To Pickle and Dress a Tongue to Eat Cold is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic method of brining beef tongue prior to draining, covering in a flour paste, baking, allowing to cool and serving chilled. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: To Pickle and Dress a Tongue to Eat Cold.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
TO PICKLE AND DRESS A TONGUE TO EAT COLD.
676. INGREDIENTS.—6 oz. of salt, 2 oz. of bay-salt, 1 oz. of saltpetre, 3 oz. of coarse sugar; cloves, mace, and allspice to taste; butter, common crust of flour and water.
Mode.—Lay the tongue for a fortnight in the above pickle, turn it every day, and be particular that the spices are well pounded; put it into a small pan just large enough to hold it, place some pieces of butter on it, and cover with a common crust. Bake in a slow oven until so tender that a straw would penetrate it; take off the skin, fasten it down to a piece of board by running a fork through the root and another through the tip, at the same time straightening it and putting it into shape. When cold, glaze it, put a paper ruche round the root, which is generally very unsightly, and garnish with tufts of parsley.
Time.—From 3 or 4 hours in a slow oven, according to size.
Average cost, for a medium-sized uncured tongue, 2s. 6d.
Seasonable at any time.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 beef tongue
180g salt
60g sea salt
30g saltpetre
90g coarse sugar
ground cloves, ground mace and ground allspice, to taste
butter
flour and water paste
Method:
Combine the salt, sea salt, saltpetre and sugar in a bowl. Rub this into the tongue then sit in a non-reactive dish, scatter any remaining brine over them cover with clingfilm and refrigerate. Keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, turning every day and rubbing with any of the excess brine.
After this time, drain and wash the tongue. Dry thoroughly then make some flour and water paste. Dot the tongue with butter, wrap in the paste and place in a baking dish. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 160°C and cook slowly for about 4 hours, or until completely tender.
When done, remove from the oven, take off the curst and remove the skin. Now attach it to a board by sticking forks through the root and the tip (this keeps the tongue straight as it cools). When cold, glaze the tongue and either trim the root or decorate with a paper rouche. Garnish with parsley and serve.
