I am pretty special. I was gifted a beef tongue (and dog bones) yesterday by my friend. She and her daughter came for a visit and she produced this frozen beef tongue, either for the dogs or for myself, whichever, she said. I chose me, since there were lots of bones that day and the next day I went to the butcher's and got their usual weekly ration of raw meat and bones. And there, I was given about 10 large turkey carcasses for the dogs. Those lucky dogs!
I left the tongue out to thaw and then the next day, simmered it slowly all day, about 8 hours in total, with bay leaves, mustard seeds, a chunk of organic turmeric, garlic, onion and a handful of black peppercorns and some Himalayan salt. I peeked at it several times, checking the broth level to be sure it was submerged. And I stuck two turkey carcasses in the oven and slow roasted them. There was not much meat left on them, as their original purpose was for turkey sausage and jerky, but there was a bit and it was delicious. Normally, I would not eat store bought turkey in any quantity, but there was truly only a few ounces. I realized that the turkey carcasses should be raw for the dogs, though, so I am not sure what to do with the bones at this point.
The broth from the tongue was turned on high to evaporate the water and get a reduction. Tongue broth will gel when it is reduced enough and my aim was jellied tongue. I ate some of it hot after peeling the skin off and removing the membrane and muscle where it attaches. Gross? People used to eat tongue, and organs and other parts all the time and cook the bones in broth too, but we have lost our way through the desire for quick easy and convenient meals. The long simmered tongue was tender and had a hint of cinnamon and cloves with the fragrance of bay, just the right amount of salt and a smack of black pepper hotness. Delightful.
And today, I was gifted one more time with a father and his two daughter's visit to the farm. He was a delightful young man, genuine as they come, which is rare in this day and age. I immediately felt that their presence somehow had enriched my life today and that the visit was my gift. Then my long time friend from White Rock stopped in for coffee and we had a good time chatting.
See, life is filled with abundance and is bountiful, from tongues to friends and the laughter of children to carcasses. These are not the sorts of things we generally think of when we think 'gift' however, everything given freely with good intentions can be a gift. Do you feel blessed by the small things in your life too?
I left the tongue out to thaw and then the next day, simmered it slowly all day, about 8 hours in total, with bay leaves, mustard seeds, a chunk of organic turmeric, garlic, onion and a handful of black peppercorns and some Himalayan salt. I peeked at it several times, checking the broth level to be sure it was submerged. And I stuck two turkey carcasses in the oven and slow roasted them. There was not much meat left on them, as their original purpose was for turkey sausage and jerky, but there was a bit and it was delicious. Normally, I would not eat store bought turkey in any quantity, but there was truly only a few ounces. I realized that the turkey carcasses should be raw for the dogs, though, so I am not sure what to do with the bones at this point.
The broth from the tongue was turned on high to evaporate the water and get a reduction. Tongue broth will gel when it is reduced enough and my aim was jellied tongue. I ate some of it hot after peeling the skin off and removing the membrane and muscle where it attaches. Gross? People used to eat tongue, and organs and other parts all the time and cook the bones in broth too, but we have lost our way through the desire for quick easy and convenient meals. The long simmered tongue was tender and had a hint of cinnamon and cloves with the fragrance of bay, just the right amount of salt and a smack of black pepper hotness. Delightful.
And today, I was gifted one more time with a father and his two daughter's visit to the farm. He was a delightful young man, genuine as they come, which is rare in this day and age. I immediately felt that their presence somehow had enriched my life today and that the visit was my gift. Then my long time friend from White Rock stopped in for coffee and we had a good time chatting.
See, life is filled with abundance and is bountiful, from tongues to friends and the laughter of children to carcasses. These are not the sorts of things we generally think of when we think 'gift' however, everything given freely with good intentions can be a gift. Do you feel blessed by the small things in your life too?
the broth being reduced
the tongue being peeled
the turkey being smelled and ready to offer some tasty tidbits.
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