Simmered Tongue (Beef, Fresh or Smoked)

Recipe No. 358 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Meat. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Tongue, fresh — 45 pounds
• or — as needed
• Tongue, smoked — 40 pounds

Water — as needed

• Salt (for fresh tongues only) — 7 ounces (¼ mess kit cup)
• Pepper (optional) — as needed
• Water — as needed

Directions

1. Cover tongue with water; if fresh tongue is used, add salt and pepper.
2. Cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer until tongue is tender.
3. Plunge into cold water. Remove skin and cut away roots.
4. If tongue is to be served cold, cool in water in which it was cooked; if tongue is to be served hot, trim and return to cooking water. Heat to serving temperature.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Tongue, fresh — 3 lb 9⅔ oz or — to taste Tongue, smoked — 3 lb 3¼ oz Water — to taste Salt (for fresh tongues only) — ½ oz Pepper (optional) — to taste Water — to taste

Spices and chopped onions, carrots, or green peppers may be added to the cooking water.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 358, Meat. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.