- Trim stringy bits off the tongue.
Showing the amount of ‘stringy bits’ and tongue skin layer that I was able to remove Try to peel off the outer layer of skin off the tongue (I’ve had limited success with this.)
- Cube thawed pork, and season with 1 1/2t salt and 1/2t paprika
- Over high heat, add 2T bacon fat (or whatever fat you have around; butter, lard, olive oil, coconut oil, but please no margarine or vegetable oil! That stuff is no good for you. If you haven’t heard that before, look it up.)
- When fat is melted, add the cubed pork and cook until browned on all sides.
- Transfer pork to slow cooker.
- Return skillet to burner, add more fat if necessary, reduce to medium heat, and add 1 small onion, chopped to skillet. Cook, stirring, till golden.
- Transfer cooked onion to slow cooker.
- Add 1 pt. sauerkraut, drained to slow cooker.
- Combine 1/2 C water, 1C yogurt (or sour cream), 2T flour, and 1T caraway seeds and mix with an immersion blender.
- Pour over meat, kraut, and onions in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Notes and Thoughts
I like cooking tongue (and heart, for that matter) in the crockpot because it breaks down lovely, like a roast might. Baked or pan-cooked, the tongue and heart can get chewy, especially the parts that you try to trim off, but might not be able to get. But slow cooked with liquid, it becomes a ‘fall apart’ piece of meat. 
I like the crockpot for all the reasons everyone likes it…prep, set, go away (say, to work), and come home to a warm meal. However, I have one of those ‘old’ crockpots that has no timer; just “off”, “low”, and “high”. Rarely does a recipe call for a cook time of more than 8 hrs, and on a typical work day, I’ll be away from home more than 8 hours. How’s that crockpot going to be turned on? And heaven forbid I’m running late coming home, and there’s no one to turn it off, and everything turns to mush! Here’s my secret: A plug in timer. (Mine is similar to this one.) I have one for Christmas lights, and I use it for the crockpot as well. I even hook my toaster oven up to it, and have roasted a ham in the toaster oven. Hmm, nothing like a slow roast ham, hot and ready for us to eat when I get home. You’re welcome.
Credit: This recipe is an altered version by the same name by Gina Homolka from the cookbook “Skinnytaste Fast and Slow”. I’ve started following her on facebook, and checked out her cookbook from the library. Love it. It’s from scratch recipes, not outrageous ingredients, healthy, and packed with flavor.
Alterations from Gina’s recipe: Well, maybe not an alteration, as her recipe calls for pork shoulder and quote: “…but you can also use veal, venison, or any meat you like.” I like tongue, so that’s what I used.
Other alterations include the bacon fat (she always uses olive oil) and yogurt instead of sour cream. I always have yogurt in the refrigerator, and rarely have sour cream. However, yogurt can curdle a bit when substituted as I did. If that bothers you, then by all means, use sour cream. For me though, I try to ‘cook my cupboard’, meaning, use what I have on hand. As the saying goes, “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.” And finally, I use more caraway seeds than Gina called for. I like a lot of flavor.