Braised Beef Tongue

The image shows Beef Tongue, which is a tender and flavorful meat when prepared correctly. In Morocco, this is often served as a “Mcharmel” dish (in a thick, spiced tomato or garlic sauce).

Here is how to prepare it in English:

🍲 Moroccan Braised Beef Tongue (Mcharmel)
Beef tongue requires a two-step process: boiling to remove the skin, and then slow-cooking in a sauce.

Step 1: The Essential Cleaning (Peeling)
You cannot eat the rough outer skin of the tongue.

Place the tongue in a large pot of boiling water with a splash of vinegar and 2 bay leaves.

Boil for about 20–30 minutes.

Remove the tongue and, while it is still hot, use a knife to peel off the thick white/grey skin. It should come off easily. If it cools down, the skin will stick again.

Slice the peeled tongue into rounds or cubes.

Step 2: The Recipe

Ingredients:

The Tongue: Prepared and sliced as mentioned above.

Aromatics: 4 cloves of minced garlic and 1 small finely chopped onion.

Herbs: A large handful of chopped fresh parsley and cilantro.

Spices: 1 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Black pepper, 1.5 tsp Cumin, 1.5 tsp Paprika, and 1/2 tsp Turmeric.

Liquid: 1/2 cup Olive oil and water for simmering.

Finishing touches: Green olives and preserved lemon (Hamed M’sayyar).

Instructions:

Sauté: In a pressure cooker or heavy pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic, onion, and sliced tongue for a few minutes.

Season: Add all the spices and the chopped herbs. Stir well so the meat is coated.

Simmer: Add enough water to almost cover the meat.

Cook: Close the pressure cooker and cook for 45–60 minutes on medium heat. The meat is done when it is “butter-soft” and easy to cut with a fork.

Reduce: Open the lid and add the olives and preserved lemon. Let the sauce simmer uncovered until it becomes thick and “oil-based” (Ghamira).

💡 Pro-Tips
Texture: If you don’t have a pressure cooker, a regular pot will take about 2 to 3 hours to get the meat tender.

Serving: This is best served hot with crusty bread (Khobz) to scoop up the rich sauce.