Beef Tongue in Madeira Sauce

Preparation

1. Wash the tongue thoroughly under cold water. Stud the onions with the cloves.
2. Bring about 2 litres of water to the boil with the salt and add the tongue, studded onions, soup vegetables and bay leaf. The tongue should be just covered; top up with water if needed. Simmer for about 2 hours, until the tip can be pierced easily.
3. Take out the tongue, rinse briefly with cold water and peel off the skin while it is still hot. Cut off the gristly end and keep the tongue warm in the hot stock. Save the stock.
4. For the sauce, melt the clarified butter and cook the flour in it, stirring, to a medium-brown roux. Whisk in 500 ml of the tongue stock to avoid lumps and boil for about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the Madeira, tomato purée and cream over low heat. Season with lemon juice, pepper and a little salt.
6. Lift the tongue out of the stock, cut it into slices and arrange in the sauce. Serve with ribbon noodles or spätzle.

Drink with it

• Red wine · excellent match

  Mature Spätburgunder or Pinot Noir

  Delicate red fruit and little tannin let the tender tongue shine, and the acidity cuts through the roux and cream.

  Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing ↗

• Fortified wine · excellent match

  Dry Madeira (Sercial or Verdelho) or Amontillado, lightly chilled

  The same wine as in the sauce: nutty, oxidative notes link with it, and the high acidity of the Sercial stands up to the cream and roux.

  Port wine: understanding Ruby, Tawny, and Vintage ↗

• Sherry-cask whisky · good match

  Mild sherry-cask whisky, neat or with a splash of water

  The nutty, oxidative note of the Madeira in the sauce is echoed in the sherry cask; for the mild meat, though, the whisky is almost too powerful.

  What Does the Cask Do to Whisky? ↗