...also known as offals. Feet, hocks, hooves, cheeks, jowls, kidneys, livers, pancreas', tripe, stomachs, lungs, intestines, bung, snouts, sweetbreads, hearts, chitterlings, heads, spleens, testicles, are all in that catagory Many items are made from those parts, either separately or with others, such as haggis; Scottish haggis consists of sheep stomach stuffed with a boiled mix of liver, heart, lungs, rolled oats and other ingredients.
Most all of these are obtainable through your chain or local grocery, depending on suppliers. Meat managers love to order these if there is a demand for them as they are relatively low cost but very high margin; by the case you should be able to get a good price, as it is in in/out transaction with no loss.... just don't ever 'stick' the store with an order and not pick it up unless it is unavoidable; not many consumers flock in to get a deal on pig ears or tails!
My personal favorites are sweetbreads and any kind of livers or chicken or turkey gizzards and hearts. Sweetbreads are the thyroid or pancreas glands of a young calf (veal) or lamb. I prefer veal. There are two types, from the neck (thymus) or from the pancreas; the pancreas is preferred as it is oval shaped. To prepare, soak in cold water for several (up to 24) hours. Then, blanch them; start out with cold water and quickly bring to a boil; you can add a touch of salt and lemon juice or vinegar to loosen the membrane surrounding them. Simmer a few minutes, then remove and plunge into ice cold water. This further removes impurities. To trim sweetbreads, remove any visible veins, gristle, or the thick exterior membrane that envelops the organ. This is best done by using your fingers.
Thought I'd add, after reading comments, that sweetbreads are exactly as described - saute'd, they are like little nuggets of sweet bread - mild, tender, tasty and delicious! My mom and dad made them on occasion if there were any left; we lived in farm country and many people bought them regularly. If you had a calf butchered, don't toss the sweetbreads, by all means! At one time we had a 'calf mill' just outside town, a business who bought young calves and butchered them Kosher for Jewish communities in downstate NY; brought high margins and good profits to the area. Once inspected, we would buy their veal hindquarters (non-Kosher, of course) on a regular basis, plus sweetbreads, calve's livers, and other products as necessary. Unfortunately, they had to be milk-fed; their manure drove people to petition them and move their business far out in the country in a different county. But, we would eat them regularly for dinner once or twice a month at least; they were a treat! Just like Rocky Mountain Oysters!
Most all of these are obtainable through your chain or local grocery, depending on suppliers. Meat managers love to order these if there is a demand for them as they are relatively low cost but very high margin; by the case you should be able to get a good price, as it is in in/out transaction with no loss.... just don't ever 'stick' the store with an order and not pick it up unless it is unavoidable; not many consumers flock in to get a deal on pig ears or tails!
My personal favorites are sweetbreads and any kind of livers or chicken or turkey gizzards and hearts. Sweetbreads are the thyroid or pancreas glands of a young calf (veal) or lamb. I prefer veal. There are two types, from the neck (thymus) or from the pancreas; the pancreas is preferred as it is oval shaped. To prepare, soak in cold water for several (up to 24) hours. Then, blanch them; start out with cold water and quickly bring to a boil; you can add a touch of salt and lemon juice or vinegar to loosen the membrane surrounding them. Simmer a few minutes, then remove and plunge into ice cold water. This further removes impurities. To trim sweetbreads, remove any visible veins, gristle, or the thick exterior membrane that envelops the organ. This is best done by using your fingers.
After blanching and trimming, the sweetbreads should be pressed. Lay them on a clean towel on a tray or shallow pan. Do not stack the sweetbreads. Place another towel on top and cover with another tray or pan of the same size. |
Place a heavy weight on top of the last tray. A heavy pot filled with water is ideal. Place the weighted sweetbreads in the refrigerator and allow them to be pressed for at least two hours. (They can be pressed up to 24 hours.) After pressing, the sweetbreads will be firm enough to slice into medallions by cutting on a slight bias. These medallions can then be easily sautéed, fried or grilled. (from Wikipedia) |
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