Who would pay hundreds of bucks for beef tongue? Well, it sounds gross to eat beef tongue, but some people actually love the flavor and texture of the beef tongue. However, they still ask, “why is beef tongue so expensive?” With this article, we are sharing the reason behind the expensive price and more about the beef tongue!
Why Is Beef Tongue So Expensive?
To begin with, the beef tongue has become pretty popular, and it’s needless to say that butchers hardly let anything go to waste. As far as the high price is concerned, one cow has only one tongue, which is one reason behind the high price. In simpler words, beef tongue is available in lesser quantity as compared to other meat cuts of the cow. That being said, the expensive price is only because of the supply and demand issue because the demand is high and the supply is low. Given this irrational supply and demand cycle, the price has become too expensive.
Beef Tongue – What Is It?
Now that we have shared the only reason behind the expensive price of beef tongues, let’s check out more about the beef tongue. Beef tongue is the beef cut that’s made from cow’s tongue. It can be braised in sauce, roasted, pickled, and boiled, whatever you like. Beef tongue is an important part of national cuisines and is widely used as taco filling (only Mexican tacos use beef tongue fillings). In addition, the open-faced sandwiches can be made with beef tongues.
With French and Belgium cuisine, beef tongue is served with a dash of Madeira sauce and mushrooms, but German people make it as white roux with capers and vinegar. When it comes down to the nutrients, the beef tongue has a high-fat content which increases the calorie count by 72%. At this point, we do want to add that Canada and Alberta export extensive quantities of beef tongue, and those are the regions with somewhat lower prices.
It can be seasoned with spices and onions for boiling. However, once the beef tongue is properly cooked, the skin will be removed, and pickled tongue is used as it is previously spiced. Moreover, the beef tongue can be cooked with sauce and is reused for meatball sauce. Last but not least, some people prepare beef tongue by scalding it in hot water and skin is removed. After removing the skin, the tongue is roasted in the oven, and pan drippings are used to make gravy.
As far as utilization of beef tongue is concerned, the open-faced sandwiches are served in dinner, lunch, and breakfast in Northern America. In Ukrainian, Russian, and Jewish cuisines, people boil the beef tongue and serve it with chrain and is often added to Russian salad. Not to forget, Japanese people, make grilled beef tongues rather than using other methods of preparation.
Taste
At this point, we are certain that you are aware of beef tongue cut, but you must be pondering about the taste and texture, right? Truth be told, beef tongue tastes like other beef cuts, but it has the softest texture, which means it will melt in your mouth. Moreover, if you add spices or flavor additives, the flavor can be enhanced. However, it’s a pretty tough meat cut which means it must be cooked with precision. Keep in mind that incorrectly cooked beef tongues will lead to a chewy texture.
For this reason, it is best to prepare beef tongues at low and slow temperatures. The original flavor is pretty mild, and the texture is tender. In fact, beef tongue is great organ meat for people who want to expand the horizon of their culinary experience. The best thing about the beef tongue is that it has sufficient nutrients for maintaining and following an active and healthy lifestyle. However, keep in mind that the beef tongue’s skin is removed to make it edible (skin isn’t edible).
To summarize, beef tongue is expensive because the supply is limited while demand keeps increasing. Since the majority of cuisines have started using beef tongue, it’s only escalating the price. As far as the worth is concerned, beef tongue is surely worth the high price because of mild beefy flavor and tender texture (this combo might not be available in other beef cuts!).