chef’s notebook
SwEETBREAdS
WRITTEN By Cassy Vires
rich protein that, when properly prepared, are bites of pure bliss. Uncooked sweetbreads are likely one of the most unappetizing things I have ever seen. I recently put them on my dinner menu at both of my restaurants and laughed as
Grilled Sweetbreads with Apricot Glaze and Garlicky Almonds Serves | 4 | 1 12
the cooks taunted the servers with the jiggling sack of glands. Most of the servers ran the other way, swearing they would never eat it. I, too, was once one of those scared people running away from sweetbreads, but in culinary school, one of my instructors had what he called “fright day” and made each of us try a number of different foods we would have otherwise never tried. One of those items was sweetbreads, and the tender,
1½ 1 2 ½ 1 1 1
lobe prepared (see sidebar) sweetbreads wood skewers, soaked in water overnight salt and freshly ground black pepper cups apricot preserves Tbsp apple cider vinegar Tbsp whiskey Tbsp butter cup whole almonds Tbsp garlic powder Tbsp olive oil
I grew up in a small town, rarely exposed to
juicy and rich morsels were some of the most
| Preparation | Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a
anything outside the norm. It wasn’t until I left my
flavorful bits of meat I’d ever consumed. When
grill per user manual.
little bubble that I realized how vast the culinary
I prepared them for my servers, each one came
world truly is. It took time to open up to some of the
around and agreed to try a small bite, and in the
Thread sweetbreads onto wood skewers and
things I was newly exposed to, and when someone
end, they cleared the plate. In my restaurants,
season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
would tell me, “It’s a delicacy,” it raised a red flag.
sweetbreads are grilled with a fruit glaze and
Eventually I came to appreciate “delicacies” and
topped with garlicky almonds. The combination
found that many seemingly unappealing foods have
of sweet, tart, crunchy and spicy is a balanced
great names, like foie gras, caviar, trotters or, one
blend of flavors to complement sweetbreads’
of my favorites, sweetbreads. Often times these
rich taste and creamy texture. They ended
names are given to foods that fall into the category
up being one of the bestselling menu items
of offal, which encompasses a variety of organ
that week. Because those brave servers tried
meats. Neither sweet nor bready, sweetbreads are
something they wouldn’t have otherwise been
the thymus glands of adolescent sheep, goats and,
open to, they were excited about sharing the dish
most commonly, calves. The thymus gland is what
with diners, eager to suggest that they too give
helps boost the animal’s immune system and slowly
it a chance.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine apricot preserves, apple cider vinegar and whiskey. Bring to a boil and stir to combine. Stir in butter. Set aside. Toss together almonds, garlic powder and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Place almonds on a sheet pan in an even layer. Roast in the oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Let almonds cool slightly, then place them in the bowl
shrinks over time until it eventually disappears. I believe that to truly experience food, you have
of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until crumbly.
The thymus gland has two lobes: the heart
to be open to trying anything, because you never
sweetbread and the throat sweetbread. The
know what you will fall in love with. Who knows,
heart sweetbread is named so simply due to its
a jiggling sack of glands could become your new
close proximity to the heart. The same goes for
favorite food. If nothing else, you can say you’ve
the throat variety. Many classically trained chefs
tried sweetbreads and lived to dine another day.
minutes. Sweetbreads should be slightly soft.
preference – and the most common – is the
Cassy Vires is the owner and chef of Home Wine
Drizzle with apricot glaze and top with the
throat. This cut has tender morsels of creamy,
Kitchen and Table.
crushed almonds. Serve immediately.
Place sweetbread skewers on prepared grill and cook, turning once, on each side for about 4
prefer the heart sweetbread, but my personal
SwEETbREADS 101 Chefs rarely agree on the best way to prepare something, because we all think we know best. To this end, here is my preferred method for preparing sweetbreads. If you’ve never worked with sweetbreads before, you can purchase them at local grocery stores like Straub’s as well as specialty stores. They can also be special ordered from most butchers. They should be cooked as soon as possible; within two days is ideal. Step 1. Rinse sweetbreads under cold water and pat dry with a towel. Step 2. Place sweetbreads in a glass or plastic container and completely cover in milk. This will draw out any excess blood and remove impurities. Soak overnight. Step 3. Rinse sweetbreads again and lightly poach in vegetable stock with fresh herbs. Poach until the outer membrane turns white. This cooks the membrane slightly so that it is easier to remove later. Step 4. Remove sweetbreads from stock
and shock in an ice bath to halt cooking. Step 5. Place sweetbreads in a pan or bowl. Place another pan or bowl on top so that they fit snugly together. Add weights to the top pan or bowl so that the sweetbreads are being pressed. Refrigerate overnight. Step 6. Remove sweetbreads from the pan
or bowl and discard remaining liquid. With a small paring knife, remove the outer membrane, taking care to keep pieces as large as possible. Remove any veins and membranes that run through the inside. Step 7. Grill, sear, fry or braise.
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FEBRUARY 2014