WHAT’S HOT: A lot of chefs have their tongues out at the moment. Instead of the grey boiled slabs we’ve seen in the past, the new way chefs are showing off this muscle meat is with a pink ruffled brochette. The meat is typically brined, poached, peeled and shaved; the soft folds elegantly threaded on a skewer. The kebab is then kissed by coals and licked by the flames to form a crisp caramelised crust around the edges.

WHY: It’s a combination of curiosity from diners and cost-cutting from chefs. Tongue is an adventurous ingredient that people don’t generally cook for themselves at home. It’s also offaly good. Unlike other organs, it’s high in fat, which gives it a buttery melt-in-your-mouth texture when cooked the right way.

FUGAZZI, ADELAIDE
Fugazzi is serving tongue with an Italian twist. Previous menus have included a crumbed and fried tongue cottoletta with parmesan cheese and sauce gribiche. The latest iteration is served on a stick, the soft slips now smothered in a herby green goddess dressing.  27 Leigh St, Adelaide; fugazzi.com.au

PNEUMA, BRISBANE
Chef Max Blackwell takes a tongue-to-tail approach at his new restaurant Pneuma. The signature corned tongue is brined in traditional spice, then served with a tomato kasundi with pickled mustard seed and curry leaf for warmth and spice. 336 George St, Brisbane; pneumarestaurant.com

BUSSELTON PAVILION, BUSSELTON
Culinary Director Brendan Pratt has some fancy new moves with his tongue. At the Busselton Pavillion, the organ is folded into frills, then lacquered in a funky fermented tomato OX. The skewers are then singed on the rotisserie for layers of golden crunch. It comes with a scrunch of roti bread so you can create your own tongue roll. 30 Kent St, Busselton; busseltonpavilion.com.au

MORENA, SYDNEY
You won’t find a more tongue-tingling dish that the ox-tongue anticuchos at Sydney’s Morena. Executive chef Alejandro Saravia has turned the curious cut into a spicy Peruvian-inspired skewer, thickly coated in a smoky spice rub of sun-dried chillies and garlic. It’s cooked over a robata grill, then served with a bright and citrussy carretillero sauce. Sydney GPO, 1 Martin Pl; morenarestaurant.com.au

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