Sweet-and- Sour Veal Tongue a la Romana
Instructions:
- 1 veal tongue, about 2 pounds (900 g)
- 15 whole black peppercorns
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 medium onion, thickly sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 strips of lemon peel, about
- 2 inches long (yellow zest only)
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 10 pitted prunes
- 1/ 2 cup raisins (60 g)
- 3 1/ 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (90 ml)
- 1 peperoncino, or hot red pepper flakes to taste
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus parsley sprigs to decorate the dish
- 1/ 4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted (65 g)
- Wash the tongue in cold water. Drain well.
- In a casserole large enough to hold the tongue, put the tongue, peppercorns, cloves, onion, bay leaf, lemon peel, and salt. Add enough hot water to cover the meat and put a lid on the pan. Bring to a boil and skim, if necessary. Cover the pot again, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the tongue for about 2 hours, or until it is tender when pierced with a kitchen needle or the tip of a knife.
- Transfer the tongue to a bowl of cold water and let stand for 1 to 2 minutes. Slit the skin underneath the tongue from the tip to the base and peel away and discard the skin and any small bones or gristle. Return the tongue to its broth in the casserole and let it cool in the liquid until tepid.
- Soak the prunes and raisins separately in bowls of hot water to plump them. Drain both; quarter or halve the prunes
- In a small nonreactive saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the vinegar. Add the garlic, lemon juice, peperoncino or hot pepper flakes, and chopped parsley. Add the prunes and raisins to the sauce.
- Thinly slice the cooled tongue and arrange in a serving dish. Pour the sauce over the tongue, taking care to cover all the meat. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top, cover, and let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Let return to room temperature for at least 2 hours. Decorate with parsley sprigs before serving.