One time my husband read somewhere that gourmet food is where you do something to food, and then you do something (else) to that food. Unfortunately, I confess that this recipe falls into that category. Do something to food. And then do something (else) to that food. Yet, in the end, you may find you’ve ended up with a sweetbreads recipe you come back to again and again. The Best Pan-Fried Sweetbreads.
‘Gourmet Food’
So these many steps of processing… My husband claims that instead of a benefit, this is actually often a problem. It means that we can go to the grocery store or farmers market and come home with many bags, yet find yourself standing in front of a packed fridge with seemingly nothing to eat! See, you still have to do something to all that food. And, if I had it my way, possibly do something again with that food.
This recipe was adapted from the lone organ meat recipe in Michael Ruhlman’s How to Saute.
Indeed, I’ve noticed that professional cooks are in the habit of doing so many things to food (gourmet) and often preparing each ingredient separately. These will be combined at the end after each is perfectly prepared, and each step is often seasoned appropriately to add layered complexity.
This is probably why professional chefs (read: Alice Waters) also advise reading the full recipe in advance. As you visualize each step, you can see all the things you’ll need before you get started.
The Best Pan-Fried Sweetbreads
As promised, the Best Pan-Fried Sweetbreads delivers on the ‘do many things’ front. Poach the sweetbreads to firm them up. And chill in an ice bath to arrest the cooking. Check.
Wait, now plate and weight them – meaning place them between two plates with a heavy weight on top and leave for several hours or overnight so they lay flat again. I would like to say that this step is optional and purely aesthetic, but it’s not entirely; it allows them to lay flat in the pan when you fry them. I would argue with my husband here that since you do this the day in advance and it only takes about 15 minutes in total, it’s so easy that it hardly counts as an extra step.
The next day, find a pan that can also go directly into the oven. Render the bacon grease. Meanwhile, season your sweetbreads and dredge them in flour (this is totally optional, but gives a lovely crust). Remove the bacon and add extra lard as needed so that the fat comes up the side of the pan a bit. Fry for a few minutes on each side. Then transfer the pan to a 350F oven and bake. Meanwhile, prepare your greens and plate them, ready for a warm portion of sweetbreads to cover. Serve immediately.
To prepare this meal after you’ve pressed the sweetbreads, you’ll find it only takes about 30 minutes. Not too outrageous. But it’s true, if you looked in the fridge at the start – you’d have nothing to eat. Yet, I hope that you find this recipe as enjoyable as we have!
The Best Pan-Fried Sweetbreads
Ingredients
- 1lb sweetbreads, optionally soaked for up to several hours
- salt
- 4oz bacon
- Lard, as needed
- Flour
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1lb bok choi, stems and leaves separated (or greens of choice)
- Pepper
- Balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Poach sweetbreads: fill a pot to cover sweetbreads and add one tablespoon salt. Bring the water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, gently add sweetbreads and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove to an ice bath and chill completely.
- Remove as much of the membrane as you can, or until it approaches desired size. Put sweetbreads on a towel-lined plate. Place weighted plate on top and return to fridge for at least a few hours or overnight.
- Cut the sweetbreads into four equal portions.
- In a pan on medium heat, render the bacon grease. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F.
- Season the sweetbreads with salt and dredge in flour.
- When the bacon is done, remove bacon, leaving grease in the pan. It should be about ¼” deep. Add more lard to pan if necessary. Allow the fat to get hot over high heat, then reduce temperature to medium-high heat and add the sweetbreads. Saute for 3 minutes on each side until they are beautifully browned.
- Place the pan in your preheated oven for 15 minutes, turning the sweetbreads midway through.
- Meanwhile, prepare your greens. Add a dollop of lard and minced shallot and cook for a minute or two. Then, add bok choi stems and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add leaves and cook until wilted, another minute or so, seasoning with salt and pepper. Return bacon to greens and mix well.
- Divide the bacon-greens mixture to four plates. Drizzle each with ½ teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and top with a sweetbread. Serve immediately.
I just found this website.. I collect friends who love offal. Have finally found a place to buy sweetbreads in 2# packs – assume from beef, not veal. Will try yuor sweetbread recipe. My wife won’t cook them, neither will my best friend’s wife! How loyal is that?
Welcome W S – I’m so glad you’re here! The funny thing about sweetbreads is that after the lymph nodes are populated with T-cells (produced by the thymus gland, or sweetbreads), the thymus will actually shrink up and just become a small nodule of fat in the throat. This is true for all mammals (including us!), so if the beef is aged then we will not be able to harvest the thymus. Isn’t that fascinating! I wish I had your local source though – I would serve 2# every week if I did!! Aww, shame they won’t cook them. I think that this recipe might do the trick to win them over though. Let me know if you like it! Warmly, Janine
I found them in the H-E-B grocery store in little Tyler Texas. Right next to the beef cheek meat and tripes. I’m thinking they may be popular with the Latino population around here. I don’t find them in the stores in the rich areas in Austin. I’ll start tonight and finish tomorrow. I didn’t know about the plate and wait part.
Mr Leopold Bloom ate with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowl…
I’ve found another inner organ for Bloomsday!
haha! Wonderful!
This is a serious win. Thanks so much for sharing, Ralph. Obviously, whoever shops there regularly is eating better than the rest of us!