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Sweetbreads are the thymus gland
Thymus

In human anatomy, the thymus is an organ located in the upper anterior portion of the Thoracic cavity just behind the sternum. The main function of the thymus is to provide an area for T lymphocyte maturation....
s and pancreas glands of lamb, beef
Beef

Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle . Beef is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of Australia, European cuisine and the Americas, and is also important in Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia....
, or pork
Pork

Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig . The word, pork, is often meant to denote specifically the fresh meat of the pig, but it can be used as an all-inclusive term, to include cured, smoked, or processed meats It is one of the most-commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry dating back...
. There are two different connected parts to the thymus gland
Gland

A gland is an Organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release such as hormones or breast milk, often into the bloodstream or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface ....
, both set in the neck. The "heart" sweetbreads are more spherical in shape, and surrounded symmetrically by the "throat" sweetbreads, which are more cylindrical in shape. Although both are edible, the heart thymus gland is generally favored because of its delicate flavor and texture, and is thus more expensive.






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.]]

Sweetbreads are the thymus gland
Thymus

In human anatomy, the thymus is an organ located in the upper anterior portion of the Thoracic cavity just behind the sternum. The main function of the thymus is to provide an area for T lymphocyte maturation....
s and pancreas glands of lamb, beef
Beef

Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle . Beef is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of Australia, European cuisine and the Americas, and is also important in Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia....
, or pork
Pork

Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig . The word, pork, is often meant to denote specifically the fresh meat of the pig, but it can be used as an all-inclusive term, to include cured, smoked, or processed meats It is one of the most-commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry dating back...
. There are two different connected parts to the thymus gland
Gland

A gland is an Organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release such as hormones or breast milk, often into the bloodstream or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface ....
, both set in the neck. The "heart" sweetbreads are more spherical in shape, and surrounded symmetrically by the "throat" sweetbreads, which are more cylindrical in shape. Although both are edible, the heart thymus gland is generally favored because of its delicate flavor and texture, and is thus more expensive. Typically sweetbreads are soaked in salt water
Brining

In cooking, brining is a process similar to marination in which meat is soaked in a salt solution before cooking.Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis, and by allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked, via the process of denaturation ....
, then poached
Poaching (cooking)

Poaching is the process of gently simmering food in liquid, generally water, milk, stock or wine.Poaching is particularly suitable for fragile food, such as egg , poultry, fish and fruit, which might easily fall apart or dry out....
 in milk after which an outer membrane is removed. Once dry and chilled, they're often breaded
Breading

Breading is a dry grain-derived coating for a piece of food such as meat, vegetable, poultry, fish, shellfish, crustacean, wheat gluten , or textured vegetable protein, etc., made from breadcrumbs or a breading mixture with seasonings....
 and fried
Frying

Frying is the cooking of food in oil or fat, a technique that originated in ancient Old_Kingdom around 2500BC. Chemically, oils and fats are the same, differing only in melting point, but the distinction is only made when needed....
 until crisp. It is also popular to use them as a stuffing
Stuffing

In cooking, stuffing or dressing is a substance used to fill a cavity in another food item. Many foods are stuffed, including meats, vegetables, and fruits....
 or in pâté
Pâté

P?t? is a mixture of minced meat and fat in the form of spreadable paste, generally made from a finely ground or chunky mixture of meats and liver, and often with additional fat, vegetables, herbs, spices or wine....
s.

There is a lot of debate about whether or not the pancreas
Pancreas

The pancreas is a gland Organ in the digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland , as well as an exocrine gland, secreting pancreatic juice containing Digestion enzymes that pass to the small intestine....
 can be considered sweetbreads. Even though French Master Chef Phillipe Boulot says no, there are numerous resources that say yes, such as Larousse Gastronomique
Larousse Gastronomique

Larousse Gastronomique is an encyclopedia of gastronomy. The majority of the book is French cuisine with many French dishes, cooking techniques, and recipes featured....
, the French encyclopedia of gastronomy
Gastronomy

Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between culture and food. It is often thought erroneously that the term gastronomy refers exclusively to the art of cooking , but this is only a small part of this discipline; it cannot always be said that a cook is also a gourmet....
.

The etymology of the word "sweetbread" is thought to be of Old English origin. "Sweet" is probably used since the thymus and pancreas are sweet and rich tasting, as opposed to savory
Umami

is one of the five Taste#Basic taste sensed by specialized receptor cells present on the human tongue. Umami is a loanword from Japanese language meaning roughly "delicious flavor", although "brothy", "meaty", or "savory" have been proposed as alternate translations....
 tasting muscle flesh. In Old English, sweet was written "swete" or "sweete." "Bread" probably comes from the Old English word "brćd," meaning "flesh
Flesh

Flesh is the soft part of the body of a person or animal which is between the skin and the bones. In ordinary speech, it typically contrasts with bone, as in the merism flesh and bone....
.". They are grilled and served in bread at Turkish cuisine.

See also

  • Offal
    Offal

    Offal is the entrails and internal organs of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of organs, but includes most internal organs other than muscles or bones....


External links

  • from season 4 of Top Chef
    Top Chef

    Top Chef is an United States reality television competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo , in which chefs compete against each other in weekly challenges....
     on BravoTV