Brined & cooked recipeCuresmith Ratio

Pickled Ox Tongue

Name: Pickled Ox Tongue
Total time: 17 d
Yield: 1.5 kg batch
Cuisine: Charcuterie
Ingredients: 1.5 kg Ox tongue; 1.93 kg Water; 77.1 g Salt; 25.7 g Caster sugar; 5 g Mustard seed (toasted); 5 g Allspice berries; 2 g Mace, ground; 5 g Coriander seed (toasted)

Pickled ox tongue is one of those traditional dishes that rewards patience and delivers flavour in every form. This pickled ox tongue recipe begins with the tongue being pickled properly, then slow cooked until it is tender enough to almost fall apart. The result is rich, savoury, and deeply satisfying, a cut that becomes far more delicate and flavourful than many people expect when it is treated with the care it deserves.

Introduction

For me, this pickled ox tongue recipe is a family favourite. Served hot, it is one of those proper meals that feels both generous and comforting. The tongue is cooked until beautifully tender and then brought to the table with boiled potatoes and dill, steamed carrots, and peas, with mustard or horseradish on the side. It is a dish with real substance, full of old-fashioned character and the kind of flavour that comes from taking your time.

What makes this pickled ox tongue recipe even better is that the leftovers are never around for long. Once chilled, the tongue slices beautifully, and cold slices disappear quickly in our house. Everyone wants them laid onto fresh sourdough bread, properly slathered with butter, and perhaps with a crisp piece of lettuce for a little freshness. In many ways, that second life is part of what makes ox tongue so special, it is just as good cold as it is hot, and sometimes even more eagerly fought over.

This pickled ox tongue recipe is built around exactly that appeal. It respects the traditional method of pickling and slow cooking, while celebrating the fact that this humble cut can become something truly memorable. Served hot as a full meal or sliced cold for sandwiches, it is one of the great examples of how traditional curing and careful cooking can turn an underrated cut into a real favourite.

Where it comes from

Beef cut chart with the Tongue highlighted — Beef · TongueOx tongue is exactly that, the whole tongue of the animal, a single dense muscle from the throat. Brined and slow-cooked, it becomes tender and richly flavoured.

England

Before you begin

Purpose and scope

The recipes published on The Curesmith are intended for educational and informational purposes only. Meat curing, fermentation and smoking involve processes that, if carried out incorrectly, can result in products that are unsafe to eat. By using any recipe on this website you acknowledge that you do so entirely at your own risk, and you agree that The Curesmith and its authors cannot be held liable for any outcome arising from its use.

Limitation of liability

The Curesmith and its authors accept no responsibility or liability for any illness, injury, loss or damage arising from the use of these recipes, including but not limited to illness caused by improperly cured, handled or cooked meat products, errors in measurement or technique, equipment failure, or deviation from the stated method or quantities.

Nitrite and cure safety

Meat curing involves the use of nitrite salts, which must be measured accurately and used strictly according to the quantities specified. Nitrite in excessive quantities is toxic. Please ensure you understand the following before proceeding:

Always use a calibrated digital scale accurate to at least one gram. For smaller batches, a scale accurate to 0.1g is strongly recommended.
Never exceed the stated cure amounts. Never substitute cure types without recalculating.
Store all curing salts clearly labelled, separately from regular salt, and out of reach of children.
Different cure products have different nitrite concentrations. Always check your manufacturer's label and adjust quantities accordingly.

Food hygiene and cross-contamination

Raw and cured meat products must be stored, handled and prepared in a clean environment using food-safe equipment. Hands, surfaces, tools and containers must be thoroughly cleaned and where appropriate sanitised before use. Cross-contamination between raw meat and ready-to-eat products must be avoided at all times.

Temperature control

Temperature control is critical throughout all curing and smoking processes. Inadequate temperature management can allow the growth of dangerous pathogens including Clostridium botulinum, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and E. coli. A reliable refrigerator thermometer and a calibrated probe thermometer are essential pieces of equipment for anyone producing cured or smoked meat at home.

Uncooked cured products

Whole muscle products that are eaten without cooking, such as air-dried bresaola, coppa or prosciutto, must reach their target weight loss before consumption. Products that have not been cured and dried to the correct specification may not be safe to eat uncooked. Pancetta and guanciale cured to less than 38% weight loss must not be consumed uncooked.

Bacon and other uncooked cured products

Bacon and other uncooked cured products must be cooked thoroughly before eating. Cold smoking adds flavour and colour but does not cook the product. A cold-smoked bacon or sausage remains a raw product and must reach a safe internal temperature before it is safe to consume. For pork and beef this is 72°C / 162°F. For poultry this is 74°C / 165°F.

When in doubt, seek professional guidance

If you are unsure about any aspect of the curing, smoking or fermentation process, we strongly encourage you to seek formal training or guidance from a qualified food safety professional before proceeding. The information on this website is not a substitute for proper food safety education and training.

Commercial production

These recipes are produced for home and small-scale producers. They are not intended for commercial food production. Commercial meat processing is subject to regulatory requirements that vary by country and jurisdiction. If you intend to produce cured or smoked products for sale, you must ensure full compliance with all applicable food safety regulations in your region.

The recipe

StyleBrined and slow-cooked beef tongue

MethodEQ brine

CureNo nitrite

Brine time17 days

Ingredients

Ox tonguegAdjust to
scale the recipe

Piece thickness: enter the thickness at the thickest point; it sets the brine time.

mm thickness

Meat & water
Ox tongue	Reference	1500 g
Water	1.29x meat	1930 g
Water is calculated at 1.29x the meat weight. Use a non-reactive container that holds the meat with all the liquid covering it.
Cure & salt
Salt	2.25% of total	75 g
No nitrite used. The product will be grey-brown rather than pink, which is safe and traditional.
Sugar
Caster sugar	0.75% of total	25 g
Aromatics
Garlic, peeled	whole	3 cloves
The brine spice blend is a fixed per-tongue amount. It does not scale with the tongue weight; for more than one tongue, multiply the aromatics manually.
Whole cloves	whole	2 cloves
Bay leaves	whole	5 leaves
Black peppercorns	whole	20 peppercorns
Mustard seed (toasted)	ground	5.0 g
Toast the mustard and coriander seeds together in a dry pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until aromatic and slightly darker, then tip onto a plate to stop the cooking.
Allspice berries	ground	5.0 g
Mace, ground	ground	2.0 g
Cinnamon stick (small)	whole	1 stick
Coriander seed (toasted)	ground	5.0 g

Nitrite safety check

No nitrite used

No nitrite is being used. The product will be grey-brown rather than pink, which is safe and traditional. Keep it cold throughout and cook it thoroughly.

Brine timeline

Brine methodEquilibrium (EQ) brine

Brine time17 days minimum

Brine temperature2-4 C / 36-39 F

TurningDaily

Method

Combine the brine ingredients.. Combine the salt, sugar and cure (if using) with about half the water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until everything dissolves. Add the brine spice blend (see the aromatics list) including the garlic, peppercorns, bay, cloves, toasted mustard and coriander, allspice, mace and the cinnamon stick. Remove from the heat. Pour in the remaining water cold to chill the brine more quickly. Refrigerate until completely cold.

Bag or submerge the tongue.. Place the tongue in a vacuum-seal bag with the cold brine and remove as much air as possible before sealing. If you do not have a vacuum sealer, a jumbo zip-lock pressed flat to expel air, or a non-reactive container with a weighted plate to keep the meat under, both work just as well.

Refrigerate for {days} days minimum.. Keep at 2-4 C / 36-39 F throughout. Turn the bag once a day so the brine distributes evenly. EQ brining is forgiving, so leaving the tongue in for an extra day or two will not over-salt it.

Remove and rinse.. Take the tongue out of the brine and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Pat dry with kitchen paper.

Preheat the oven to 160 C / 320 F.. Place a rack in the centre of the oven. Use a dutch oven, or any oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid, large enough to hold the tongue comfortably with the cooking liquid covering it.

Build the cooking liquid.. Place the rinsed tongue in the dutch oven. Add a glass of white wine, about 125 mL / 4 fl oz. Add cold water to just cover the tongue. Add the cooking-liquid spices: 20 peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 5 g coriander seed, 5 g allspice berries and 2 lemon slices. The tongue should be just submerged. Cover with the lid.

Bake for at least 3 hours.. Place the dutch oven on the centre rack. Bake at 160 C / 320 F for at least 3 hours. From around 2 hours 30 minutes onwards, start checking with the spoon-prick test. Larger tongues may take 3.5 to 4 hours; smaller tongues may be ready closer to 3.

Test for doneness.. Lift the lid and prick the thickest part of the tongue with the back of a spoon or a thin probe. The tongue is ready when the spoon enters with little resistance and the meat is soft. If there is still resistance, return it to the oven and check again every 30 minutes until soft. This is your doneness check, not the clock.

Remove from the cooking liquid.. Take the tongue out of the dutch oven; a pair of tongs and a wide spatula help. Discard the cooking liquid, it has done its job and is not for eating.

Peel off the outer skin.. While the tongue is still warm, peel off the tough outer skin and discard it. The skin should pull away in sheets; if it resists in places, slip a small knife under to help. The skin is too tough to eat.

Slice and serve, hot or cold.. For a hot dinner, cut the warm tongue across the grain into roughly 5 mm slices and serve with potatoes and vegetables, and plenty of English mustard or freshly grated horseradish. For cold sandwiches, cool the peeled tongue, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before slicing it paper-thin across the grain; pile generously onto buttered sourdough with English mustard. Keep leftovers well wrapped in the fridge for up to a week.

Key tipsEQ is the forgiving method: the salt level in the brine is exactly what you want in the finished meat, so the tongue cannot become over-salted however long it sits. The day count is simply the time the brine needs to reach the centre, calculated from the thickness you enter. Gradient brining is different: it keeps pushing salt into the meat for as long as the tongue sits in it, so do not go significantly past the stated days or it will over-salt. Whichever method you use, trust the spoon and not the clock when cooking. The 3-hour time is only a guide; the tongue is done when a spoon slides into the thickest part with no resistance. A larger or older tongue can take 3.5 to 4 hours, a smaller one may be ready closer to 2.5, so start checking from 2 hours 30 minutes. Always peel the outer skin while the tongue is still warm, as it pulls away in sheets and is much harder to remove cold.

ImportantA brined tongue is not a ready-to-eat product. It must be slow-cooked until done, and the doneness check is the spoon, not the clock: the spoon must enter the thickest part with no resistance and the meat must be soft. The cooking liquid is not for eating; discard it after cooking. Peel off the tough outer skin while the tongue is still warm before serving.

Recipe by The Curesmith — thecuresmith.com

Health & Safety Disclaimer