Of course, this meat part, which belongs to the offal of the first category, is not so often used for cooking. However, if you decide to pamper your home, then, first of all, it is worth learning how to cook pork tongue to the desired state.

Pork tongue selection and preparation for cooking

To prepare a language that can be served independently or used for other dishes, it is very important to choose it correctly, because the product must be fresh. In addition, it is not cooked immediately, but first prepared for this process.

What to look for when choosing:

  • be sure to look at the structure and color of the meat, it should be sufficiently dense and elastic;
  • you can lightly press on the tongue, first a hole forms and if it quickly rises to its original position, then it is fresh, but if not, then it is not recommended to buy it;
  • the color is scarlet or burgundy, quite dark and saturated. Any other speaks of staleness, and purple indicates that it contains a lot of iron;
  • In no case do not acquire a gray tongue or with the release of a cloudy liquid.

Once you have made your choice, it's time to get ready.

What do I need to do?

  • Look at the presence of the larynx, if it is, then it will have to be removed.
  • Fill your tongue with cold water for about three hours, this is done for an easier cooking process. And note that during this time you need to change the water at least several times.
  • After that, rinse the offal very well, you can even use a brush and sprinkle with soda, which in the future will need to be washed off.

How and how much to cook pork tongue until cooked

The average cooking time from one and a half hours to two, but it’s more accurate to say how much to cook the pork tongue only after the method of heat treatment is chosen, because you can use several options.

In the pan

  • Prepare the language as described above, remembering to rinse and clean it.
  • Fill the cooking container with water, wait until it starts to boil and put the meat there, and the liquid level should cover the contents by a few centimeters.
  • Bring everything back to the boiling process, lower the heating level and keep on the stove for about two hours. Various spices, herbs and bay leaves can be added to your taste.
  • Once the allotted time has passed, immediately separate the skin from the tongue.

In a slow cooker

You can cook the language in a slow cooker, then it will take much less time.

  • Prepare the selected language, rinse thoroughly from dirt and send to the bottom of the bowl.
  • Pour the required amount of water into it so that it completely covers the meat and is even slightly higher.
  • Spread the spices that you decide to use immediately, such as salt and pepper.
  • Turn on the device in the "Extinguishing" mode and set the time to 60 minutes, this will be enough to make it soft.
  • After the program shuts down, immediately remove the skin from the language.

In a pressure cooker

The total cooking time in this appliance is an hour, but you will have to tinker a bit.

  • We start with the preparation and washing of the tongue, then send it to the pressure cooker, which was pre-filled with the right amount of water.
  • We turn on the device for literally 15 minutes, after which we take out the tongue, quickly dousing it with very cold water and freeing it from the skin.
  • Wash the pressure cooker before further use, fill it with clean salted water and lower the offal there again. You can sprinkle with other seasonings or even put fresh herbs.
  • Cook for about 50 minutes and get it.

In a double boiler

As with all other cooking options, be sure to prepare the tongue first and rinse it well. Cooking time in this appliance is even longer than in a pan, but on the other hand, this processing option allows you to maximize save all the useful properties of the product.

  • We put the language in the department where cereals are usually cooked, close, turn on the desired mode, and the time for 120 minutes or two hours.
  • After this time, we season the tongue with spices, you can also add onions, fresh herbs, carrots and continue cooking for another 60 minutes.

After boiling the tongue, it is always necessary to peel it off, if you do not know how to do this, then this instruction will help you.

  • Pour the prepared pork offal with cold water, thus allowing it to cool slightly.
  • We pry the skin with a sharp knife and begin to take it off. If this happens with difficulty, then the language is not yet ready. Let it cook for a while and try again. The skin peels off very well from the finished product.

Secrets of cooking the tongue so that it is soft

As you can see, pork tongue is a rather capricious product. In addition to the nuances of preparation and cooking already listed, there are others that allow you to get a soft and tasty dish.

  • If the offal becomes soft after cooking, then it is ready. This can be very easily checked, if you pierce it with a fork, it comes in easily - get it.
  • Be sure to let the tongue lie for a while in the water before cooking. This will not only make it softer in the end, but also remove the unpleasant odor.
  • Try to cook the dish in two broths, that is, first put in one, bring to a boil, hold on fire for about 15-20 minutes, drain all the liquid, rinse your tongue and lower it back into the pot with water, not forgetting to season with spices.
  • Do not allow a strong boil, it is enough that the contents are only a little gurgling. If the process is very active, it can adversely affect the taste and softness.
  • It is believed that the tongue needs to be salted after cooking already freed from the skin, and only spices and some vegetables should be added to the broth.Moreover, this is not done immediately, but somewhere after 40-50 minutes.
  • Do not rush to get the product just because two hours have passed, the exact time depends on the temperature at which it was prepared, as well as on the length and thickness. It is possible that after this period of time it will be still solid and will have to be boiled down, which is not very good. It is much better to check it right away.