Susan Jung’s recipe for seared lamb tongue and fennel salad
If you’ve never tried tongue before, here’s a recipe you should start with. Tender, smooth and mild, this organ meat is delicious if prepared correctly
Prepared correctly, tongue is a delicious meat: it’s tender, smooth and mild. Many people recoil at the thought of eating tongue, though, probably because it’s organ meat.
Like other organ meats, tongue takes a bit of effort; after boiling it, you need to strip off the skin (it comes off easily when the meat is hot), then remove the bones. (Sometimes, the tongue will be fully cleaned, with the inedible parts trimmed off.)
This recipe was inspired by a dish I tasted at The Chairman, in Central. It’s worth buying a few extra lamb tongues (they’re small) and cooking them at the same time; the leftover meat is delicious when thinly sliced then used in sandwiches with rye bread and grainy mustard.
Seared lamb tongue and fennel salad with spicy and numbing dressing
You can buy lamb tongues at shops selling halal and kosher meats, and from some butcher shops; you may need to order it in advance. Pork tongue is good, too, although it’s bigger and the flavour is stronger.
I like the round, warm taste of aged balsamic vinegar – it’s not as sharp as some Chinese vinegars. You don’t have to use the super-expensive versions that come in small bottles, but avoid the cheap, acidic, watery stuff. Aged balsamic vinegar has a nice, balanced, intense flavour, and although it’s more expensive than the low-quality versions, a little goes a long way.
