AN ox tongue is bought already cured and one just needs to boil it, slice and serve. People who grew up on a farm would recall that an ox tongue would be either be cooked with the head or on its own. If the latter method is used, the tongue would be cooked in the form of a stew and that’s how this recipe is prepared.
I visited home last weekend and got every member of my family cooking, from my mom to my two sisters. Therefore this recipe is prepared by the Gogela family with love for your family. June is youth month, at the same time it is a month to celebrate the father figures in our lives. This dish would get the traditional fathers questioning the method and all the seasoning added to it. Ideally, a tongue would be seasoned with just salt. They would enjoy the dish nonetheless. So go ahead and give it a go. Enjoy!
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THE RECIPE
Serves: 6 – 8
2kg ox tongue
15ml (1Tbsp) oil
½ onion, chopped
10ml (2tsp) spicy and mild curry powder
5 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
500ml (2cups) green beans, cut into chunks
4 small tomatoes, peeled and chopped
½ red pepper, cut into strips
½ yellow pepper, cut into strips
10ml (2tsp) Italian herbs
10ml (2tsp) rustic garlic and herb
5ml (1tsp) white pepper
30ml (2Tbsp) smooth apricot jam
60ml (4Tbsp) BBQ sauce
Method:
Cook the tongue for 3½ hours then remove it from the heat to cool down. Reserve the cooking liquids.
Peel off the rough part and cut the tongue into cubes.
In another pan, heat oil and sauté onion and add curry powder. Cook for a further minute.
Add the chopped tongue and potatoes to the onion mixture. Add the cooking liquids and cook potatoes for about 7 minutes then add green beans, tomatoes and peppers.
Cook until green beans and peppers are cooked but still crunchy. Add seasoning, apricot jam and BBQ sauce. Cook for a further minute.
Serve with pap, savoury rice or white samp.