Chinese Dry Crispy Beef Tongue

Some people don't like the idea of eating beef tongue. But this meat is often served and delicious. It has to be cooked for a few hours to tenderise, but after that the taste is creamy and soft.  

 

 

 What you need:

• 1/2 beef tongue 
• water
• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 dried Chinese red chillies
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 small onion, sliced roughly
• 1 tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tbsp Sichuan chili bean paste
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice win
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• salt to taste

 

 How to prepare it:

1. Place the tongue(s) in a pan and cover with water or stock. Cook and cover until tender for about 2,5 hours. During cooking keep the tongue covered with water. 
2. Set apart the tongue for cooling down. 
3. When cooled down, take away the fat and skin and discard. Save the stock for other use. 
4. Cut the tongue into 1/2 cm slices.
5. Add a 4 tbps of oil in a frying pan (or wok) and place over medium heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add the slices of tongue and cook until brown and crisp on one side, about 3 minutes. 
6. When browned place the pieces of tongue on paper towels.
7. Heat one tablespoon oil in the wok set on medium low heat. Add the chilis, onions, .... and Sichuan peppercorns, and stir-fry for 20 to 30 seconds.
8. Add the slices of tongue, the chili bean paste and stir-fry to coat the tongue for about 20 seconds longer. 
9. Add the rice wine and soy sauce. 
10. Add salt to taste. Keep stirring the tongue around in the wok.
11. Remove from the heat, stir in the sesame oil.
12. Serve immediately with rice.