Sunday, March 17, 2013
An Unusual St. Paddy's Day Dinner @CanadianBeef #loveCDNbeef
We love creating new traditions with our friends. This year, our Swiss friend invited us (and another family) over for an unusual St. Paddy's Day dinner! A beef tongue dinner!
Our friend was really excited about cooking beef tongue for us and sharing a meal together. It just so happened that it was on St. Patrick's Day.
I have to say that beef tongue is not something have enjoyed the past. Perhaps it's the texture, the appearance, and just the idea and image of beef tongue that has made it unappealing to me.
In all fairness, as a child, I enjoyed the Filipino dish my grandfather made with beef tongue. However, when I learned what it was, it turned me off completely. My grandfather's Lengua Estofada was such a tasty dish. It was flavourful and the meat was so tender.
After that, I was vegetarian for most of my adult life. As chance would have it, I married a beef farmer. When I married a beef farmer, I was reintroduced to beef tongue by my mother-in-law. A "family favourite" was cold beef tongue sandwiches on my mother-in-law's homemade bread with her homemade relish.
If I have to be honest, it was not something I would choose to eat. My mother-in-law is a fabulous cook, but a cold beef tongue sandwich is not something I find particularly appetizing. I remember not wanting to be impolite, but really not wanting to eat it. It was basically a boiled beef tongue, sliced and served cold.
When our Swiss friend invited us to his family's home for a beef tongue party, I had some reservations. We went, the kids had a blast, the adults engaged in fun conversation, and the meal was amazing!
Yes, I said it. The Swiss beef tongue dinner was amazing. He cooked it in a pressure cooker and made a lovely sauce with capers. He served his famous mashed potatoes and green beans with it as well. No one gets mashed potatoes as light and fluffy as he does!
For dessert, his wife made a gluten/dairy-free chocolate tart with an almond crust, topped with raspberry.
The dinner party was a hit and our group of friends decided we'd do a Swiss beef tongue dinner every St. Patrick's Day. I know it sounds highly unusual, but it was actually really good! My four year old daughter had two helpings of beef tongue and mashed potatoes. I cannot believe that my little girl asked for more beef tongue! Unreal!
At the dinner party, we had one Swiss person, one Irish person, one English-Canadian person, one Hungarian person, one French-Canadian person, one Filipina-Spanish-Caribbean-Chinese person (me!), and all our kids. I will not tell you what other "delicacies" from all of our cultures we talked about! One thing is for sure...I will NEVER try "Alpen balls" or "Prairie Oysters". I will not eat "Head Cheese" either.
Have you ever had beef tongue? What is something you absolutely WILL NOT eat? Are you an adventurous eater or a picky eater?
Happy St. Paddy's Day!
I have to say that beef tongue is not something have enjoyed the past. Perhaps it's the texture, the appearance, and just the idea and image of beef tongue that has made it unappealing to me.
In all fairness, as a child, I enjoyed the Filipino dish my grandfather made with beef tongue. However, when I learned what it was, it turned me off completely. My grandfather's Lengua Estofada was such a tasty dish. It was flavourful and the meat was so tender.
After that, I was vegetarian for most of my adult life. As chance would have it, I married a beef farmer. When I married a beef farmer, I was reintroduced to beef tongue by my mother-in-law. A "family favourite" was cold beef tongue sandwiches on my mother-in-law's homemade bread with her homemade relish.
If I have to be honest, it was not something I would choose to eat. My mother-in-law is a fabulous cook, but a cold beef tongue sandwich is not something I find particularly appetizing. I remember not wanting to be impolite, but really not wanting to eat it. It was basically a boiled beef tongue, sliced and served cold.
When our Swiss friend invited us to his family's home for a beef tongue party, I had some reservations. We went, the kids had a blast, the adults engaged in fun conversation, and the meal was amazing!
Yes, I said it. The Swiss beef tongue dinner was amazing. He cooked it in a pressure cooker and made a lovely sauce with capers. He served his famous mashed potatoes and green beans with it as well. No one gets mashed potatoes as light and fluffy as he does!
For dessert, his wife made a gluten/dairy-free chocolate tart with an almond crust, topped with raspberry.
The dinner party was a hit and our group of friends decided we'd do a Swiss beef tongue dinner every St. Patrick's Day. I know it sounds highly unusual, but it was actually really good! My four year old daughter had two helpings of beef tongue and mashed potatoes. I cannot believe that my little girl asked for more beef tongue! Unreal!
At the dinner party, we had one Swiss person, one Irish person, one English-Canadian person, one Hungarian person, one French-Canadian person, one Filipina-Spanish-Caribbean-Chinese person (me!), and all our kids. I will not tell you what other "delicacies" from all of our cultures we talked about! One thing is for sure...I will NEVER try "Alpen balls" or "Prairie Oysters". I will not eat "Head Cheese" either.
Have you ever had beef tongue? What is something you absolutely WILL NOT eat? Are you an adventurous eater or a picky eater?
Happy St. Paddy's Day!
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City girl moves to the country, falls in love, and marries a farmer. She tries to incorporate her city ways with her new country lifestyle and blogs to keep in touch with friends, family & students who live far, far away :) Can this city girl go country? Watch as she learns all sorts of exciting things about life on the farm and in a small rural community. *UPDATE* We are now parents! Our baby girl was born on Nov. 11, 2008 (at 28 weeks gestation- 12 weeks premature, but she's quite the trooper)!!!
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14 comments:
Nope, have never had beef tongue before but that chocolate raspberry tart looks absolutely delicious! I can't even remember what I made for St. Patrick's Day supper last night!
Cheryl:
I was very hesitant. I get queasy thinking about certain things (which is partially why I was vegetarian most of my adult life). I have made a huge effort to being very open to new things, if only to show my 4 year old daughter that if Mommy wants her to be open to new things, Mommy has to as well. They learn so much from observing us.
Funny thing was that SHE wast the one who kept asking for more! I said, "You want more BEEF TONGUE?!" (probably shouldn't have said it that way). She answered with "YES, PLEASE!!!"
Still in shock! LOL!
I know someone who use to eat tongue but nope - I can't do it.
Randa:
I hear ya! The thought of it is hard to get around! lol
No, we don't get or eat the tongue. But, it does look like it would be ok, maybe if it just wasn't mentioned that it was tongue...
We grew up eating liver and I loved it. My husband hates liver, so we haven't had it in years. I bet my parents still eat liver a lot;)
okay, seriously, I'm repulsed just thinking about it! but if there was a little girl anywhere in the world that would eat it, it would be yours! she is so adventureous!
CMCM:
So funny that you mentioned liver. I absolutely HATED liver when I was a kid. I remember being 7 years old and CRYING when it was liver night. I'd beg my parents to not make me eat it!
Now that I'm older, I actually like it (only when my Mom makes it or only at my favourite restaurant). Done right, it's actually good! Done wrong, it can turn you off of it forever! LOL!
Mom vs. the Boys:
I know, right???? Believe me, I didn't want to either, but I often have to do things I don't like or want to do, so as to not project my fears or distaste onto my little one. LOL! I'm afraid of heights and two years ago, I climbed to the top of a tree house with her so she wouldn't adopt my fear of heights.
I probably didn't need to eat the dish last night, because she didn't need any encouragement! LOL!
Ack! I got chills just thinking about eating beef tongue.
It's nice though that you got out and have someone cook for you. I'll take a beef tongue for that, LOL!
Everything Mom and Baby:
Ack! Sorry! LOL! Don't want to gross out the pregnant lady!! ;)
I don't think I would (or could!) ever cook a beef tongue! Gah! We just give all those organ meats to friends of ours who do cook them and enjoy them. Friends from Europe say that they always used the entire animal and nothing went to waste. I totally get that. Still, the thought gives me goosebumps! LOL!
Um well the party looks great not sure about the tongue though. Did LO eat it? Wow! That's crazy. My kids would be all like um NOOOOO!! Picture them screaming and running from the table.
Paula:
LOL! She DID! She asked for seconds! :) Crazy, huh?
We ate it pickled when we were young. My Dad grew up on a farm, and you didn't waste parts of the cow you had to slaughter.
Shari:
SO TRUE! My husband's family has been farming for generations and generations and they believe in the whole idea of "waste not, want not".