Sweetbread is a culinary name for the thymus or pancreas, typically from calf or lamb. Sweetbreads have a rich, slightly gamey flavor and a tender, succulent texture.

Mar 28, 2024 · Let’s get this first fact out of the way: sweetbreads are not sweet breads. Sweetbreads are organ meat and they have a smooth texture, and a mild and creamy flavor. Knowing the difference will save you from an unwelcome surprise in either direction. But why do people eat them? Because they’re delicious! Here’s what to do with them and why you should …

Sep 17, 2020 · What Are Sweetbreads, Exactly? Sweetbreads are considered offal, or the internal organs of an animal. There are two different types: Neck/throat sweetbreads and heart sweetbreads. The thymus glands are referred to as neck sweetbreads or throat sweetbreads. Because of their shape, sweetbreads from the pancreas gland are also called heart sweetbread.

Sep 25, 2023 · The origin of the name ‘sweetbread’ is unknown, and it is one of the only organ meats that have an alternate culinary name. Generally speaking, sweetbreads usually come …

Jul 31, 2019 · Since heart sweetbreads have a rounder shape, better texture, and less fat, they are considered the best type of sweetbread. So if you’re paying a super high price for a …

Oct 9, 2022 · Although the term sweetbread now refers exclusively to either the thymus or pancreas, it used to refer broadly to many different kinds of glands that were culinarily useful.

Feb 7, 2024 · See Robert Irvine’s Stuffed Sweetbreads for a fantastic way to fill veal sweetbread’s with a breadcrumb stuffing.

Nov 22, 2024 · Sweetbread meat from the thymus and pancreas of cattle is prepared with this easy recipe for tender and tasty nuggets coated in flour, then fried.

The larger, thicker lobe is commonly referred to as the heart sweetbread and the smaller, uneven lobe as the throat sweetbread. The whole sweetbread of a calf weighs about a pound.

Mar 23, 2025 · The thymus sweetbread is typically more tender and is often favored in high-end gastronomy, while the pancreas sweetbread, though a bit firmer, is equally delicious and used in various traditional preparations.