BEST BURGER EVER...Hands down
Roasted Bone Marrow with Tarragon Orange Gremolata and Pickled Shallots
more of an idea than an exact recipe...depending on how many you are serving
1/2 bunch (or less) parsley, chopped
tarragon...1/3 amount of parsley
zest from 1/2 bright colored orange
capers if you have them...i didn't have any at the time
small drizzle olive oil
juice from 1 orange wedge
salt and pepper
add oil and juice just before serving to stay fresh.
PS...if you are interested for more in depth information and visuals... i found this post by The Hungry Mouse VERY helpful for those "first-timers" unfamiliar with roasting bone marrow.... great pictures of "how-to" and what to expect when roasting.
many thanks to Jessie who has a wealth of information
Tacos de LENGUA. YES..."Tongue" Tacos
WHAT ON EARTH ???
why, yes...it is a cow's tongue.
this, by far, is the most challenging item i have cooked so far.
i've cooked Pig's Tails, Chicken Feet, Turkey Tails, Pig Ears, Snouts and Trotters, just to name a few...
but the tongue has escaped me...until NOW.
i've been wrestling with the idea for quite some time and i finally took the challenge head on...so to speak.
of course, in Southern California we have some fabulous Mexican food. lucky for us we also have quite a few fabulous Mexican/Latino markets. but...if you're in the neighborhood of Newport Beach/Costa Mesa i highly suggest you try a tiny little place called El Toro Bravo Tortillaria for one of THE BEST AUTHENTIC MEXICAN STREET TACOS. it's at the end of a tiny little strip mall on 19th street in Costa Mesa. AND as the name implies, it is also a Tortillaria factory so you are guaranteed the freshest tortillas.
portions are HUGE and prices are low...well worth the road trip, but be prepared for a hole in the wall looking place and a long line at lunch time.
back to MY tongue. after trying the Lengua at El Toro Bravo, and loving it, i decided it was time to try my hand at it.
WHOA !!! what a monstrous chunk of ugly meat. the texture alone is enough to scare one running for the hills. after it's cooked it gets even worse...not until you have conquered the actual peeling of the outer layer and cutting the thing up does it get any better. when i say put your game face on I'M NOT KIDDING.
the good news is...IT'S DEEE-LICIOUS !!!
INGREDIENTS FOR COOKING THE TONGUE
1 beef tongue (3 - 4 lbs)
2 large onions
8 - 10 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
5 - 6 bay leaves
1 Tbsp peppercorns
2 Tbsp salt
2 tsp cumin
1 heaping Tbsp Mexican oregano
FOR THE TACOS
fresh corn tortillas
pico de gallo...or fresh salsa of choice
avocado
cilantro
chopped white onion
lime wedges
COOKING THE TONGUE...
#1...put your game face on.
fill a large stock pot with water. bring to a boil and put the tongue in for about 5 minutes. remove tongue, discard the water and clean the pot...this is to remove any impurities.
fill the stock pot with water about 2/3 full. add the tongue, onions, crushed garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, oregano, cumin and salt. bring to a boil. reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 3 hours, until tongue is soft to the touch and fork tender.
remove the tongue from the water and cool for a couple of minutes...until is is cool enough to handle.
DO NOT WAIT TOO LONG...i was busy taking the photo and not thinking it would matter, i took my time. it is harder to peel if the tongue has sat too long. trust me...you do not want to spend a lot of time with the tongue in it's whole form trying to peel all the outer layer off.
i found it most unpleasant to peel skin off of a tongue...,BUT i'll admit it was kinda cool.
TO PEEL...notice the light colored skin covering most of the tongue. using your fingers and a sharp small knife, remove the covering and discard. there is no other way to describe this step. you just have to experience it for yourself.
NOTE...notice the rough patch of meat where the tongue would attach to the bottom of the mouth...you may remove this if you don't like the looks of it. i kept most of it. mine wasn't to rough and ugly looking. i did not want to waste any of the good edible meat.
after spending all morning and most of the afternoon with my tongue, i was over it for that day. i took a small amount out and packed the rest away.
if not using right away....slice it in 1/2 inch, or so, thick slices, cover with strained cooking liquid and store in an airtight container. i like to strain the broth before adding it back to the product that has cooked.
TO PREPARE FOR TACOS...reheat your slices either in a saute pan with a little oil until lightly browned or you can simply reheat in it's own juices in the microwave.
dice into small cubes, mince or you can shred...check your seasoning for salt and pepper and you're ready to build your tacos.
Mexican street tacos are pretty straight forward...FRESH TORTILLAS ARE KEY...then it's just meat, onions, cilantro and fresh salsa. in America we tend to load them up with all kinds of other unnecessary items, but go ahead and help yourself with a little extra trimmings if you need to disguise the tongue on your first try. work your way into it.
i'll bet if you'll be amazed at how good a tongue could taste...
some how that doesn't sound right...
so...what do you say...
ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE ???
Barbacoa Beef Cheeks - Slow Cooker Style
luckily i knew i didn't have enough to fill the crock pot so i bought 4 large short ribs to add in.
THE SHORT RIBS WERE FABULOUS MELT IN YOUR MOUTH DELICIOUS !!!
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp Mexican oregano (Mexican is best...get some)
2 tsp garlic powder
8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 whole bay leaf
2 whole limes
1 cup beef broth...homemade, rendered form roasted beef bones is best
2 tsp Mexican chili powder, optional
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne, optional
i think a little heat is always necessary...
rinse cheek meat and trim away as much fat, gristle and silver skin as possible...good luck with this. it ain't a pleasant job. cut into large pieces.
put meat into large crock pot (i think mine is a 5 1/2 qt.) and season well with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano and garlic powder.
add bay leaf and squeeze lime juice all over (pulp is fine)
add the beef stock.
stir slightly, cover and cook on HIGH for at least 6 hours...mine was in for a little over 7 hours.
i checked on mine after a few hours and gave it a little stir.
if the meat is fork "butter" tender you're good to go.
take the meat out with a slotted spoon and strain the broth. the broth might come in handy to remoisten the meat if necessary...and the broth might just make a delicious soup base. shred the meat and discard any solid fat or grizzle you might have missed in the lovely trimming process. taste and season as you see fit. try not to eat it all yourself while shredding and seasoning...
serve with your favorite tortillas, avocado, cilantro, crumbled queso fresco, fresh salsa, diced radish, etc etc etc...dress it up or just keep it simple....OR make little Tostaditas as i did for an interesting Mexican hors d'oeuvre...
maybe a fun amuse bouche for your next Mexican fiesta.
Seared Marrow on Walnut Pesto Crostinis



you can buy marrow bones most anywhere, but just use your best judgment that they are as fresh as possible. make friends with your butcher and he will cut them the right size for you.
i've posted about rendering bone marrow before so i won't write out the instructions just click here. as i stated in that post i quite often buy the bones and render out the marrow in big pieces to use in other recipes. you can add it to most anything to give your dish that extra layer of "yum" that boosts it past that rich cooked all day flavor.

i keep it in an airtight jar filled with fresh salted water and pull a piece out when ever i need some "bone butter"...i'm not kidding. just try adding it to some plain old hamburger meat and create some marrow burger patties for the grill...add it to one of your slow cooker stews or take your chili to another level.
so there's no real recipe here, but just an idea. once you have your marrow rendered it will resemble a small log. simply cut that (best to cut when chilled) and sear over high heat. you can use any pesto or get creative with your spread. the marrow is very rich and buttery so take that into consideration. something with fresh herbs and a little acid like fresh lemon, works well. Michael Ruhlman has a fabulous way of serving his marrow as seen HERE. a nice little salad, Gramolata, of fresh parsley, shallots, capers, olive oil and lemon is the classic addition. if you're interested in a classic way of serving it in the bone i found a great post at Cube Market Place that gives Anthony Bourdain's last supper recipe for Roasted Bone Marrow. the roasted method can be a very easy quick rich start to a light meal...the marrow being the star of the show in all it's unctuous, creamy, buttery goodness...
however you choose to serve marrow...your guests will leave with a carnivorous grin from ear to ear.
Padma's Indian Ground Beef and Veal comfort food.
Directions
MOROCCAN GOAT STEW
let me start with this MOROCCAN GOAT STEW
as you might guess by now, i'm always on the lookout for things a little out of the ordinary. i came across some goat at one of my favorite markets in Irvine, CA called Wholesome Foods. if you're lucky enough to have one in your area you should check it out. great stuff for Middle Eastern cooking. their produce alone is worth the trip.
as i was poking around looking for something new, i saw some fresh goat shanks...not knowing what the heck to do with it, i bought it anyway...and sooooo glad i did.
GOAT IS GOOD !
i think it tastes like a cross between lamb and beef. the texture and flavor was fabulous. i had to add a little beef to my recipe because i didn't have quite enough of the goat the recipe called for. i was surprised to find that i really liked the goat much better. this slow cooking stew was just the right way to introduce a new meat to the party. (the "party" usually consists of ME, MYSELF and I.) i will definitely try it again.
FOR THE GOAT
1 tbspn olive oil
750g goat shoulder, cut into 4-5cm cubes
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 can plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
30g dried apricots, roughly chopped
pinch of saffron
goat or lamb stock or water
FOR THE SPICE MIXTURE
1 tspn ground cumin
1 tspn ground coriander
1 tspn ground ginger
1.5 tspn smoked paprika
1 tspn turmeric
Half tspn ground chilli
Salt and freshly ground pepper
TO GARNISH
4 tbspn finely chopped coriander
Half-1 tspn of Harissa paste
zest and juice of half a lemon
1 tbspn honey
SERVE WITH
300gm pumpkin, peeled, chopped into 1-2cm cubes and roasted in olive oil with a little seasoning.
METHOD
Place the olive oil in a large saucepan or casserole pan and put it over a moderate-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion to the pan and sweat for one minute until transparent.
Place all the spice mixture ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Toss the goat in the spices so that it is well coated.
Add the spiced goat and garlic to the pan and seal the goat on all sides so that it is browned.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, cinnamon stick, apricots, saffron and enough stock to just cover the goat. Bring to the oil then reduce to a slow simmer. Leave the goat to cook for 1-1.5 hours or until the meat is tender, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon (add more stock or water if the liquid is below the goat). (You can do this on top of the stove or in the oven. If the stew is too watery, drain off the excess liquid into a saucepan and reduce until thickened. Then return to the stew.
Stir in 3 tblspns of the chopped coriander, harissa paste (more or less to taste), lemon zest, juice and honey.
Garnish with roasted pumpkin and scatter over remaining coriander
Beef Bone Marrow-Rendering
here i am again with something not so attractive, not so often used and a little out of the ordinary. surprise surprise. i'm sure you've seen roasted bone marrow on the menu. it's usually served beautifully roasted in the bone with it's own little special thin shovel shaped spoon, toast points and a few select accompaniments. it's quite dramatic and tasty if done properly and highly suggested for a first timer. the flavor is like a rich beefy butter. to some it's more of an event. you could liken it to eating caviar with all the goodies. some people just order it for the presentation and wow factor.
i can safely assume that not many will be attracted to this post, but those of you still interested i found an easy way to render the marrow from the bone. this can keep in the fridge for quite a while to use when needed. it's a great flavor enhancer for any stock, broth or sauce. ..add to your hamburgers for an extra rich flavor. it can be used as a dramatic first course or simply used like any fat or oil...
like i said...think of it as BEEF BUTTER
RENDERING BONE MARROW
some great info from my favorite new book "FAT" by Jennifer McLagan
i like to do this when i'm making oxtails or short ribs or any good beefy stock.
choose some bones that look freshly cut about 2-3 inches. the marrow should look nice and clean and white.
soak the bones in cold water with 2 tbsp kosher salt for 12-24 hours and refrigerate changing the water 4-5 times and resalting. this removes the blood. render straight away after the soaking.
if you're making stock, get that going as usual. mine consists of 1-2 onions quartered, a few celery stalks, smashed garlic and a few sliced carrots...a sprinkle of dry tarragon and oregano.
get this to a boil and then down to a simmer.
add the bones in and simmer for about 15-20 mins. carefully take the bones out and place them in a dish. (very easy to drop back in the pot and splash hot broth on oneself). the marrow should be loosening from the sides.
prepare a bowl of ice water and stir in 1 Tbsp kosher salt (more or less depending on the size of the bowl).
while they are warm carefully run a small knife around the marrow. sometimes the marrow will just slip out at this point, sometimes it will take a little work to get it out whole and in one nice big cylindrical piece. put the marrow into the cold salted water. it should solidify pretty quick. repeat with the rest. add ice to the water if necessary.
when you're done put the bones back into the stock because there is still lots of beefy goodness on them bones.
transfer the marrow to a tupperware (air-tight container) and cover with some fresh salted water. keep in the fridge for future use. change the salted water every few days until ready to use.
this was tasty and rich with a little sauteed shallots and some fresh parsley it can make something so plain into something wonderful, deep and delicious.



























