February 8, 2010
It used to be that when an animal is slaughtered, especially on a farm, the entire animal was consumed for food. Not one ounce was wasted. So it's no surprise that there are delicacies of some seemingly unusual animal parts.
Enter sweetbreads.
Not exactly on every restaurant menu, sweetbreads have been referred to as anything from offal (which denotes animal entrails and internal organs) to just plain animal parts. Sweetbreads are the thymus (throat) and the pancreas (heart or stomach) of the calf or lamb. Although not seen as often, a pig’s thymus and beef thymus are also eaten.
In the less Westernized areas of Europe and in the Middle East, sweetbreads are a culinary staple used in a variety of venues from the risotto I have paired it with here to simply fried and served with Moroccan specialties. Some people just won’t eat sweetbreads while others, especially professional chefs, consider this traditional item a delicacy.
The first time I was introduced to sweetbreads, I had never worked with them, much less consumed them as a meal. I didn’t know what I was doing. Somehow the sweetbreads ended up in my toque and all over the chef jacket with still more on the food processor. Nevertheless, I managed to turn my first attempt into a soufflé and served it. It worked but it could have been much better.
Now, I know what to do with it. There are so many ways to prepare it that some chefs are confused. What is the proper way to treat veal sweetbreads? Some chefs soak it in acidulated water while others soak it under running water for 30 minutes then soak it in milk for six hours.
If you soak it in acidulated water, I recommend changing the water often for 1-3 hours. After it has been soaked, remove the membrane covering the gland before simmering it in a court bouillon. After simmering, refrigerate it to firm the lobe, which will make it easier to dice or slice. You can certainly use other cooking methods, such as poaching, braising or pan frying.
Veal is the meat of a young calf. Lighter in texture and leaner than beef, it comes from a calf that is between the ages of 8 and 16 weeks. If you are handed veal and it is redder in color with marbling and external fat, it is technically called a calf and has been introduced to iron, which is found in solid food. The meat is not as tender or delicate.
This holds true for sweetbreads, too. As the young animal ages, its thymus gland shrinks and eventually will disappear.
When selecting sweetbreads, choose firm, plump sweetbreads with the membrane still intact for cooking. They have two distinct shapes. The gland from the throat is an elongated lobe; the gland near the heart is rounder.
Sweetbreads from milk-fed calves are considered the best. Sweetbreads from young lamb are often just as good. Sweetbreads from pigs, unless it is a piglet, is rarely used and is strong in flavor. Beef sweetbreads are tougher.
Just about any cooking method can be used in preparation but remember to remove the membrane. After it is cooked, it's tough like a casing on a sausage.
Also, I found out that sweetbreads are typically used in soufflés, so I wasn’t too far off base in my original concept.
About the Author
