I hope today is the day you make tongue and I really hope it’s because of this recipe! I grew up eating tongue all the time (see my Savtah’s famous tongue recipe for more on that) and it’s become completely normal for my kids to eat it too. Tongue is so tender and meaty and I have a tendency to buy it thinly sliced at a kosher deli and just snack on it while I work. When I serve tongue to guests, I usually prepare it with a sweet and sour sauce and dried fruit but when Grow & Behold graciously sent me a raw beef tongue in exchange for some social media promo (I love my job!), I decided it was time to try something completely new. Since I’ve never made Korean food before, this tongue bulgogi was my gateway into the bold flavors and street food that Korea is known for. What is bulgogi, you ask??? It is marinated beef traditionally grilled or cooked in a cast iron skillet and from what I’ve been reading, it’s one of the most popular Korean dishes. What’s not so popular is the use of tongue in this recipe and that’s where I come in! I certainly hope I am doing justice to this dish and that my spin will inspire some bulgogi lovers to try something new.
This marinade is so fun because you can really taste each ingredient! If you can’t find any specific ingredients at your local grocery store, definitely look on Amazon. It’s worth it!!!
I could just eat this right out of the pan! And don’t be afraid of those dark crispy edges. You WANT the
Tongue Bulgogi
Ingredients
- 1 beef tongue
Marinade
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp mirin (or rice wine vinegar)
- 1 Tbsp gochujang (or sriracha)
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
Garnish
- bibb lettuce or butter lettuce
- white rice
- sesame seeds
- scallions
- sriracha
Instructions
- Place beef tongue in a large pot and add enough water to cover the tongue. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce heat to low and simmer the tongue for 2 hours. Note: you can use a pressure cooker or instant-pot to cook the tongue as well. Reduce cooking time to 45 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked tongue to a work surface and cool 10-15 minutes, until east to handle. Peel outer layer of skin from beef tongue. Slice the tongue into thin pieces and cool completely.
- Combine all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl or large ziploc bag and add the cooled tongue slices. Flip slices to cover both sides with marinade then cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- When ready to serve, heat a neutral oil such as vegetable or canola oil in a heavy bottom saucepan. Cook the marinated tongue slices for 2 minutes on each side, until slightly charred around the edges. The tongue can also be broiled or grilled.
- Serve tongue bulgogi in a lettuce wrap with white rice and a garnish of sesame seeds, scallions and sriracha.
