Smoked Beef Tongue with Mashed Sweet Potato and Creamy Beetroot
Smoked Beef Tongue
Tongue is a delicacy, found in many national cuisines and costs more than brisket. It can be boiled, roasted or braised in sauce. I make this dish from smoked beef tongue. I have to pre order it from my butcher when we want to eat this delicious food. Whole smoked beef tongues are not generally sold in the Netherlands. However, it’s sold in processed food.
The smoke gives an extra flavor. I add some garlic cloves to the cooking water and a bit of salt. That’s it. I let the taste of the tongue unfold in this recipe. I give extra tastes in the side dishes. They are matching very well with the smoked tongue. I suggest cooking the tongue in Instant Pot or other type of pressure cooker. Cooking time is much shorter than to cook in a pot on the stove. The specified cooking time applies to the Instant Pot in my recipe. This is important, because the machines of all brands are a bit different.
It’s easy to peel the tongue after cooking. Never try to peel it before cooking, because that will not succeed. Wait a bit before you start to peel, otherwise you risk burning your hands.
Tip!
Peel the tongue after cooking, never before!
Beef Tongue is Healthy
Beef tongue is a very healthy organ. It is a moderate source of calories what comes from the meat’s protein and fat. All that protein is the source of all the amino acids you need to build lean muscle. Beef tongue contains some essential nutrients, several minerals. Zinc is one of the most important. It’s an essential mineral, important for cell growth. Zinc especially crucial for immune system also.
Beef tongue is a good source of vitamins. It is especially rich in vitamin B-12. This vitamin keeps your blood cells healthy. B-12 promotes good nerve and brain function, too. Beef tongue has remarkable amounts of vitamins B-2, B-3 and B-6 as well.
Design Colorful Plates
I like to make and serve colorful plates. I use the color of sweet potato, red beetroot, yellow parmesan and green spinach on this plate. Colors bring light and happiness to our lives. Kids also prefer to eat colorful foods. This is not difficult. Feel free to use the colors of the vegetables and fruits. Great color combinations can be made. It’s great pleasure to see smiley faces around the table when I serve colorful dishes.
Smoked Beef Tongue with Mashed Sweet Potato and Creamy Beetroot
Ingredients
- 1 beef tongue about 1 – 1,1 kg
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 kg sweet potato peel and cut cubes
- 2 tbsp ghee or grass-fed butter
- ¾ tsp nutmeg ground
- 300 gram beetroot fresh or cooked
- 50 ml almond cream
- 2 ½ tsp wasabi or horse radish cream
- 90 gram Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 1 tsp spinach powder
- 1 tbsp water
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place beef tongue into Instant Pot. Cover with water and add 1 tsp salt. Use the high-pressure mode, on “Manual” for 35 minutes. (Cooking time depends on the size of the beef tongue.) Then switch off and allow the Instant Pot to release the steam automatically, until the float valve drops down.The traditional method of cooking, on the stove in a large pot, also works. Cooking time will be longer, it could be 2 hours.Lift cooked beef tongue out from the Instant Pot and peel off the skin. Slice before serving.
- Meanwhile make the garnish, sauce and crispy parmesan.Cook beetroot in water for 40-45 minutes. Try to buy small beetroots, otherwise the cooking time could be more than an hour.Skip this step if you bought cooked beetroot.
- Drain the water and peel the cooked beetroots and put them in a bowl. Blend with immersion blender for 2-3 minutes, until creamy. Add 50 ml almond cream, 2 ½ tsp wasabi and ¼ tsp salt. Blend the mixture for 20 seconds. Set aside.
- While the tongue and the beetroot are cooking, make mashed sweet potato. Put peeled and cubed sweet potato to pot, add 1 tsp salt, cover with water and cook for 15 minutes, until soft. Drain the water and add 1 tsp salt, ¾ tsp ground nutmeg and 2 tbsp ghee and mash it. Set aside.
- Make the crispy parmesan to the top. Turn the oven to grill function on highest heat. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Put 1 tbsp water in a small bowl and add 1 tsp spinach powder. Mix them. Add this mixture to 6 tbsp grated parmesan and mix. Share this colored parmesan to 2 circle shaped parts on the lined baking tray. Bake for 4-5 minutes. (Parmesan is melting and bubbling.) Roll them up still warm and set aside to harden for 10 minutes. Cut them half before serving.
- Line another baking tray with parchment paper. Place 8-10 walnut size (about 1 tbsp each) grated parmesan on it and bake for 4-5 minutes until golden. Set aside to harden for 10 minutes.
- Beef tongue, side dishes and decoration will be ready at the same time. Time is enough to finish everything until the tongue is cooked.
- Place mashed sweet potato to serving plate. I use cooking rings, but it’s not necessary. Put 3 tbsp beetroot sauce, 3 slices of cooked beef tongue on each plate and the crispy yellow and green parmesan to their top. (Shape the creamy sauce with a spoon. Check the picture.) Enjoy!