Smoked Beef Tongue with Dark Beer Glaze
Beef tongue is first cured in a robust brine, then hot-smoked and finished with a rich dark beer glaze. The slow smoking process renders the tongue incredibly tender with a deep smoky flavor. Perfect as cold cuts or as a main dish served with horseradish.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Wet Curing
6 daysDissolve curing salt, brown sugar, pepper, bay leaves and juniper berries completely in 1 liter of cold water (per kg of tongue). Submerge the tongue fully in the brine, weigh it down, and cure in the refrigerator at 4 °C for 6 days, turning daily.
Soaking and Preparation
30 minutesRemove the tongue from the brine, rinse cold, and soak in fresh cold water for 30 minutes to remove excess salt. Pat thoroughly dry and allow to air-dry on a rack at room temperature for 1 hour.
Smoking
4-5 hoursPreheat smoker to 110–120 °C using beech and oak wood. Place tongue in the center of the grate and smoke until an internal temperature of 88–92 °C is reached (approx. 4–5 hours). During the last hour, brush with the malt beer-mustard glaze (mix malt beer and mustard) every 20 minutes.
Peeling and Resting
15-20 minutesImmediately after smoking, dip the tongue briefly in ice water and peel off the skin completely while still hot. Wrap in aluminum foil and rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice and serve warm or cold.
Pro Tip
The skin peels most easily if the tongue is briefly dipped in ice-cold water immediately after reaching core temperature and then peeled right away – this keeps the meat juicy and the skin comes off cleanly.
Glossary Terms
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