting sweet and sour sauce made with juniper berries and raisins gives incredible flavor to beef or veal tongue for Hanukkah or any meal.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 large fresh veal or lamb tongues
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon Italian olive oil
- 1/2 cup each minced shallot, green bell pepper, and carrot
- 1 tablespoon Spice Mix (see below)
- 1 cup kosher fruity white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup unsalted tomato juice
- 1/2 lemon, pitted and cut into thin slices
- 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon crushed juniper berries
- 6 sprigs parsley, 1 small bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme wrapped in doubled piece of washed cotton cheesecloth an
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup dark seedless raisins
- 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- Spice Mix:
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon each allspice, cinnamon and cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon each dry mustard and salt
- 1 tablespoon each dried rosemary and oregano leaves, well crushed
- 1 tablespoon mild curry powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash tongues. Place in a large enameled Dutch oven. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Add bay leaf and boil for 3 minutes. Remove tongues and rinse under cold running water. Discard contents of pot; wash out and dry.
Heat oil over moderate heat in the pot. Add minced ingredients; sprinkle with Spice Mix (see below). Saute without browning until mixture begins to soften (about 4 minutes). Stir in wine and stock; bring to a boil. Then add tomato juice, lemon, sugar, juniper berries and parsley bundle. Cook until mixture boils. Immerse tongues in sauce, turning several times to coat. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Baste and turn tongues.
Position oven rack to lower third of oven. Place Dutch oven on rack and bake for 1 hour. Turn and baste tongues. Re-cover and bake for 45 minutes longer, or until tender when tip of knife inserts easily into meat. Uncover and let cool for 10 minutes.
Skin tongues and cut away gristle and fatty section. Pour sauce into a fine sieve, pressing juices into a saucepan. Place saucepan over medium heat with salt and raisins. Slow-boil for 5 minutes.
Put cornmeal into a cup. Gradually stir in 1/4 cup of the hot sauce. When mixture is smooth, pour it back into the saucepan and stir continually until sauce thickens.
Cut tongue into 1/4-inch slices and immerse in sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes before serving. Portion out on warmed individual plates sprinkled with parsley.
Serving Suggestion: Arrange sliced tongue over a bed of just-cooked buckwheat farfel, noodles or rice.
Yield: 6 servings as a first course; 4 servings as a main course
Spice Mix: Combine ginger, onion powder, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, dry mustard, salt, rosemary, oregano, curry powder, and cayenne pepper in small bowl. Spoon into covered container and shake several times. Store in a cool, dry place. Turn container upside down several times before using.
Yield: Scant 1/2 cup; recipe may be doubled
Source: Francine Prince's New Jewish Cuisine (Perigee Books)
Reprinted with permission.
Heat oil over moderate heat in the pot. Add minced ingredients; sprinkle with Spice Mix (see below). Saute without browning until mixture begins to soften (about 4 minutes). Stir in wine and stock; bring to a boil. Then add tomato juice, lemon, sugar, juniper berries and parsley bundle. Cook until mixture boils. Immerse tongues in sauce, turning several times to coat. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Baste and turn tongues.
Position oven rack to lower third of oven. Place Dutch oven on rack and bake for 1 hour. Turn and baste tongues. Re-cover and bake for 45 minutes longer, or until tender when tip of knife inserts easily into meat. Uncover and let cool for 10 minutes.
Skin tongues and cut away gristle and fatty section. Pour sauce into a fine sieve, pressing juices into a saucepan. Place saucepan over medium heat with salt and raisins. Slow-boil for 5 minutes.
Put cornmeal into a cup. Gradually stir in 1/4 cup of the hot sauce. When mixture is smooth, pour it back into the saucepan and stir continually until sauce thickens.
Cut tongue into 1/4-inch slices and immerse in sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes before serving. Portion out on warmed individual plates sprinkled with parsley.
Serving Suggestion: Arrange sliced tongue over a bed of just-cooked buckwheat farfel, noodles or rice.
Yield: 6 servings as a first course; 4 servings as a main course
Spice Mix: Combine ginger, onion powder, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, dry mustard, salt, rosemary, oregano, curry powder, and cayenne pepper in small bowl. Spoon into covered container and shake several times. Store in a cool, dry place. Turn container upside down several times before using.
Yield: Scant 1/2 cup; recipe may be doubled
Source: Francine Prince's New Jewish Cuisine (Perigee Books)
Reprinted with permission.
