10 Second Memory: Nana's Beef Tongue Sandwiches

John and I spent a Saturday morning at the famous Renniger's Kutztown Farmer's Market searching for antiques and good eats! We've been there before and I've blogged about it. (http://frazzledatforty.blogspot.com/2011/06/farmstands-and-farmers-markets.html) Love this place! We got up extra early, UGH, and I made it there by 7 am... grumbling. I was jonesing for coffee but more so jonesing for antique bargains and immediately found the ultimate serving dish for relishes, pickles, and olives. It is a vintage mid-century heavy frosted glass based divided serving dish with a bird relief on the bottom. Totally incredible and totally affordable at .... $1.00!!!! Couldn't pass this baby up!

Vintage Relish Dish
After that, we meandered around the indoor flea market and came across a great antique Lincoln-influenced desk lamp for $125 and an oil for $70. Both affordable to our budget but we passed. I'm keeping these in mind for possible Christmas gifts. :)  


We instead headed to the farmer's market area indoors to fill up on fresh meats, spices, and veggies. We picked up cheap bananas ($1.00/large bunch), Romaine lettuce ($1.50/bag), Brussels sprouts ($1.00/basket), and spices like pine nuts, or as John, the Big Ragu calls them pignoli nuts!
Dietrich's Country Meats
While walking around the various vendors, we passed by one of our favorites, Dietrich's Country Meats. We tasted some samples ... ok ALOT of samples, as they ALWAYS put out and joked with the other customers how we were having our breakfast on the samples. They agreed! LOL. 

Cooked Beef Tongue
Then I spied some ... beef tongue. I hadn't had it in years! I remember my Nana serving me beef tongue sandwiches as a young child and I eating them without regard for what they were. They tasted good and I enjoyed them. I remember her specifically stating that the beef tongue has to be sliced thin ... VERY THIN. She said it with such a commanding voice, It completely scared my 6 year old soul! Now, as a 45 year old, I channel Nana when I need to speak with a commanding voice.

Anyway, the tongue was ordered and I told the butcher at Dietrich's that it needed to be sliced THIN ... but alas, was not sliced thin enough to this guy's or my Nana's liking. Still though, I accepted it with happiness. I went home and did not make a sandwich but devoured it right off the plate. 

I ate it with some gourmet AWESOME horseradish pickles from Peter Piper's Pickle Palace at Renninger's. (peterpiperspicklepalace@gmail.com) They were a great accompaniment if I do say so myself. 

Sliced Beef Tongue YUM!
It was SOO good and took me back the the 1970's when my Russian Nana would feed me sandwiches of beef tongue, onion, muenster cheese, and whole grain mustard on white bread. Beef tongue has the taste and texture reminiscent of roast beef. It is softer in texture and flavor though. More mild and delicate. Any thoughts of it being gross are SOO over-rated as it is actually more palatable than an organ meat such as the heart or liver. Beef tongue is AFTER ALL a muscle akin to any other muscle in a cow or steer's body so ... GET OVER IT. 

Try something different, BUT ask for it to be sliced THIN. Think of Marc's Nana and that tough Russian Babushka may just come out of you at your at your local butcher!


Comments

  1. Skip NeelNovember 12, 2015 at 9:24 AM

    But what I really, really really want to know is, did you get any Fleas??? Great story. I've had Beef Tongue in a number of ways. The last time I had it was in a Mexican Burrito. Don't know what's all in it, but it was good.

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    Replies
    1. Marc Haynes is Focused at Fifty! November 12, 2015 at 12:29 PM

      Haha! No fleas. :) The interesting thing is that a lot of cultures ate tongue as it was a "cheaper" piece of meat. It was a left over like pig's ears or oxtail but could still provide sustenance to those poorer families. Never had pig's ears though ... now that's crazy! LOL

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  2. UnknownNovember 14, 2015 at 9:16 AM

    My grandmother made beef tongue too, its my mom''s favorite too "melts in your mouth" my mom would say

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