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Slow-Braised Beef Tongue with Browned-Butter Horseradish Sauce and Sautéed Watercress

4 servings · 4.8 g net carbs

4.8g Net carbs 32g Fat 12.1g Protein 364.4 kcal

4.8g Net carbs · 32g Fat · 12.1g Protein · 364.4 kcal

Slow-Braised Beef Tongue with Browned-Butter Horseradish Sauce and Sautéed Watercress

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This recipe was generated with AI assistance; nutrition is computed from USDA FoodData Central.

4 servings  ·  prep 30 min  ·  cook 3 hr  ·  total 3 hr 30 min  ·  difficulty hard

Slow-braised beef tongue is cooked in beef broth and white wine with shallot and bay leaves until fork-tender. The meat is peeled and sliced, then finished with a browned butter sauce brightened by horseradish and a splash of heavy cream. A quick sauté of watercress and garlic in olive oil and butter provides a peppery, vivid green counterpoint. The braising liquid is reduced and strained so the sauce glazes the tongue slices without pooling on the plate.

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Ingredients

  • beef tongueBeef, Variety meats and by-products, tongue, raw
    225 g
  • beef brothSoup, Beef broth or bouillon canned, ready-to-serve
    800 g
  • white wineWine, White
    50 g
  • shallotShallots, Raw
    15 g
  • bay leavesSpices, Bay leaf
    3 g
  • saltSalt, Table
    8 g
  • black pepperSpices, Pepper, black
    4 g
  • olive oil
    15 ml
  • butterButter, Salted
    80 g
  • heavy creamCream, Heavy
    30 ml
  • horseradish
    12 g
  • watercressWatercress, Raw
    120 g
  • garlicGarlic, Raw
    5 g

Equipment

  • Dutch oven
  • 12-inch skillet
  • fine-mesh sieve

Method

  1. Trim any excess fat from the beef tongue and pat it dry.
  2. Heat the Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, and sear the tongue on all sides until browned, about 6 minutes per side.
  3. Add the shallot, beef broth, white wine and bay leaves to the pot, bring to a simmer on the stovetop, cover, and transfer to the oven to braise at 150°C (300°F) until the tongue is fork-tender, about 180 minutes.
  4. Lift the tongue from the braising liquid and let it cool just enough to handle, then peel away the outer membrane and discard it.
  5. Strain the braising liquid and return it to the pot; simmer until reduced and concentrated to a glaze that coats the back of a spoon.
  6. In a skillet, melt most of the butter over medium heat until the solids turn amber and the butter smells nutty, then remove from heat and whisk in the horseradish and heavy cream to form a smooth sauce; return a small portion of the reduced braising liquid to adjust consistency and seasoning.
  7. Thinly slice the peeled tongue against the grain and warm the slices briefly in the reduced sauce to glaze them.
  8. Sauté the garlic in the remaining butter with the watercress just until wilted, then toss off heat.
  9. Arrange sliced tongue on plates, spoon the browned-butter horseradish sauce over the meat, and serve with the sautéed watercress alongside.
Trim any excess fat from the beef tongue and pat it dry.

Tips

Pro tip

  • Peel the tongue while it is still warm; the membrane slips off more easily after the braise.
  • Brown the butter slowly and watch it closely; once the solids are amber, remove from heat to prevent burning.
  • Slice the tongue against the grain for the most tender mouthfeel.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use chicken stock instead of beef broth for the braise?
Yes. Chicken stock will braise the tongue to tenderness but gives a lighter, less beefy base, so finish the sauce with a little more reduction and adjust salt to deepen flavor.
What can I use instead of horseradish in the sauce?
Use prepared mustard as a substitute. It will add sharpness like horseradish but more rounded acidity, so add it gradually to match the desired bite and taste before finishing with cream.
The tongue is still tough after the stated braise time—what should I do?
Continue to braise the tongue low and slow until it becomes fork-tender, then peel and return sliced pieces to a low simmer in the reduced braising liquid to finish and soften any remaining fibers.
My sauce looks grainy or separated after adding the browned butter and cream—how can I fix it?
Remove the pan from direct heat, whisk in the heavy cream to smooth the emulsion, then pass the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve and finish by whisking in a few small pieces of cold butter off heat to bring it back together.
How should I store leftovers, and how do I reheat them?
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking — within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F (32°C). USDA general guidance for cooked leftovers is 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below, or the freezer for longer. Reheat until steaming hot throughout, to 165°F (74°C). These are USDA FoodKeeper general guidelines, not a measurement of this specific recipe.

Per serving

Primary macros

4.8g Net carbs 10% 65% 25%
Net carbs Fat Protein
4.8 gNet carbs
12.1 gProtein
32 gFat
0.9 gFiber
364.4Calories

Electrolytes

Na1715 mgSodium
K448 mgPotassium
Mg26 mgMagnesium

Minerals

Calcium
78 mg
Iron
2.62 mg
Magnesium
26 mg
Phosphorus
138 mg
Potassium
448 mg
Zinc
1.79 mg
Copper
0.146 mg
Selenium
7.7 µg

Vitamins

Vitamin A
212 µg
Vitamin C
16.2 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin E
—
Vitamin K
—
Thiamin (B1)
0.112 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
0.298 mg
Niacin (B3)
4.09 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
—
Vitamin B6
0.289 mg
Folate
16 µg
Vitamin B12
2.31 µg

Other nutrients

Choline
—

Based on USDA source data. A dash means that nutrient wasn’t reported for this food — it doesn’t mean the food contains none. Nothing was estimated in its place.

341.5 g per serving

5 figures are unavailable. Nothing was estimated in its place.

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Published 5 September 2026

Nutrition computed from USDA FoodData Central, from the matched food records — never estimated by a model. How we compute these numbers.