Recipes for "Sweetbreads"?
#11
  Re: (...)
Does anyone have a great recipe for "Sweetbreads"?
Chef Barttlet
"WE only cook for SINNERS - - we BURN the HELL out of EVERYTHING!"
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#12
  Re: Recipes for "Sweetbreads"? by ChefBartlett (Does anyone have a g...)
I have recipes - actually in the book my mom gave me from her wedding gifts printed in the 40's - The Bohemian-American Cookbook. I also have some in other ethnic books I have. Not that I've ever tried any of them. Let me know if you're not looking for TNT recipes and I could help you out.
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#13
  Re: Re: Recipes for "Sweetbreads"? by HomeCulinarian (I have recipes - act...)

Home Culinarian,
Yes, I would love to have your recipes if it wasn't a big chore to transmit them to me - - I will test them and then pass them on to a fellow chef that resides in Mexico. He is putting a menu together for a wedding of 300 hundred - - the groom requested this dish to be served. While being French trained, he said that he was going to try to serve them as an appetizer and then pair them with a lighter entrée!

What is the chefs concern, - - is that the sweetbreads have an tendency to be very rich, coupled with the fact that not many people have ever eaten them or would order them if given an opportunity.

The other benefits in making them as an appetizer, he would not have to give the Sweetbreads "star status" on his menu and at the same time, give guest the choice of consuming them and fulfilling the Grooms request that they be served!
Chef Barttlet
"WE only cook for SINNERS - - we BURN the HELL out of EVERYTHING!"
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#14
  Re: Re: Recipes for "Sweetbreads"? by ChefBartlett ([br]Home Culinarian,...)
I had Sweetbreads at Bouchon's in Las Vegas a couple of years ago and they were fantastic - here is what I wrote in my blog about them.

"Domaine La Milliere 2003 Vieilles VignesCotes du RhoneCuvee Unique - (this is the wine we had and the sommelier outdid himself selecting a wine to carry us thru the entire dinner beautifully!!)


The Sweetbreads were served with Hen of the Woods mushrooms, spring onions, thyme all placed on a very subtle vanilla infused béchamel. The 'breads' were lightly floured and sautéed quickly for a wonderful crispy outside and creamy inside.

We were taken back to the kitchen and met Pastry Chef Chris Heron. What a delightful young man and talented chef he is. He showed us the entire kitchen and we met everyone (no, not Chef Keller) at each of the stations. I spied a sauté pan of sweetbreads on the stove and headed over and the cook took me through exactly how he was preparing them - is that wonderful?? And, he seemed so pleased at how much we enjoyed them." It was one of the best dinners I've ever had.

I would think the chef could do a nice appetizer with them. Asparagus goes well with them.

maybe a sauce on a toast point (bechamel? a pureed corn sauce? fig sauce?) with the sweetbreads and topped with bacon, or dab of truffle oil and minced red onion.....how fun to put this together!! Hope you let us know what you do.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#15
  Re: Re: Recipes for "Sweetbreads"? by ChefBartlett ([br]Home Culinarian,...)
I'll make some pdf files and send them to you by e-mail later tonight. Hubby ate them growing up in Cicero - his Italian/Polish family ate foods that as a kid growing up in the suburbs I hadn't even heard of ... and if I had I probably wouldn't have touched it with a 10-foot pole!
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#16
  Re: Re: Recipes for "Sweetbreads"? by HomeCulinarian (I'll make some pdf f...)
Any possibility you could send them to me also? Would love to see them.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#17
  Re: Re: Recipes for "Sweetbreads"? by cjs (Any possibility you ...)
I'll try almost anything, though I won't, necessarily, like everything I try. For example: no matter how many times I have tried salmon or asparagus, I have not been able to stomach them, but I loved unagi (eel sushi) from the very first time I tried it.

Given the descriptions and experiences you all have related, I would like to try the sweetbreads, but would not know where to start. I guess the first thing I would have to do is to FIND them, but that may be difficult here (although I have seen tongue, liver, and tripe). Even if I manage to find a source, is there anything I would need to know about quality and selection, to make sure I don't get something that would put me off them even before I try them? In other words, how can I try to get the best possible sweetbreads, and avoid something that had been sitting around too long, etc.?
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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#18
  Re: Re: Recipes for "Sweetbreads"? by cjs (Any possibility you ...)
I'd be honoured to be on the receiving end of those recipes too...if you don't mind sharing with more of us?
"Ponder well on this point: the pleasant hours of our life are all connected, by a more or less tangible link, with some memory of the table."-Charles Pierre Monselet, French author(1825-1888)
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#19
  Re: Re: Recipes for "Sweetbreads"? by firechef (I'd be honoured to b...)
Labs, here what my FLC has to say re sweetbreads –

“…sweetbreads are the thymus glands (called neck or throat sweetbreads) and pancreas (called heart, chest or stomach sweetbreads) of young animals, usually calf or lamb, sometimes pig. The former is elongated, the latter rounder and larger. The heart sweetbread is considered the more delectable (and is therefore more expensive) of the two because of its delicate flavor and firmer, creamy-smooth texture.

Sweetbreads from milk-fed veal or young calves are considered the best. Those from young lamb are quite good, but beef sweetbreads are tougher and pork sweetbreads (unless from a piglet) have a rather strong flavor. Veal, young calf and beef sweetbreads are available year-round in specialty meat markets, whereas those from lamb and pork must usually be special-ordered.

Choose sweetbreads that are white (they become redder as the animal ages), plump and firm. They’re very perishable and should be prepared within 24 hours of purchase.

Before being cooked, sweetbreads must be soaked in several changes of acidulated water and their outer membrane removed. Some recipes call for the glands to be blanched to firm them, and refrigerated until ready for use. Sweetbreads can be prepared in a variety of ways including poaching, sautéing, and braising. They are also sometimes used in pates, and soufflés."

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You can prepare them as I described having them or here is another method -


Grilled Sweetbreads
from Epicurious
Grilling sweetbreads gives them a crispy crust that contrasts beautifully with their creamy, tender interior. In Argentina, sweetbreads are usually grilled whole, but we find people are less intimidated by them when they're prepared this way — separated into pieces. As with all offal, be sure the sweetbreads are very fresh.

Makes 4 servings.

1 lb sweetbreads
1 gallon cold water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Special equipment: 4 (12-inch) wooden skewers, soaked in warm water 1 hour
Accompaniment: chimichurri sauce

Rinse sweetbreads well, then transfer to a 6-quart pot and add water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer gently 10 minutes. Drain sweetbreads in a colander, then transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to cool.

While sweetbreads are cooling, prepare grill for cooking over direct heat with medium-hot charcoal (moderately high heat for gas; see "Grilling Procedure").

Drain sweetbreads, then pat dry gently and separate into roughly 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 20) using your fingers. Toss sweetbread pieces with oil in a bowl, then thread onto skewers (about 5 pieces on each). Season with salt and pepper.

Grill sweetbreads on lightly oiled grill rack (covered only if using a gas grill), turning occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 5 minutes.

Cooks' note:
Sweetbreads can be grilled in a hot lightly oiled well-seasoned large (2-burner) ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#20
  Re: Re: Recipes for "Sweetbreads"? by HomeCulinarian (I'll make some pdf f...)
I made two pdfs for Chef Bartlett and sent them last night. I'll need to figure out where to put them where others can link to them... PDF's aren't permitted in photobucket. Since I'll never make these, I decided not to type them into MC. Also the Czechoslovakian names with the recipe in the book just can't come through any other way.
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