Hungarian-Style Beef Tongue (Lengua de Vaca a la Hungara)

Ingredients

• 1 beef tongue
• 2 liters water
• salt
• 2 heads onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 small bunch parsley, oregano, and hierba buena (spearmint)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 head onion, ground
• 1/2 clove garlic, ground
• raisins
• almonds, crushed
• butter
• vinegar
• 1 drop olive oil
• butter
• breadcrumbs
• cheese, grated
• green pea purée
• pickled gherkins

Instructions

1. Wash, scrape, and skin the beef tongue at the tip, remove fat and membranes, and prick it all over with a thick needle.
2. Boil three hours in two liters of salted water with two heads of onion, a clove of garlic, and a bunch of parsley, oregano, and hierba buena (spearmint).
3. Beat the cooked tongue with the flat of a knife to loosen the skin, cool, and peel it.
4. Cut deep lengthwise in the thickest part and remove a piece of meat from the center with a sharp knife.
5. Chop that meat fine with two hard-boiled eggs; season with salt, pepper, half a head of onion and half a clove of garlic ground, raisins, and crushed almonds; cook with a little butter for six minutes, stirring.
6. Off the heat, finish with a very little vinegar and a drop of olive oil, then stuff the hollow of the tongue.
7. Close the edges with three turns of strong thread; coat with butter, roll in grated breadcrumbs and cheese, wrap in buttered paper, and bake a quarter hour.
8. Serve with green pea purée and pickled gherkins.