Among epicures sweetbreads are considered a dainty and are certainly a most acceptable food for the sick, as they are easily digested, but they must not be used to excess on account of the large amount of uric acid which they produce.

Definition

Sweetbreads are the pancreas and thymus glands of the calf, the word being used for either one or both organs. The thymus glands are removed and used for food while the animal lives on milk. The pancreas of the calf is sometimes called stomach sweetbread, and the thymus gland the neck or throat sweetbread. The latter is considered somewhat more easily digested than the former.

Digestibility

It is an error to state that sweetbreads are more digestible because they contain digestive ferments in life, for these are destroyed by cooking. The tenderness of these bodies is due doubtless to the delicate character of the connective tissue, and to the soft character of the gland tissue itself, which is rich in nucleo-protein. The presence of this nuclein is objectionable for gouty and other patients with uric acid disorders, but this is no contraindication for an occasional use of them by invalids.

Energy Value Of Sweetbreads

100 grams (3½ oz.) sweetbreads.........= 176 Calories.

1 pair sweetbreads, medium size (8 oz.) . . =399 Calories. 1 pair sweetbreads, medium size (8 oz.), when cooked, freed from membrane, pipe, etc., and cut into cubes, measures three-fourths cup.

To Prepare Sweetbreads

(To Parboil).

Remove from paper as soon as received from market, plunge into cold water and allow to stand one hour. Drain. Place immediately in boiling water salted water to cover, allowing one-half tablespoon each of salt and vinegar to a pair of sweetbreads. Simmer twenty minutes; again drain and plunge into cold water that they may keep white and firm. Free from membrane fat and veins, and serve as desired.

Sweetbreads are always prepared in this way for subsequent cooking and are spoken of as parboiled.

Broiled Sweetbreads

Parboil and cut in halves cross-wise. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, place on a greased fine wire broiler, and broil five minutes over a clear fire. As soon as sweetbread is heated brush both sides with a little melted butter. Serve with creamed butter to which has been added a little lemon juice or simply spread with soft butter.

Creamed Sweetbreads No. I, 288 Calories

(Individual Rule).

½ tablespoon butter. ¼ cup milk.

½ tablespoon flour. 1/3 cup sweetbreads.

Melt the butter, add flour and pour on gradually the scalding milk. Cook thoroughly and season. Add the parboiled sweetbreads cut in small pieces, reheat and serve on toast and garnish with parsley.

Note

For Scalloped Sweetbreads put creamed sweetbreads in small baking dish; cover with cracker crumbs and dot with bits of butter; bake until crumbs are a golden brown.

Creamed Sweetbreads No. II, 968 Calories

(Three Servings).

1 cup thin cream or rich milk.

2 teaspoons butter. 2 tablespoons flour.

½ teaspoon salt. ¾ cup sweetbreads.

Parboil sweetbreads and cut into one-half inch cubes. Blend flour with a little cold milk to make a smooth mixture; scald cream in double boiler, add the flour mixture and cook thoroughly. Just before serving add the prepared sweetbreads, salt and butter. Serve hot on toasted rounds, and garnish with parsley, or use as a filling for Swedish tim-bales.

Note

May use equal proportions of cold cooked chicken and sweetbreads, reheat and serve in the cream sauce.

Fricasseed Sweetbreads, 240 Calories

(Three Servings.) Parboil and cut sweetbread into one-half inch pieces. Make a sauce using:

2 teaspoons butter.

1 teaspoon flour.

½ teaspoon lemon juice.

¾ cup hot strong chicken broth. ¼ cup cream. Salt and pepper.

Melt the butter, add the flour, allow it to simmer until a golden brown, then add the hot broth gradually, stirring constantly, lastly the cream. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. A speck of curry powder may be added if desired.

Put the cut sweetbread into the sauce, simmer five minutes and serve on sippets or squares of dry toast; garnish with parsley.

Sweetbreads With Peas

1 cup of canned peas = 100 Calories.

Parboil and broil sweetbreads, arrange in center of platter, and serve the peas (cooked and seasoned) around them.

1 Calculated without the sweethreads.

Or the peas may be piled in center of platter and the broiled sweetbreads arranged as a border. A cream sauce may be poured over all; for it, use the recipe in Creamed Sweetbreads No. I or II.