• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

CooksInfo

  • Home
  • Encyclopaedia
  • Kitchenware
  • Recipes
  • Food Calendar
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Encyclopaedia
  • Kitchenware
  • Food Calendar
×
Home » Meat » Offal » Sweetbreads

Sweetbreads

Sweetbreads are glands from animals, specifically, two thymus glands:

(1) the long thymus gland in the throat (aka the thymus, sometimes referred to as “neck sweetbreads”);
(2) the roundish pancreatic gland near the stomach (aka the pancreas, sometimes referred to as “stomach sweetbreads”.)

Both glands are connected by a tube (which is removed before sale.) The stomach one is considered the better one, having a smoother texture and a milder flavour.

The glands come from lamb, pigs, calves or cows. Ones from full-grown cows are tough; ones from full-grown pigs are strong-flavoured, though very young pig ones have a milder taste. Ones from calves (veal) are considered the best. The whiter the glands, the younger the animal was.

Use or freeze on the day you buy them.

Cooking Tips

Soak first in water with some lemon juice in it; change the water several times. Some people like to soak them in milk instead;

    • Then, with a sharp knife, peel off the outer membrane and trim any tubing off.
    • Then, then is generally a “firming up” step. Some recipes will have you parblanch them to firm them. Some people prefer instead to put them in the fridge with a weight on them;
    • Then sauté in medallions, or use as directed in your recipe.

      Language Notes

      In French, the throat gland is called “orgorge”; the stomach gland is called “noix.”

Calve’s sweetbreads in French are “ris de veau”; lambs’ are “ris d’agneau.”

Other names

French: Ris
Dutch: Kalfszwezerik
Spanish: Lechecillas, Mollejas
Portuguese: Pâncreas

This page first published: Jul 1, 2004 · Updated: Jun 12, 2018.

This web site generates income from affiliated links and ads at no cost to you to fund continued research · Information on this site is Copyright © 2023· Feel free to cite correctly, but copying whole pages for your website is content theft and will be DCMA'd.

Primary Sidebar

Search

    Today is

  • Chip and Dip Day
    Chips and dips
  • Melba Toast Day
    Melba Toast
  • Fannie Merritt Farmer’s Birthday

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About this site
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright enforced!
  • Terms & Conditions

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Site

  • Recipes
  • Encyclopaedia
  • Kitchenware
  • Food Calendar

This web site generates income from affiliated links and ads at no cost to you to fund continued research · The text on this site is © Copyright.