When you’ve had slow-grilled sweetbreads, you never forget it. They are succulent and smoky, rustic and ethereal. I know some of you have probably never chosen to have sweetbreads at all (or maybe only in a complex preparation in a French restaurant), but, honestly, there’s nothing to be squeamish about. Unlike a lot of other offal, the flavor of this cut–the thymus gland–is light but interesting, and their texture is wonderfully tender like some mushrooms or scallops.
Everyone agrees that soaking sweetbreads is essential to remove any remaining impurities and ensure a beautiful, light flavor. Some say water, others say milk. When you’re grilling the sweetbreads, I say that water is enough. Poaching is another story. In the French kitchen (where sweetbreads are very popular), they poach them to firm them up for easier cleaning, pressing and final cooking. In northern Mexico and in Argentina, where I’ve had the most delicious sweetbreads of my life, they most frequently go straight on the grill for a slow, smoky cook. That’s what I’m outlining here.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds veal sweetbreads
- Salt and fresh black pepper
- Vegetable or olive oil or fresh-rendered pork lard or bacon drippings, melted if firm at room temperature
- 1 large white onion, sliced into rings a little thinner than ½ inch
- 3 limes, cut into wedges
- A generous cup Avocado Tomatillo Salsa, or another salsa if you prefer
- A generous cup chopped white onion and cilantro
- 20 warm corn tortillas
INSTRUCTIONS
Soak the sweetbreads. Slide the sweetbreads into a deep dish that will hold them in a single layer. Cover with water (or milk) and sprinkle heavily with salt. Let stand for an hour, then tip off the liquid, re-cover with water (or milk), sprinkle with more salt and let stand another hour (or covered in the refrigerator overnight). Tip off the liquid, then pat the sweetbreads dry on paper towels.
Grill the sweetbreads and onion. Light a charcoal fire and let it burn until the coals are covered with white ash and medium hot; bank the coals to one side for indirect grilling. Alternatively, heat half the burners on a gas grill to medium. Brush both sides of the sweetbreads with oil, lard or bacon drippings, then sprinkle both sides generously with salt and pepper. Lay on the hottest part of the grill and let cook until richly browned undernneath, 4 to 5 minutes, then flip them over and brown the other side. Transfer to the other side of the grill (it should be way cooler than the hot side–about 250 degrees) and let coast along for about an hour, until there is no pink left in the center (cut a piece open to check). The sweetbread lobes will feel firmer and you’ll notice that any membranes will have broken down. I like to baste the sweetbreads with a little oil, lard or bacon drippings along the way to ensure that the crusty outside stays tender.
Shortly before the sweetbreads are ready, brush both sides of the onion with oil, lard or bacon drippings and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay them in a single layer on the hot side of the grill and cook until richly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total.
Serve. When the sweetbreads are ready, cut them and the grilled onion into bite-size pieces (about ½ inch). Taste and season with salt and pepper, then scoop everything into a warm bowl and set out with limes, salsa, onions and cilantro and tortillas for everyone to make tacos.
