Recently, my butcher, Job Vrijenhoek, asked me if I’d like to work with “forgotten meat.” Personally, I didn’t have to think long about it. In a world where everyone wants to live as sustainably as possible, I’ve noticed that we often forget to look back at our ancestors or learn more from parts of the world where people still truly eat from head to tail. Often out of necessity, but that doesn’t mean we can’t and shouldn’t do it. In this series, which I very creatively named “from head to tail,” I want to reintroduce you to meats that many of us have truly forgotten but can be so delicious. Meat that may not initially sound appetizing, but come on, let’s get past that and read along because I’m going to make 2 dishes that, if I’m correct, will become your most favorite recipes. This time, I’m using beef tongue. Something you can get relatively cheaply from your butcher. The average price is about 13 euros per beef tongue. It’s not something he/she has on display, I think, but if you have a good butcher, it will definitely be somewhere in the back of the freezer/cooler. And then you’ll really get a substantial piece of meat.

Beef tongue, like ox tongue, is often considered organ meat and usually weighs around 2 kg. Beef tongue must always be boiled. If the throat piece is still attached, you’ll notice that you’ll have some delicious broth left over afterward, which you can use as a base for soups or sauces. We’re also going to boil the beef tongue for this recipe.

An important piece of information about why beef tongue is a good addition in terms of nutrients:

Unlike organ meats like liver, beef tongue provides much less cholesterol. The fat content and nutritional value are similar to other average fatty beef cuts. So, it’s also a good source of protein, iron, and zinc.