Recipe: Pickled Tongue (Beef)

This is a recipe for Pickled Tongue (Beef); I found it in a cookbook, years ago and have not tried it; and will write (it) as using tongue. The pickled sausage is sold in jars in Ohio, in some ethnic sections of cities and in some supermarkets.
These would be smaller sausages (such as would be made in lamb casings) they appear bright red in color (saltpeter keeps the red coloration). If you want to try this it may work out for you. As written from the cookbook:

PICKLED TONGUE*

If you make your own pickled tongue and corned beef, you need not use the nitrites that are generally found in commercial products. SALTPETER (potassium nitrate) is not considered a harmful chemical, as is sodium nitrate, but it can be eliminated, if you prefer.
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1 Fresh beef tongue (5 pounds) *substitute the fresh non-sage sausage
1-1/2 cups kosher (coarse) salt, or as needed
2 teaspoons saltpeter (this is solely to retain a bright red color and its use is optional)
10 cloves garlic, unpeeled but lightly crushed
3 large bay leaves, crumbled
3 whole, small, long hot dried red peppers or
2 teaspoons crushed hot red pepper flakes
1 scant tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
Water as needed
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Fresh tongue is extremely perishable, (as is fresh sausage) so set about pickling it as soon as you get it; do not keep it unpickled in the refrigerator for more than 2 days, and then only if you are sure it was very fresh when purchased. Buying it from a kosher butcher is the best way to ensure freshness.
Wash the tongue under cold running water. Pierce all over with a thin skewer or long needle. Place in a wide-mouthed, 5- to 7-quart stoneware or earthenware crock. Add all the remaining ingredients to 2 quarts of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer until all the salt is dissolved. Cool thoroughly, then pour over the tongue. Pour in enough additional cold water to completely cover the tongue or to come within 3 inches of the top of the crock.
Unless the tongue is wedged snugly in place in the crock, it will float above the brine and so will spoil where uncovered. To avoid that, weight the tongue down. To do that, you will need a large plate or wooden lid that will fit inside the crock and be beneath brine level. Place the plate or lid on top of the tongue. For a weight, you can use a thoroughly scrubbed stone or, what I have found to work very well, a large glass (such as a canning jar) filled with water and placed dead center on the plate.
Cover the crock with two or three thicknesses of cheesecloth or a dish towel and tie a string around the sides to keep it in place. A piece of foil can be placed loosely over the towel. The crock should not be tightly covered, as the brine will ferment and spoil the tongue if it is airtight. The cloth and foil covers are simply to prevent dust from getting in.
Ideally, the tongue should be kept in a cool room for one week before being refrigerated. If you do not have such a place, put it in the refrigerator at once, knowing it will take almost 10 days longer to become pickled.
Turn the tongue over in the brine every 2 days. Taste the brine to see if it is becoming less salty, and if so, add a little salt each time. Retie the cloth and lay the foil over. After 1 week in a cool room, refrigerate for 3 weeks, and still turning every 2 or 3 days. Rinse and cook, (thoroughly).