I feel like this post needs some kind of segue - a way to transition from vintage French linens to raw meat. But if you read this blog with any regularity you know how random I am. So, in keeping with my eclectic sensibilities, let me share with you what caught my eye at the grocery store this week: langue de bœuf. AKA beef tongue.
Seriously, the grocery store here never gets old. There is always something new to see. Clearly on my travels around Europe I should skip the castles and just head to the grocery stores. Not a bad idea for posting actually. Hmm.
So, I have to ask: Is beef tongue eaten in your culture? If so, how? What about those taste buds. Do tell!
Seriously, the grocery store here never gets old. There is always something new to see. Clearly on my travels around Europe I should skip the castles and just head to the grocery stores. Not a bad idea for posting actually. Hmm.
So, I have to ask: Is beef tongue eaten in your culture? If so, how? What about those taste buds. Do tell!
14 comments:
I live in Japan and have a similar obsession with the grocery stores here. Someone told me that you should visit the grocery stores whenever you visit foreign countries as they are quite interesting and tell a lot about the people and culture. I agree!
BTW- they eat offal here- nothing is wasted! :-)
hmmm tongue butties (sandwiches) yum
In the UK tongue is cooked and thinly sliced, you buy it like you would sliced ham or turkey, I love it on a sandwich, it is not at all chewy, if it is good then is should just melt in the mouth.
Japan on the other hand sells it something like your picture, it is often grilled or BBQ'd and is chewy, awful, nasty stuff!
so i actually grew up in oregon, and my mom served us tongue when we were little! i loved it. i can't remember her serving it past the age of...10 or so? i'm not sure why. anyway, thinking of eating tongue now kind of makes me shiver! haven't had any for a long time.
Hello hello! I am from Brazil and I live in Ireland and beef tongue is actually quite common back home. Ok, there are people who don't like it, but my mother-in-law makes THE BEST TONGUE. (that sounds funny.) It is slowly cooked then mixed with chunky pieces of cooked tomatoes, onions and peppers. YUM. Served withe a side portion of rice and salad. It's great!
My dad grew up eating beef tongue sandwiches, and Erich also grew up eating beef tongue, and liking it. And they both grew up in Seattle. Like you, I loved browsing the grocery store when I was little, and remember, not far from the chicken's feet and pig ears were the beef tongues. I liked to touch them, to feel how rough they were. But never asked to buy them.
I don't see tongue often. I am a regular Muffin Tin Monday mom. Just wanted to thank you for starting it out.
Hi! looks grose doesn´t it? I live in Argentina and here it´s very very common to eat "Lengua a la vinagreta" which is "tongue a la vinagrette" I guess, you usually have it in restaurants as an entree, not very much a home meal, I used to love it when I was little, because it´s very very tender when it´s well done, but then like you I saw it in the grocery store and suddenly I didn´t want to have it again... now I do sometimes, but after this pics I´ll think twice! LOL!
This is a pic of the dish I was talking about
http://amorfar.com/lengua-a-la-vinagreta/
It doesn´t look like a tongue you see?
Cheers!
Patricia
Ughh, I admit I have never tried it..so maybe its good. But I really can't get past the look of it or the mere thought. My mid-west S.Dakota relatives have been known to cook tongue and lots of stories around it. I remember my mom telling me it was good. But no thanks..I'll just let you tell us all about it. That's as close as I need to come.
I live in PA, and there is a meat market here that ALWAYS has tongue on their specials board out front. "Beef Tongue, $4.90/lb".
It's been that way since we moved here in 2003, so I don't know if tongue is extremely popular, or if they've been trying to sell the same piece of meat for the last 7 years.
My mom used to make tongue when I was a child, and I refused to eat it. It freaks me out to think of eating something that can taste me back. KWIM?
fancypants - what is offal?? i have some guesses, but I'd love to know for sure.
jojoebi - hmmm. i'm going to have to ask my english friends here about tongue butties. thanks for the comment!! btw, great post on the Crafty Crow!
Emily - as a child did you know it was tongue you were eating? is tongue one of those things like liver that is supposed to be good for you?
Tarsila - Thanks so much for commenting. I love hearing about food and traditions in foreign counties. You are the first commenter from Brazil! Thanks again.
Laura - you must tell me what grocery store you were looking in . . .Arts? I do remember seeing kidneys in the Safeway on 15th as a kid but that is as "exotic" as it got.
JDaniel - Thanks for stopping by!
Patricia - No it doesn't at all look like my pictures. Funny, it looks more like pork than beef. I wonder if that dish would be just as good with another cut of beef.
Thanks for chiming in about Argentina!
Potters - you are preaching to the choir. you know that!! I actually wish I was a more adventurous eater . . . but not enough to actually try and change:)
Mama Llama - not that there was really ever a chance I would try it, but when you put it like that, well, the door gets shut and sealed.
I'm afraid those images will end up in one of my nightmares.
Katy,
There's two choices. We mostly shopped at Lucky's. At least I think that's what it was called. And I think it was on the corner of Aurora and 145th. But I also think Central Market used to be a Lucky's also, long, long ago.
It's on our supermarket shelves as well. Looks just about the same. . . I've never seen it prepared, but I do keep looking for it.
D
it's yummy. Indonesian eat tongue too.
Post a Comment