How to Cook and Peel Beef Tongue in Nigeria

Beef tongue, cow tongue, or ox tongue – no matter the name, is very tasty and juicy.  You can use it in any meal, Nigerian foods, sandwiches and it also works perfectly well on its own as well.

Also, cow tongue price will not break your bank account. It is great value meat that can feed a whole household on a low-cost budget.

The low price does not mean low quality, either. Acquire the skill on how to prepare it as it should be, and trust me, this could become the hidden gem in your kitchen. Read on to find out.

Beef Tongue Nutrition

• Why eat beef tongue? Like other organ meats, Beef tongue is not just a delicacy; it’s also very nutrient-dense. It is a superb source of vitamin B12.
• Cow tongue is a good source of B2, B3, and choline, and provides some B5 and B6. It is a good source of zinc, iron, phosphorus, and selenium.
• It contains collagen, with 14.6% of the total protein being collagen, which is good for your joints and skin.
• Cow tongue has a very fatty cut, with about 70% of the calories coming from fat. This makes it a deeply filling, hearty meal.

If you have eaten beef tongue, you will love it. If you have not, you may be put off by the thought of preparing this meat.

Learning how to cook beef tongue may seem nerve-racking, but it’s surprisingly easy to do.

No matter how long you decide to cook it, the taste can never change unlike some other parts of the beef. There is a technique to cleaning cow tongue which includes:

How to Clean Cow Tongue

1. Firstly, add cow tongue, salt, and hot water to a bowl, place on medium heat and cook for 15 minutes.
2. After that, the outer layer would toughen once it’s in the water, do not fret its normal
3. Then, take your thawed tongue out of the hot water and peel the white thick layer off the tongue. Wash it very well.
4. Similarly, you can even use a clean kitchen brush to scrub it. Just don’t dwell too much on what you’re doing and you’ll be fine. This is the only preparation work you have to do
5. Finally, place the cleaned tongue in a bowl and rinse till clean. Cow tongue is now ready to use but not ready to eat. Cleaned cow tongue can be put in the freezer for up to 3 months. Use as you desire.

Where Can I Buy Cow Tongue?

It’s good to buy tongue meat from a source you trust. Alternatively, check to see if you can get Fulani herdsmen that raise grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic-free cows.

You can also buy tongue meat from any local market near you in Nigeria. Talk to the butcher and see if they can keep fresh beef tongue for you.

You can also order online or buy from supermarkets like Shoprite, supermart, etc.

Beef Tongue Recipe

This is the simple cooking method that I like to use in creating a tender, delicious cut of melt in your mouth meat. This meat can be served as a roast or sliced thin and used cold for sandwiches or braised tongue meat.

Ingredients

• Cow tongue
• seasoning-1 onion, 3 cloves garlic,3-4 bay leaves, celery, salt and pepper to taste, or other spices of your choice

Steps for the Best Way to Cook Beef Tongue

1. Firstly, wash the cow tongue
2. Then place the tongue in the stockpot with the seasonings and enough water to cover the tongue meat.
3. After that, cover and simmer the cow tongue for 2-3 hours or until tender.
4. You can cook cow tongue in a crock-pot, pressure cooker, slow cooker or even cook beef tongue in the oven to speed up the process.
5. Fourthly and most importantly, chill the tongue in an ice bath until just cool enough to handle and peel immediately here is where it gets real and a little tricky. Peel while warm. The tongue becomes much harder to peel once cooled.
6. Save the broth (drain cow tongue water) to make a soup or flavor sauces.
7. Slice and serve hot or chill and serve cold or baked/grilled for another half hour with roast potatoes.

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