Beef Tongue Spread (2 Recipes)

Last week I posted Simple Beef Tongue and promised a recipe for those wanting a less visual version of tongue. Here it is: beef tongue spread. Meat spreads, similar to liverwurst, are very popular in Slovakia. This can be used like tuna or salmon spread, and can go in sandwiches, on vegetables, or even be used as a dip.

Beef Tongue Spread (2 Recipes)

This weekend we went to a gypsy festival, where a local charity organized drama and music presentations of this ethnic minority. I’ll tell you more about later this week.

I came there to enjoy the music and take pictures for you all to see. I took some photos, but not nearly as many as I hoped. I choked.

I’m not good at taking photographs at events anyway. “Wait while I obscure your view, person behind me, of this very special moment so I can take a picture.” My preferred lens at events is a super telephoto, so that I can get a picture without anybody seeing me. But there was another reason.

See, there were a number of other people there with fancy schmancy cameras with mega lenses and I was embarrassed to take out my dinosaur camera and it’s itty bitty lens. 

Beef Tongue Spread (2 Recipes)

Ansel Adams once said that the most important part of a camera is the 12 inches behind it, i.e. the person taking the picture. And I fully adhere to it. Expensive gear does not the photographer make; great photos have been taken with point and shoot or phone cameras.

My husband scoffs. “When my brother and I were climbing, all these people had nice fancy new gear and climbed nothing, and we with our uncool clothes and old gear climbed amazing mountains.” The mountain guru in the mountains where I grew up, who knows the most and has explored the greatest local area, always wears jeans. Unfailingly. Not exactly North Face ad material.

So I know I shouldn’t compare gear. I know I shouldn’t be embarrassed. But I was. But I still took out that camera and got a few shots. And I can’t wait to share the story of a great organization here in Slovakia.

Beef Tongue Spread (2 Recipes)

The Recipe

As I said last week, tongue isn’t actually offal, so it doesn’t have a strong organ flavour. It’s mostly just the thought of eating a tongue that we have problems with.

But, if you make this beef tongue spread, you will not have the visual reminder of what you are eating. And you will be able to serve tongue to people who would never even consider eating it, and they will love it. Think of it like salmon or tuna spread.

I think using all parts of animals we eat has three benefits. One, it’s environmentally prudent to use all the parts of an animal without waste. Two, various parts of the animal have different nutritional profiles and thus eating it all has a wider range of health benefits. Three, it’s part of a lifestyle of gratitude. Eating all the parts of the animal can help remind us that these are creatures, not just meat that magically comes from a grocery shelf, and make us wonder about the care and use of those creatures.

I’ve included two recipes here. The first is more pate or liverwurst like, we’ll call it Simple Beef Tongue Spread. The second includes add-ins like onions and pickle and is more reminiscent of salmon spreads, we’ll call it Fancy Beef Tongue Spread. Unless you have better names, cause the creativity juices are not providing me with more right now.

Beef Tongue Spread (2 Recipes)

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Beef Tongue Spread (2 Recipes)

Ingredients

  • Simple Beef Tongue Spread
  • 300g / 10.5oz beef tongue, cooked, peeled, and chilled (see Simple Beef Tongue)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (preferably homemade) (I think avocado mayo would work as well, for those who can't eat eggs)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp allspice (omit for AIP, can try other herbs like thyme and sage)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
  • Fancy Beef Tongue Spread
  • 300g / 10.5 oz beef tongue, cooked, peeled, and chilled
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (preferably homemade) (avocado mayo should work for those who can't have eggs, link above)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper (or black) (omit for AIP)
  • 4 tbsp chopped onion
  • 4 tbsp chopped pickles (I used fermented but vinegar is fine too)
  • 2 tbsp chopped chives
  • any other add-ins you like - chopped celery, parsley, cilantro, go for it

Instructions

  1. Simple Beef Tongue Spread
  2. Put all ingredients in a food processor. Mix until smooth.
  3. If you don't have a food processor, you can grind the meat through a meat grinder and then mix with other ingredients.
  4. Fancy Beef Tongue Spread
  5. Put meat, mayo, salt and pepper in food processor, mix until smooth.
  6. Take out meat mixture into a bowl and stir in the rest of ingredients.
  7. Serve in wraps, on bread, as a dip, or on appetizers.
https://www.almostbananas.net/beef-tongue-spread-2-recipes/

Beef Tongue Spread (2 Recipes)

 

Shared at Fat Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Fight Back Friday, Paleo AIP Recipe Roundup, Pennywise Platter Thursday

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