Cheeks and Tongue from German Fullblood Wagyu

➊ We only use the thick part of the tongue at the back. Remove the skin from the raw tongue using a very thin and very sharp knife. Cut off enough of the bottom so that no veins remain. The rest of the tongue can be used to make a ragout. We rub the thick part with a classic beef rub or our own spice mixture.

➋ The cheeks are also cleaned very carefully. Wagyu is like a diamond, you have to be prepared to cut something away so that it really sparkles. We use the same rub as for the tongue. Both can be seasoned a day in advance.

➌ Set a smoker to 100-110 °C and smoke the tongue and cheeks with moderate smoke for 2 ½ to 3 hours. The aim is a core temperature of 65-70 °C with a crust that is not crispy. The tongue is now wrapped first in butcher paper and then in aluminum foil. Butcher alone is not soft enough and the combination of both means the tongue is not completely immersed in its juices and therefore has a nicer crust. Continue cooking at 120 °C until the core temperature reaches 97-98 °C. This takes about 2 ½ to 3 hours. From then on, the tongue should rest for another hour at 90-100 °C. Important: Do not open the package; when the steam comes out, the temperature drops very quickly. The tongue is ready when it has the consistency of warm butter when pricked.

➍ The cheeks need to be braised after smoking; the Texas crutch is not enough. To do this, cook a classic sauce base from the vegetables specified in the Dutch oven, add the cheeks and herbs and deglaze everything with enough port wine so that the cheeks are almost completely covered. They will not be seared, however. Now braise the whole thing until the cheeks are very soft; this takes 3 to 3 ½ hours at 140-150 °C. The stock should only simmer gently. When the cheeks are almost falling apart and have reached a core temperature of 99 °C, carefully remove them from the DO. Then make a fine sauce directly from the stock; it really only needs to be degreased and thickened.
For the celery puree, grill the two celeriacs in the grill at 180 °C for 3 to 4 hours until the bulbs collapse noticeably (core temperature 99 °C). Puree the soft inside very finely with a mixture of brown butter and melted onions. Season to taste with salt, pepper, sugar and nutmeg.

➎ For the celery stalks, slice the remaining celery root into thin slices and then use a sharp knife to cut these into very fine julienne strips. Heat the oil to 160°C and fry the julienne strips in it until they turn a light brown. Be careful, they will continue to darken.

David Pietralla: "Especially with Wagyu, it makes sense to focus specifically on the nose to tail cuts from the head for two reasons. On the one hand, the tongue and cheeks in particular offer incredible gustatory potential due to the additional fat that is extremely finely distributed in these pieces. On the other hand, these are pieces that are still available at reasonably reasonable prices."