Lamb tongue growing in popularity

<p>"Do you have any of that lamb salad?” my young friend Andrew asked one afternoon.</p><p>Andrew was about 8 years old then and had a lively, eager palate. He was referring to a warm salad I'd served the night before, when he and his parents had come to dinner. There was lamb, yes, but it was lamb's tongue, along with sliced potatoes and a tart parsley vinaigrette.</p><p>I dished up some of the salad for him and before long, it was gone and he was asking for seconds. As I handed him the refilled dish, I mentioned that I found it really cool that he enjoyed lamb's tongue so much.</p><p>“That's awesome for an 8-year-old,” I said.</p><p>There was a moment of silence and then the ruckus began. How could I have deceived him, he wailed. How could I have tricked him into eating something so disgusting as tongue, he shouted, as all his pleasure dissolved into horror.</p><p>He spat out the last bite and that was that, he would have none of it, including my calm explanation that he had found it delicious both seconds before and last night. He refused to even acknowledge that reality. </p><p>I had not intentionally tricked my young friend and was truly surprised that he did not realize what he was eating, as we had talked about it at dinner. </p><p>But it serves as a good object lesson, don't you think? Our preferences are often shaped not by direct experience but by opinion, bias and prejudice. </p><p>The idea of tongue was disgusting to my pal and that opinion eclipsed the tremendous pleasure he had taken in the dish. </p><p>His reaction was, of course, harmless, but it reminds me of another similar occurrence that caused me a fair amount of embarrassment. </p><p>I was on a book tour for “California Home Cooking” (Harvard Common Press, 1997) when a newspaper editor asked me to name my favorite recipes in the book. Book tours being what they are — utterly grueling — I had not actually had time to go through the book since it had arrived. I knew it thoroughly, of course, and had gone over the galleys with a fine tooth comb. I knew it backwards and forwards, or so I thought.</p><p>“Ahh,” I said to the editor, “that would be the lamb's tongue salad and the tacos lengua,” and went on to explain how such cuts as tongue had fallen out of favor recently but were quite common in California in the early and mid twentieth century.</p><p>Imagine my dismay when neither of us could find the recipes!</p><p>My editor at the publishing house had taken it upon himself to remove the recipes after the book had supposedly been put to bed.</p><p>“I didn't think it needed them,” he explained, “and I don't think people like tongue,” a statement that is clearly untrue. He didn't like tongue but it wouldn't be on the menus of countless delis, taquerias, sandwich shops and other eateries if someone didn't like it.</p><p>I still bristle whenever I think of it.</p><p>Eventually both recipes were published in “The New Cook's Tour of Sonoma,” (Sasquatch Books, 2000), but they survived the editor's pen only because I paid attention and actively fought for them when she tried to insist on their removal. </p><p>I hope not to have to fight this battle again. Tongue is about to get a lot more popular, I think, as the movement to both appreciate and use the whole animal blossoms. </p><p>If we are to practice true sustainability, we can't live on the prettiest cuts of meat, on those parts that allow us to ignore the reality of its source. </p><p>To understand and use the entire animal is to honor it, I believe. And besides, tongue is absolutely delicious.</p><p>A sign of tongue's popularity is its availability at our farmers markets. Owen Farm Farm, which sells both lamb and goat meat, sometimes has it. </p><p>If you see a vendor selling local lamb, ask if they have tongue. If they don't, they can usually arrange for it by the next market. Just don't take all of it, OK?</p><p>I've had a hard time getting it lately, not because no one has it but because it has been sold out. Times are changing.</p><h3>Lamb Tongue Salad</h3> <p>Makes 6 to 8 servings</p><p>6 to 8 (about 3/4 pound) lamb tongues, rinsed (see Note below)</p><p>1 small yellow onion, quartered</p><p>2 garlic cloves, crushed</p><p>½ teaspoon black peppercorns</p><p>½ teaspoon white peppercorns</p><p>1 bay leaf</p><p>2 Italian parsley sprigs</p><p>— Kosher salt</p><p>1½ pounds small new potatoes</p><p>1 small shallot, minced</p><p>1 garlic clove, minced</p><p>1 tablespoon best-quality white wine vinegar, such as B. R. Cohn Champagne Vinegar or Vinaigre de Banyuls</p><p>1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice</p><p>6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</p><p>2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley</p><p>2 or 3 handfuls arugula</p><p>— Lemon wedges</p><p>Put the rinsed lamb tongues into a large saucepan, add the onion, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, parsley sprigs and enough water to completely cover the ingredients. Season with salt. </p><p>Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the tongues are completely tender when pierced by a fork, about 1½ hours or longer if the tongues are particularly large.</p><p>Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Remove from the heat and let cool in the cooking liquid until easy to handle. </p><p>Peel the tongue, using your fingers or a sharp pairing knife. The thin skin should pull off fairly easily, provided the tongues are still warm.</p><p>Cut the tongue into ½-inch thick diagonal slices; cut the slices in half.</p><p>While the tongue cools, peel the potatoes, cut them into ¼-inch thick slices and put into a medium saucepan. Cover with water, season with salt and cook until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the cooked potatoes and transfer them to a medium bowl.</p><p>Meanwhile, put the shallot and garlic into a small bowl, season with several pinches of salt and add the vinegar and lemon juice. Set aside for 20 minutes. </p><p>Stir in olive oil, taste, correct for salt, season with several turns of black pepper and stir in the parsley. Pour half the dressing over the warm cooked potatoes and toss gently.</p><p>To serve, spread the arugula over a platter and top with the potatoes and any juices that have collected in the bowl. Scatter the sliced tongue on top of the potatoes and spoon the remaining dressing over it. </p><p>Garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately.</p><p>Note: I generally cook a couple of pounds of lambs tongue and use half in this recipe and save half to make tacos lengua, which are quite easy to prepare once you've cooked and peeled the tongue. </p><p>I like small corn tortillas, heated over a burner or on a hot griddle until they are hot and tender but not at all crisp. </p><p>For each taco, set 2 tortillas on a plate, top with chopped tongue, minced onion, minced serranos, a squeeze of lemon, chopped cilantro and some Mexican salsa verde. Fold over, enjoy and get ready to make another, as tacos lengua are absolutely irresistible.</p><p>Michele Anna Jordan hosts “Mouthful” each Sunday at 7 p.m. on KRCB 90.9 & 91.1 FM. E-mail Jordan at michele@ micheleannajordan.com.</p>