Grilled tongue sandwiches with charred onion and pickled beetroot recipe (2024)

• 1 beef tongue (about 800gm; see note)
• 2 onions, 1 unpeeled and quartered
• 1 peeled and sliced into thick rounds
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled, bruised
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Frisée, to serve

• 375 gm plain flour
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 1½ tsp dried yeast
• 160 ml lukewarm milk (2/3 cup)
• 5 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 150 gm butter, diced and softened, plus extra for greasing

• 150 ml red wine vinegar
• 50 ml red wine
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 beetroot, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds on a mandolin

• 1/3 cup firmly packed tarragon
• 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tsp capers in vinegar, drained
• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 120 ml olive oil

Main

• 1

  Combine tongue, quartered onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf in a large saucepan, cover with plenty of cold water, season generously with sea salt and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until tongue is very tender when pierced with a skewer (2½-2¾ hours). Drain (discard onion, garlic and herbs) and, when tongue is cool enough to handle, peel (discard skin) and refrigerate tongue in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

• 2

  For brioche, combine flour, sugar, yeast and 1 tsp salt in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, then add milk and egg yolks, and mix until combined. With mixer on high speed, gradually add butter, kneading until incorporated before adding more. Knead until shiny and elastic (5-6 minutes). Transfer to a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (1-1½ hours). Preheat oven to 180C and butter six 7cm-high, 6.5cm-diameter ring moulds and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Knock back dough, roll into 6 balls and place in moulds. Cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place until risen by half (30-40 minutes). Remove plastic wrap, place baking paper over moulds, then a heavy baking tray and bake until brioche rolls are golden brown and a skewer inserted withdraws clean (10-15 minutes). Cool, then store in an airtight container until required.

• 3

  See Also

  Four recipes for hearty vegan soups | Annie BellIna Garten's Engagement Chicken - recipe review40 Crowd-Pleasing Potluck RecipesFlavourful flatbreads and quick quesadilla recipes | The modern cook

  For beetroot pickle, bring vinegar, wine, sugar and 60ml water to the boil in a small saucepan, season to taste, then add beetroot and cool to room temperature.

• 4

  For tarragon salsa, process herbs, capers, garlic and mustard in a small food processor until finely chopped, then add oil, process to a purée and season to taste.

• 5

  Heat a char-grill pan to high. Drizzle onion rounds with oil, season to taste and grill, turning once, until browned (1-2 minutes each side). Thickly slice tongue across the grain (you won't need it all), drizzle with oil, season to taste and grill, turning once, to warm through (30 seconds to 1 minute each side).

• 6

  To serve, trim tops and bases of brioche, then slice each into three. Toast slices lightly under a hot grill, then top half with tongue, onion, drained beetroot pickle and a drizzle of tarragon salsa. Season to taste, top with frisée, sandwich with remaining brioche slices and serve.