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Braised Beef Tongue with Herb Butter

Slow-braised beef tongue that melts in your mouth, sliced and pan-seared with garlic herb butter. An underrated cut that rivals the best steaks.

Braised Beef Tongue with Herb Butter
Prep
15 mins
Cook
3 hours
Servings
6
Difficulty
medium

Instructions

Instructions

  1. Rinse the tongue. Rinse the beef tongue under cold water. Place it in a large dutch oven or stock pot.

  2. Braise. Add water, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 2.5–3 hours until the tongue is fork-tender and the skin peels away easily.

  3. Peel. Remove the tongue from the liquid and let it cool just enough to handle — about 5 minutes. Peel off the outer skin while still warm (it comes off much easier when hot). Trim any gristle from the base.

  4. Slice. Cut the peeled tongue into slices about 1cm (½ inch) thick.

  5. Make herb butter. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

  6. Sear the slices. Place tongue slices in the garlic butter and sear for 2 minutes per side until golden brown and slightly crispy on the edges.

  7. Finish. Squeeze lemon juice over the slices, scatter with fresh parsley, and season with salt and pepper.

Tips

  • Don’t skip the sear. The braise makes it tender, but the sear gives it texture and flavour.
  • Save the broth. The braising liquid is rich in collagen — strain and use it as a base for soups or sip it straight.
  • Leftovers. Sliced tongue keeps well in the fridge for 3–4 days. Reheat by pan-searing in butter.
  • First time? The peeling step looks unusual, but the meat underneath is beautifully smooth and rich. Trust the process.

Nutrition Notes

Beef tongue is one of the fattiest cuts of beef, naturally high in zinc and vitamin B12. The fat is largely monounsaturated — the same type found in olive oil. At about 16g protein and 17g fat per 100g, it’s an excellent keto-friendly protein source that doesn’t need any added fat to hit your macros.