For those wondering: one potential reason this is called sweetbreads is because the thymus is sweeter than regular meat, and bread may actually come from 'brede' meaning roasted meat.
@@rinforzando4497 spellings weren't standardised and meanings were often vague back in the day, brede and bræd could easily be the same word with the same rough meaning.
Thank you!! I was so confused because I work at a bakery and we have a bread loaf that has fruit swirls and icing in top and we call it sweet bread lol, and I was wondering what meat had to do with sweet bread lmao
My Grandmother, who was born in 1908, loved sweetbreads and brains. When I was a kid in the 60s they had little cans of brains at the grocery store. She would scramble them with eggs for breakfast and always tried to get me to try them but I just couldn't. She grew up on a farm in East Texas, the daughter of a share cropper, so absolutely nothing went to waste. Especially when you have 12 kids.
Brains as a food were just more popular in the past. My parents who are WW2 generation tell me that brain sandwiches were commonly served at restaurants and cafeterias in the 1930s & 40s (and I'm guessing earlier as well). So I don't think it was just a rural farm tradition.
I literally have an older cookbook with a recipe for scrambled eggs and brain! It’s something I’ve always wanted to try but I totally get the off putting nature of them
Still sell them in Asian markets and prorably gourmet or ethnic butchers Not to popular since MAD COW. Never popular for me no way now how even if Julia made them b served them I'd say no Allergic !
The bouquet in during the fry is meant to soak up butter and infuse it with the flavour of the herbs. The heat wakes the flavour and lightly alters the herbs to soften the more harsh components of the aromatic flavours, and gives it all a decent chance to infuse. That way the flavour is in the oil as well as the liquid components of the dish.
@@ottomattix86 when you are talking to someone with extensive herb-eating background (born Southern Viet, currently in France, bit of Chinese heritage) then it's not so random. It does have a very fresh fragrance to it, no? Mom usually just use the soft bits of cilantro leaves on chicken soup, so I tend to use the roots of it and another herb with the same flavour (fish wort, or Houttuynia cordata) on stuff that's rather spicy or slow-braised like a braised pork or sth like that. And it is indeed awesome.
My first try of sweetbreads was at a French restaurant many years ago. My dad ordered them. They were dredged in flour and lightly pan-fried until a little golden on the outside. I got a taste and my brain exploded. Tender, creamy, and very mild flavor. I had entree envy all night, they were that good. I order sweetbreads whenever I can, which is rarely, since they are uncommon on menus at best. I have always found that organ meats can be really good if cooked with care, or horrible if cooked carelessly. I draw the line at brains due to mad cow disease and other prion illnesses. (Studied biology...know too much to ignore)
I've known about prions and how scary they are for quite a long time, but only recently found out that those misfolded proteins are only destroyed with heat of like... 1,000 C! That is so bonkers to me. That anything biological thing can remain intact above the melting point of silver!
My first try was also several years ago at Bayona in New Orleans. I live fairly near and have never had any other entree there, though I've been multiple times, because the fried sweatbreads are so phenomenaly good.
I used to help my mum prepare sweetbreads. You have to remove all the membrane thus separating the lobes. We used to crumb and fry them, tasted like the most tender baby veal. Sweetbreads are the only ‘variety meat’ aka offal that I can stand. They are highly prized by chefs.
My family use to eat cow brains and sweet bread. Not a fan personally. Metallic and stringy in my opinion. As a kid there was no doubt I was eating brains and it disturbed me.
So proud of you for not getting into the mushroom debacle. If it makes you feel any better my Russian ex-mother-in-law forced me to eat her Christmas whole fish in aspic, with a layer of pickled beets and a 1-inch layer of mayo over that. It was called "herring in a fur coat." Honestly, who would have thought the name would be more appetizing than the actual dish?
I am so sorry, that you were forced to eat it. My husband took a glance and gracefully declined. Good for me, since I love it so much. My mom would usually make a bowl just for me alone.
@@schattentanz9458 I can make light of it now, but she was a really mean woman lol. I mentioned the herring but I didn't mention the 100s of fabulous Russian dishes there are. Truthfully I could probably eat my way through every country.
Herring in a fur coat is a popular dish in a lot of eastern European countries and despite herring and beets never being my favorite I still could stomach the dish because it was okay unlike the monstrosity you described. Whole fish in aspic? Your ex mother-in-law is crazy
I had my first taste of sweetbreads just about 10 years ago now - entirely without knowing what I was eating! I was working at our local KMart before it went out of business, and while on my lunch break one of my coworkers came in and asked if I wanted any of his family's traditional sweetbread recipe. He had brought them in for the holidays, but was upset that no one else was willing to eat them. I felt bad that he was being passed over, so I had some, and they were a delight! They were cooked in some kind of sweet, savory, salty sauce - it reminded me of chicken teriyaki, but so much more tender and creamy in a way I didn't know how to really articulate. I didn't find out what kind of meat it was until years later!
CORNINGWARE cookware can be taken straight from the fridge or freezer to the burner, oven, or microwave. The stoneware interior is entirely non-porous and non-leaching, so there are no issues with cracking or shattering glass lids. The glass lids are oven safe to 500 degrees and can be used in microwaves.
Yes, but the big cast iron pan he was cooking in is, literally, a braiser. Like, that is actually the name of the cookware and it goes from stove to oven to table as well as fits the purpose of the cooking style all in one. He didn’t need the casserole dish at all.
Thanks for the remarks. I really thought the spot heat of the flames would cause it to burst. Even though you say it's safe, I don't think I will try it.
@@vincentlevarrick6557 It does have a lid and he has the upgrade with a metal knob so that it can go in the oven. He’s has bought that same pan at least 3 times (2 grey and 1 red) so far, so I KNOW he knows what it is called. He so dang funny.
Great episode! Takes me back to my childhood: My old world Italian grandparents would slip us fried brains (dipped in egg and breadcrumbs) and try to convince us it was either a veal or chicken cutlet. While the taste was sort of close, the texture was not and for a long time I thought I hated the meats. Then when I was older and knew what they were giving me, it was a real a-ha moment on how often they had given us them. They weren’t horrible (they have a mild taste) and I’m all for not letting anything go to waste but I can’t get past the texture and I’m not planning on eating them ever ever again. 😂
Same! the texture puts me off every time. My mother loves brains (and lungs too!) and she'll often have those as a treat (funny, bc when you try to buy them here, butchers usually give it away for free bc it's considered dog food lol). I myself adore liver, but cannot stand the "white" stuff.
@@parvanaturalia When you think about how much of the animal isn't really used directly anymore... i like liver (a lot) more than steak when prepared properly, but good luck finding it on most menus. Or even just a butcher shop.
When I was a kid it never occurred to me what "scrambled-eggs-and-brains" actually were. They are delicious and with the eggs the texture is much more palatable. I never fix them myself though. It's something my grandmother used to make for she and I. Haven't had them since she passed away.
The texture really is the part, I can't get past, same with rumen(?). When I was in China my hostfamily always ordered those when we went out for hotpot and I'm usually all for using as much of the animal as possible - I really enjoy liver, hearts and pig feet, if prepared correctly - but those I could never get into, no matter how much I tried.
I've heard of sweetbreads but this is the first time I've seen them. Shocked at how big they are! I always imagined them to be a little bigger than a kidney!
Will I ever make this? No. Was this the most enjoyable thing I’ve watched this weekend? Yes. Love this show. My 7 month old and I love watching Jamie and Julia ❤
Offals can be excellent but its best to be introduced to them at the hand of someone who really knows how to cook them, that way you have a metric for their potential. Taking it on yourself, bravo good sir, its a gnarly task. All these foods can be made to be delicious though
I grew up in a Greek household , my parents would make sweetbreads and brains often! I found it repulsive and wouldn’t eat them, as a child I thought why can’t we just have Mac and cheese like the other kids! Lol 😂
Where have I been? This is the best channel for recipes, bringing Julia to everyday people like me who have avoided her because of the threat of failure, making me fall off my chair laughing and now making me approach the kitchen with reckless abandon! Many thanks to you from a village in Ontario!!
I’ve never tried Sweetbreads or Brain. When I saw this video today I thought “you brave young man, you.” But I will take your word that it was good. So enjoy your channel. Looking forward to seeing more. ❤
Loved every second of this! I'd be shocked if your beautiful new 100% ceramic dish can't withstand direct heat from stove top applications. I found that the herb bouquet works better with 'wider holed' cheesecloth, but it's meant to soak up butter so it can extract oils from the herbs and redistribute them once liquid is added to the pan.
@@ottomattix86 instead of fishing out all the herbs later, one can remove one 'bunch'. Depending on the recipe, some herbs become bitter and it's easier to remove them all versus trying to find the one/few that shouldn't stay in the pot.
Just an Fyi that ceramic dish won't crack from heat, ceramics are GREAT for taking a lot of heat more so than metal. So don't be afraid to put it on the stove. And sweetbreads are good, just people have become so detached from their food sources they get all weirded out from eating anything that isn't basic meats cuts. As my uncles use to say "You eat everything but the oink"
@@manonvernon8646 If it was glass then yes it wouldn't be a good idea and that could shatter, but ceramic won't. There is a reason why we use ceramics for heat insulation.
Actually...in Argentina sweetbreads are a delicacy, and as such, VERY expensive...we just grill it til it's crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, then a dash of lemon juice and voilá, absolutely delicious
I remember my grandparents talking about sweetbreads. I liked the episode, could only listen to the audio, I couldn't bring myself to look, (preconceived visual in my head since childhood, lol). Enjoyed listening though! Keep them coming Jamie!
My family would grill these every cook out, but I knew them as mollejas. They would get a bit crispy on the edges but still tender on the inside, and I loved them. It wasn’t until I was a teen that I found out what they were. 😂 I still think they’re delicious, but have never tried them any other way.
Sweetbreads may refer to thymus or the pancreas interchangeably. The best I ever had was in Cyprus and were marinated lamb sweetbreads souvlaki, grilled quite brown. Incredible.
My grandma and my mother used to make fried sweetbreads. They pulled most of that stuff off and they did break into small pieces. They dipped them in flour then in egg then back into flour. They fried the small pieces until they were crispy. They were delicious, I would try to make them if I could find them.
@@richbulena8847 prion diseases. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and its variants, including Mad Cow disease can be transmitted by eating infected brains. Prions can't be killed by heat. There's a reason humans are generally repulsed by the idea of eating brains. Just because you can eat something doesn't mean you should.
Some of the most amazing foods are ones that western culture has deemed to be weird or gross. As a society, we've really limited ourselves. There's a reason sweetbreads are a luxury food.
@@richbulena8847 I am not as adventurous when it comes to food, and I often have texture issues when it comes to meat. The fact that this organ meat isn't even on top of my list. But I'm glad that there are people out there who like it! You do you :-)
My grandma got me hooked on brains. We'd usually eat pork brains and eggs but during squirrel season we got squirrel brains and eggs. Do you know how hard it is to find enough squirrel brains to feed three people? There's no wonder why they run back and forth in the road until you run over them. Their heads are pretty empty
For all the haters, there was a single article about CJD in squirrels years ago and nothing ever came of it. No evidence of it has been found in squirrels.
Just a tiny comment… French recipies are based on the ingredient that’s available and freshest at the time. So basically, this recipe is a standard mirepoix with no garlic because the gland is so delicate, but it’s really not about the flavor of the sweetbreads-they were just available on that particular date, in France, at the market... Fun video. :)
I love that sweetbreads are slowly making a comeback, at least here in Denmark. A few years ago, upscale restaurants were obsessed with them (and other types of organs and intestines) and now they're more readily available than they were before. I think it's fun to cook and it can be absolutely delicious, when done right!
Sweetbreads used to be more common fifty years ago and were considered fine dining. I remember when I wiated tables at a residence dining hall for seniors (a fancy place) they would serve them on toast in some kind of white sauce. They must have separated all the lobes, because they looked like lumps on toast. I never tried them (they didn't feed us there) and haven't to this day. I don't mind liver and I've eaten haggis but I wouldn't go out of my way for these.
@@Llortnerof a haggis bought at the Edinburgh airport, frozen. Taken to (legal) Germany for a dinner with Canadian friends and a Scottish friend got one as well, and pronounced it "A guid haggis" It was delicious. Kind of a fluffy, liver-flavored pudding, best I can describe it.
Ok not French will have to look into this but if you ever go to a Mexican place and they offer that ina taco buy it, it’s amazing. Also it makes a killer stock, all that connective tissue’s yields the most unctuous liquid.
I always eat while I’m cooking, too. A few times on thanksgiving, I’ve actually skipped dinner because I’ve been tasting and munching on everything all day. If I’m making it, I get the freshest, choicest bite. I think of it as a cook’s compensation.
Washing Mushrooms. If you don't want to wash your mushrooms and don't think they should be washed, then DON'T wash them! But it's ok to do that - I do it all the time now. But if you don't want to, then rub them down with a paper towel or a vegetable brush. That's it! Simple.
I think it is funny that he poured the sweetbreads from his Le Creuset Braiser to a ceramic casserole dish when she literally instructed him to braise the sweetbreads. I laughed pretty hard. I kind of want that casserole dish now, tho. LOL. I am a big fan of his channel now.
The mushroom bit editing made me laugh - the slow zoom as I waited in real anticipation if you were going to go into your mushroom washing explanation again. Perfect comedic timing I'm a huge fan of sweetbread, and always order it if it's on the menu (I live in Belgium, and it's relatively common on the menus of my favourite French restaurants here). But I've never attempted making it myself, as it seemed quite intimidating. I was convinced I would ruin the delicate lobes while peeling them. Really impressed that you tackled this recipe with courage and an open mind, and I'm glad you enjoyed them (mostly). If you ever come across it in a restaurant and want to have another go, I hope they'll be served the way I'm most familiar with them: slightly crisped up in butter. The textural variation of crispy caramelised outside and creamy inside is what makes sweetbread so magical, in my opinion. Really lovely with a beef stock reduction, and some sautéed caramelised vegetables, like carrots or witloof. And maybe a little square of gratin dauphinois to make it fully decadent :)
Haven't tried sweetbreads, but I have brains from time to time. Yeah, they're a bit fiddly to prepare, but they've got a lovely texture and delicate rich flavour. Usually have them simply on toast.
Three cheers to you, Jamie, for having the cojones to try sweetbreads. My childhood was spent next door to my Granny's farm, and various kinds of offal were not unusual. The only one I kept eating into adulthood was sweetbreads, and they're sadly impossible to find these days. When I worked in a fancy French restaurant, 45 years ago, the owner said he would feel his life had been successful if he could teach waiters to define "sweetbreads" without pointing to their throats. They're really good with a demiglace flavored with madeira or sherry.
Jamie my man, you are braver than me. Sweetbreads/brains are 2 things that I cannot force myself to eat. I do so enjoy watching you cooking, the humour is usually off the charts.
That's what I love about cooking so much: it never gets boring and you learn so much about food culture and history by challenging yourself with a new dish, even those you would rather avoid.
Sweetbreads are so freaking good edit: my mother used to make these and she meticulously cleaned them by removing a lot of the membrane. You probably want to leave some of the fat for flavor and texture reasons, but you can get away with quite a bit off if that seems more appealing.
We have a german shepherd dog that has EPI. ( Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency)Sweetbread is the culinary name for the pancreas or thymus of an animal, usually from lamb or calf. We feed our dog raw pancreas and of course, on her really bad days she gets enzyme powder.
In 1986 I had lunch with a friend who lived in France at a restaurant with a Michelin star in the French countryside. I had sweetbreads for the first time, and they were wonderful. They also gave us an amuse bouche of a little puff on a stick. The puff contained calves brains, just a tiny piece. So that was the first (and only time) I've had brains. Mad cow disease has taken brains off of my list.
Great episode. There are a few things off my menu, sweetbreads and tripe being two of them. That said, I applaud your conviction. P.S. The bowl me bit never fails to make me smile. Thanks for the clip. 🍁
At the time of watching this episode his channel is up to 310,000!!! I joined around 270,000. Great work and so happy to see great content gaining new viewers
I'ts about 40 years since I've had sweetbreads. Cut into chunks, rolled in flour, dipped in beaten egg, coated in seasoned bread crumbs and fried - absolutely delicious! And so much simpler than Julia's braise recipe.
My first taste of Sweetbreads was at the Milton Inn north of Baltimore. Supposedly George Washington had dined there way back when. Delicious. 50 years later, I can still recall that taste. I order them whenever I see them on a menu. In 50 years, I have had them 3 times. Brains, one taste was enough to last a lifetime.
I haven't watched all your videos (yet) but I recently heard a tip about chopping onions - chop them on top of a damp paper towel. I haven't tried this yet but it is supposed to take away the tears. Keep up the great videos, I really enjoy them!
Again, I so admire your intrepid spirit. I wouldn't try this recipe is in a hundred years. I agree with the young lady in the other room. Hard nope from me - but also tons of respect. Well done!
You can watch how to make sweetbreads in the way Juilia Child recommends on the Jacques Pepin episode of her show on RU-vid on the PBS channel. It's called Braised Sweetbread with Jacques Pépin on the Julia Child show "Cooking with Master Chefs" Season 1. She introduces, endorses, and comments on it, but Pepin gives the instructions.
The bouquet garni is added, just like you would add the herbs. Hot butter will release some aroma, but you're probably right and it's just the classic approach nobody questions. Won't be a whole world of difference in the end
I'm Portuguese and we eat brains that are deep fried and they're delicious and creamy! I had sweetbreads in Paris a few years back and they were also excellence!
I have to say that it took a bit of courage to finally cook the sweetbreads, so bravo. After watching this and getting your taste rating, I am confident that I can skip them in the grocery store. Using every part of the animal is more sustainable, but not everyone can eat unusual cuts. Love your channel, always great content. Be well.
I had sweetbreads in Paris, as haute cuisine and in the countryside, provincial style They are the some of the best food memories I have of France Thanks for cooking this!
I haven't tried sweetbreads braised. Gotta say if it weren't for your positive review I probably wouldn't. I do like both sweetbreads and brains lightly breaded with seasoned flour and panko and then fried in butter until golden. They're crispy outside and creamy inside. Prep is basically the same but instead of braising them you dredge and sauté them. BTW, the aspic was far, far more disturbing.
In Unruguay and Argentina we include sweetbreads (mollejas) in our regurlar BBQ and is one of the most requested pieces of meat over the wood fire coals. There are 2 types: thymus (fattier and more creamy) or parotids (firmer). Both are just rinsed in cold water. Parotids are sometimes bolied for 10 minutes with fresh garlic, kosher salt and some herbs like bay leaves before bbq. Thymus is marinated in lemon juice with salt, pepper and chopped garlic for 1/2 an hour before grilling. Fire the woods to get coals to preheat to medium-high grill. Cook without moving or turning more than a couple of times. It is important to avoid big changes in temperature during the grilling. Parotids, are often cutted in 1/4 inch strips and placed back in the grill to brown each surface. Most people add lemon juice before eating the sweetbread pieces. I recomend thymus, the extermal texture is very silightly crunchy and the inside it melts as yau bite You should try, it is AMAZING!!
I thought sweetbreads could be pancreas too? And other animals as well...though I don't remember which ones. My boyfriend loves sweetbreads at a french restaurant we go to and they have different types as an appetizer. Maybe Jaime would like one of those better...or not XD
I've eaten both since my childhood. Brain chopped, put into a light batter, friend into butter and eaten with two dashes of lemon and a salad with garlic. Crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside. ^^ Sweat bread with veal meat and financial sauce in vols-au-vent. The puff pastry fits perfectly the delicacy of the filling. Anyone should try it once.
I ate brains once that I know of. They were breaded and fried in butter and I was not told what they were until after dinner. Lisa, a friend who cooked them, was hoping to gross me out but that didn’t happen. I don’t believe I would ever order this unless I became a zombie.
Giving someone a 'gross' food while saying it's something else, then finally being honest sounds like a good way to get a nonviolent person to punch you.
My Mom adores sweetbreads but is very particular as to how they're prepared - yours looked lovely - I've had a couple bites when she's been pleased with the dish and I was with her. I would never bother with them on my own though.
Thanks for doing this recipe, Jamie! If a person eats a steak/lean cut, what's the point of making a fuss about eating a marrow/brains/organ meat? I totally understand that not every part of it you would like, but it's worth trying, some of it can be delicious. If everyone eats steaks only, it's kinda wasteful and hypocritical
No I would not even taste it. I don't feel the need to eat offal. I mean look how freakin' gross that looks! There are too many other foods that I can and will eat. The only reason people at this crap is because there was a time when people ate whatever there was to eat to survive and today they call it a delicacy and charge a fortune for it. NO NO NO. I'm not a picky eater for the most part, but I don't ear frogs, snails, snotty raw oysters (love them cooked), NO.
I’m a French chef living in America and I love sweetbreads. My best friend is from Argentina and he grill them on the barbecue ,they’re absolutely delicious on the grill. they are called mollejas.
Yeah, I don't want that either. It's probably like mountain oysters (calf fries.) I have no problem cleaning or cooking them, but I don't like them. For me it's a texture thing. I don't like the consistency in my mouth. You can just throw the small ones on the branding fire until the pop and eat them. The larger ones we slice in half dollar rounds and chicken fry. 😊
My momma would soak them in fresh water for 5 mts then drain them. Put then in a pot with onions, garlic cloves and a bay leaf and then add enough water to cover, bring to a boil and then let them simmer for 15 mts till they changes from pink to beige. She would remove the outer membrane till the were done. She said that made it easier cut them up afterwards . She grill or fried them, we ate them like taquitos with corn tortillas and sides cilantro, onions or whatever topping you wants.
Invest in small, organza draw string bags, like the kind used for party favors. Put your herbs in there. They don't absorb much and they release flaver better. I've even used them for loose tea bags. You can wash or trash. They are cheap and great.
