What is Sweetbread?
KNOWING what sweetbread is before taking your first bite can save you from an unwelcome surprise. Sweetbreads are not sweet breads, in fact, they derive from the entrails and internal organs of animals. Sweetbreads are the organ meat from the thymus gland and pancreas. They are most commonly from veal or lamb, but beef and pork sweetbreads can also be found. The texture is found to be smooth and tender, while the flavor is subtle and almost creamy. Actually, sweetbreads do not taste like youre eating offal meaning not musty flavored. For those of you who have never eaten brain, liver or any kind of offal, sweetbreads are the best place to start, huffpost.com reported. Think of them as the gateway drug for offal. You can make them in your own kitchen, although it does take some effort to find the meat, remove the membrane and ensuring a tender result. Or, you could go out and eat it. Sweetbreads are found at many restaurants, especially at places serving Argentine cuisine. In order to remove some of the impurities, soaking in cold water or milk is the first step in preparation. Next, sweetbreads are immersed in boiling water then placed in ice water to firm up the flesh. This step makes it easier to remove tough membranes on the outside. Next, but not a necessary step, sweetbreads are chilled and pressed into a uniform thickness. 4 It is recommended to serve sweetbreads with an acidic sauce like lemons or capers  Lastly, sweetbreads could be grilled, braised, or fried. Note that sweetbreads do cook quickly, however, they are forgiving because they cant really overcook. It is recommended to serve sweetbreads with an acidic sauce like lemons or capers to counteract the richness of the meat. The name does come off quite misleading. Sweetbreads are not sweet and they are not bread. The name is based on two glands usually harvested from calves or lambs: the thymus, near the throat and pancreas near the stomach. Each gland has a mild, mineral flavor, soft texture and distinct subtle sweetness, which is how food historians believe the origin of their romantic name came from. Dating back to the 16th-century, an English book called The Historie of Man described the thymus gland as most pleasant to be eatenthe sweete bread.  Bread in this context is the modernization of the Old English brd, a term for animal flesh. While sweetbreads are not sugary, they are sweet and delicate cuts, at least compared to brawnier muscles like shoulders and loin.