Braised Beef Tongue

Beef tongue braised slowly with bacon, herbs and vegetables and topped with tomato or piquant sauce.

Soak a beef tongue in warm water until all the blood is extracted and the water quite cold. Take it out, drain, trim off the superfluous fat and lard the meat with fat bacon. Put it in a braising pan with a few cloves, carrots and onions, a little thyme and parsley, two slices of fat bacon or pork, sufficient stock to moisten it and salt and pepper to taste. Set the pan at the side of the fire, cover it, place hot ashes on the top and cook slowly for about four hours. Take out the tongue when done, remove the skin, cut it lengthwise into halves, lay them open on a dish, pour some tomato or piquant sauce over, and serve.