The Tongue!

Before I married Hubs, I was a very conservative eater. No exotic stuff for me. I'd puke! Unfortunately Hubs love exotic foodstuffs like wild animals - I shan't name any in case the wild life department decides to knock on my door!!!

To cut the long story short, I learnt to love what he loves. I learnt to enjoy the games he liked, the food he enjoyed and the lifestyle he adopted.

Three weeks ago, while the whole family was in the car he mentioned something about 'pig's tongue'. Ewww.....I am a fan of offal but no friend to the pig's tongue!! Hubs supply of pig's tongue ended with the closing of his favourite source.

I've forcibly tried it twice and wasn't much attracted to it. Hubs requested that I get my mum to cook it. Unfortunately my mum is gallivanting in some other part of the Peninsular at the moment and will not be back anytime soon.

I went marketing on Tuesday, my ears perked when I heard the lady next to me request for two pig's tongue. Then I remembered hubs request. I too asked for one pig's tongue. If I had known what I was getting into, I'd probably just have just put on my 'selective listening' skill to the max. Watching the stall owner stuff the offal into the plastic bag was a scene I wasn't prepared for!! Coming face to face with the raw, uncooked pig's tongue made me want to rescind my order!! Then I imagined my husbands 'longing' face in my mind, I put on a brave face and asked for advice how to clean and cook the 'damn ugly looking piece of meat'.

I expected something that looked like a tongue, and yes it did look like a tongue but I didn't expect an extended block of meat with an 'ear looking' cartilage attached to it!! Horrors of horrors, my stomach churned and turned!! I was stunned at how it looked and with all the fat hanging all over - trust me, it didn't look a pretty sight. Sorry for the gross descriptions, I was a little traumatized at it's sight.

But hey!! I've learnt to eat the fish eye which put many people off too, to me, it's the most delicious part of the fish head.

When I got home, I was already in distress. My new help was a wonder. She cleaned up the gross looking thing and put it into a pot of vinegared water, boiled it and continued cleaning it up. I shall end here and spare you my traumatic experience with the pig's tongue!

I searched the internet for Braised Pig's tongue and I was surprised to find that there was endless lists and methods to cook a pig's tongue.

I finally settled for this dish called Pork tongue asado in Pinoy Cook. I just followed the recipe as close as I could and the end result was amazing. When hubs tried it, he almost kissed me at the dinner table. He was raving about it and kept offering pieces of it to me. Obviously, I declined very politely. I guess in his excitement, he thought that I wanted for him to enjoy it all.

Below is a picture of the pig's tongue simmering in the pot. Hubs said to buy more the next time. Sigh....I don't know if I can do it again. I am still squirmish at the thought of it all.