SWEETBREADS MEUNIERE

Sweetbreads right from the package!

Sweetbreads may not be everyone's 'thing', but I happen to love them and do not have them that often. In fact, this is the first time I have ever cooked them at home. Thanks to my friends, Duncan and Susan Blair of Rio Santa Cruz Ranch, ('Like' them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riosantacruzgrassfedbeef) I received a nice bunch of sweetbreads earlier this year from their harvest. Sweetbreads are offals, which are organ meats; the internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal; does not have to be a cow. Sweetbreads have a delicate texture and a mild organ-meat flavor all of their own. I am very interested in learning more about cooking and eating every part of a critter so cooking these sweetbreads was a thrill for me.

Meuniere is a simple French sauce which always includes brown butter, parsley and lemon. I got this recipe for Sweetbreads from Gourmet Magazine, which they published in 1973. I tweaked it a bit, but stayed pretty true. Here it is:

Sweetbreads resting after their water-bath.

SWEETBREADS MEUNIERE

Ingredients:
2 lbs. sweetbreads
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into tbsp. pieces
2 qts. water
1 medium onion, sliced
1 bay leaf
4 whole cloves
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 Tbsp. plus 3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. fresh chanterelles (I could not find chanterelles so used a combo of Crimini's, Portabello's, and White buttons
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots--about 2 medium
1/3 cup dry Sherry
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice or more to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:
SOAK SWEETBREADS: Rinse sweetbreads under cold running water, then soak in a large bowl of ice and cold water in the fridge, changing water once or twice if water becomes pink, at least for 2 hours, then drain on paper towels or a linen dish towel.
MAKE BROWN BUTTER: Melt 1 stick butter in a 1 qt. heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then cook, stirring occasionally, until butter turns golden with a nutlike fragrance and flecks on bottom of pan turn a rich caramel brown, 10-20 minutes. Butter will initially foam, then subside. A thicker foam will appear. Stir more frequently toward end of cooking. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof measuring cup and set aside. You will have 5-6 Tbsp. of brown butter.
COOK SWEETBREADS AND MUSHROOMS:
Bring water (2 quarts) to a simmer in a 3-4 qt. saucepan with onion, bay leaf, cloves, 3 cloves garlic, and 1 tbsp. salt. Add sweetbreads and poach gently uncovered, at a bare simmer--about 10 minutes. Transfer sweetbreads with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking.

My simmer was so bare that the sweetbreads stopped the bubbling when I first
put them in the water. They quickly came back up to gentle boil.

Pour 1 cup poaching liquid through a sieve into a small bowl and reserve for sauce, discarding remaining poaching liquid.

Drain sweetbreads and pat dry. Using a paring knife, cut away any fat and pull away as much membrane  and connective tissues as possible. This is a lot like taking the silver skin off any meat. The more thoroughly you clean and remove tissue the more tender and silken the sweetbreads will be.

Separate or cut sweetbreads into roughly 2 inch pieces. Arrange sweetbreads on a tray lined with paper towels to keep dry, blotting tops with more paper towels.
Cut/slice mushrooms. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to lowest temp--175 to 200 degrees. Heat a 12 inch heavy skillet over high heat until a bead of water dropped onto cooking surface evaporates immediately--2 to 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, season the sweetbreads on both sides with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Sweetbreads just going into the pan with brown butter.

Add 2 Tbsp. brown butter to skillet, swirling to cover bottom (butter will smoke), then add seasoned sweetbreads without crowding. Reduce heat to moderately high, then cook, undisturbed until undersides are golden brown--2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer browned sweetbreads with tongs to a shallow baking pan, arranging them in 1 layer. Keep warm in oven.
Add the rest of the brown butter to the skillet and saute mushrooms, stirring occasionally until browned on edges--3 to 5 minutes. Add shallots and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper.

Saute for another minute or so. Add sherry, lemon juice, and reserved poaching liquid and boil, scraping up brown bits until mushrooms are tender and liquid is reduced by half--about 5 minutes. Remove sweetbreads from oven and add them and any liquid into the skillet. Add parsley and remaining 2 Tbsp. butter (not the brown butter), then remove from heat and gently stir until butter is incorporated into sauce. Serve sweetbreads immediately. I served on buttered toast points as a first course.

Here's a funny story...I made these sweetbreads for our neighbors. They came with 2 of their teenage kids and I was so impressed the kids not only tried the sweetbreads, but seemed to really like them. As I was doing the last stir on the sweetbreads one of the kids offered to video tape me. She was filming with my camera; I was talking in my Martha Stewart voice; and all of a sudden every smoke alarm in the house went off! I was so excited to be cooking sweetbreads that I forgot to turn the overhead fan on. The video is funny, but not very useful because early-on all you hear are the alarms!

If you are making an all French meal, you might want to follow the sweetbread course with this classic French salad.

SALADE LYONNAISE

Salad Lyonnaise ready to serve.

This salad gets its name because it originates in Lyon, France. It is a very simple salad with a few key ingredients: just the right salad dressing; perfectly poached egg; good quality lardons of bacon; and fresh greens. Traditionally you would serve over frisee, but I could not find frisse so served over mixed greens with herbs.
Ingredients:
5 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. extra virgin Olive Oil
8 oz. frisee, or other greens torn into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
4 eggs

Preparation:
Boil bacon and 1 cup water in a 12 inch skillet. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook until water is evaporated and bacon is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Transfer 3 Tbsp. bacon fat (do NOT skimp on the bacon fat) to a large bowl. Add lemon juice, mustard, shallot, salt, and pepper. While whisking, slowly drizzle in oil until vinaigrette is emulsified (slightly thickened and completely incorporated). Add reserved bacon and the frisee. Toss and divide between 4 plates.
Bring a large shallow saucepan or frying pan of water to slow boil. Add some salt. Crack eggs one at a time into a small bowl or cup and carefully slide into the water. You want the water to be bubbling, but not boiling. If too hot the eggs will disintegrate. If too cool they will run all over the pan. Cook until whites are set--about 2 minutes depending on size of egg. Using a slotted spoon, carefully life eggs out of the water and divide between plates; garnish with more black pepper and make a little slit in the yolk to open before serving.

Add here's the salad before the egg is broken.

I would love to hear from those of you who enjoy sweetbreads and also hear how you cook them. Hopefully for those who have not tried them, this might inspire you!

My husband, Jerry and I recently spent my (big!) birthday weekend in Bisbee, Arizona. We had a few days to kick back and enjoy this beautiful, old mining town. We also had the opportunity to visit a fabulous ranch in McNeal, just outside of Bisbee. The family owned and operated '47 Ranch' is totally off the grid. All their critters are lovingly raised on grass with no antibiotics or hormones. We met some pigs and sheep along with the owners, Dennis and Deb Moroney, and main ranch-hand Nessa. They also have 500 head of cattle and raise goats at another location. You will be hearing much more about this ranch and their products in future posts.

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

ENJOY THE LONG, HOT DAYS OF SUMMER!

KEEP COOKING AND GETTING CRAZY IN (AND OUT OF) THE KITCHEN!



This is the special birthday glass my brother Skip gave me years ago
to celebrate my birthday!

TUNE IN AGAIN SOON FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF...

 

WWW.COOKWITHCINDY.COM

 

"BONE WITH A HOLE' aka OSSO BUCO

I love braised meat and one of my favorites is Osso Buco. Originally considered a peasant dish, Osso Buco has risen in reputation and is now highly regarded as elegant fare fancy enough for a dinner party. Osso Buco is Italian for Bone with a Hole. The reason for slow cooking meat is to allow the bone marrow and juices to richly flavor your broth and the slow cooking to break down the toughness of the cut. This is what makes Osso Buco and other braised meats so delicious. I like to cook this dish the day before serving as it gets even better by sitting overnight. It then also falls into my 'do-ahead' category perfect for a party.

On the bottom left is a bouquet garni. I put fresh rosemary, parsley, thyme, and sage
in a little cheesecloth and tied it before adding to the stock.

This northern Italian dish, Milan to be precise, is traditionally made with veal shanks which are cut crosswise on the bone making the marrow readily available to scoop out with a little spoon. I like veal, but can't bring myself to eat it because of how inhumanly the cows are treated. It's just not right. (If you are using veal you will want to tie them in kitchen string so the meat stays intact around the bone.) Instead I use lamb shanks or pork. These shanks, which are cut from the animals' shin, are not cut crosswise on the bone so you lose the benefit of eating the marrow, but it still seeps into the broth giving it a heavenly flavor. Shanks are a tough cut, but once cooked slowly in broth over very low heat become tender as butter. Here's my recipe which varies slightly every time I make it, but incudes these basic ingredients.
Ingredients:
4 lamb (pork or veal) shanks
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp. dried)
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 dry bay leaf
About 1/2 cup flour for dredging the shanks
1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus 1 Tbsp. butter
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed and rough chopped
4 Tbsp. tomato paste (or 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes juice and all)
1 cup dry white wine (or red if you don't have any white)
2-3 cups chicken stock (homemade is great, but store bought broth works well, too. I used beef broth the last time I made it as I didn't have any chicken on hand.)
Salt/Pepper
3 Tbsp. flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp. lemon zest

Lamb shanks dredged in flour.

Preparation:
Pat the shanks dry with a paper towel (All meats brown better if they are dry to start.) Liberally salt and pepper the shanks. Dredge in flour. Shake off excess. In a large Dutch oven or roasting pan, heat vegetable oil and 1 Tbsp. butter until bubbling hot. Brown all sides of the shanks, about 3 minutes per side. Brown 2 shanks at a time so the oil temperature stays nice and hot. Remove browned shanks and reserve.

Browned lamb shanks.

In the same pan, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Season with a little more salt to draw out moisture from the veg. Saute until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste (or can of tomatoes) and mix well. Return the browned shanks to the pan and add wine and reduce by half simmering about 5 minutes. Add the herbs (either loose or tied bouquet garni), and 2 cups of the chicken (or beef) stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pan and simmer for about 2 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Depending on the size and cut of your shank this may take longer. The important thing is that the meat be VERY tender. Check every 20 minutes or so to make sure the liquid has not reduced too much. Add more stock if necessary to keep shanks about 3/4 deep in sauce. When the shanks are done, carefully remove from the pan and place on a decorative platter. Pour all the juices and sauce from the pan over the shanks. Garnish with chopped parsley and a little lemon zest. Or in Milan they would garnish with a classic gremolata (chopped parsley, lemon zest and finely diced garlic) and serve over risotto-Ossobuco ala Milanese.

Osso Buco has this affect on people.
Here is my husband Jerry (in foreground) with his dear friend Lee about to dig in!

I usually serve with a mushroom risotto and lightly steamed asparagus. Above I also included roasted butternut squash which made the meal even heartier! It's equally great served over spaghetti, polenta or even creamy mashed potato! Experiment! Enjoy! Remember, this is an old-world, old-fashioned stew...you can't make a mistake!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I must admit my husband and I have been overindulging since his birthday back in November! It's so much easier to put on weight then it is to take off so lately we've been eating big salads for dinner. Salads do not have to be dull dishes of lettuce. Here are a few ideas...

GRILLED PORK MAKES A SALAD SPECIAL!

This salad is served with barely blanched broccoli, crispy snow peas and grilled eggplant over a bed of finely chopped romaine, diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes; topped with a sliced pork chop which I took off the bone and marinated most of the afternoon in soy sauce, a few drops sesame oil, 5 cloves of roasted garlic, and fresh chopped ginger-root. The chop cooks very quickly on a hot gas grill. Slice and serve with your favorite dressing. I used rosemary/garlic vinaigrette.

I LOVE THE BITE OF ARUGALA!

Baby arugala with goat cheese, dried sweetened cranberry and whole raw almonds. A little salt, pepper and dressed lightly with a citrus vinaigrette (see previous blog posting for vinaigrette recipe. Go to search box at top left of homepage and search for citrus vinaigrette) and you have a light a delicious dinner!

SHRIMP MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER!

I roasted a whole tray of cauliflower, zucchini, onion, garlic, and baby bell peppers at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. Lightly sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper before roasting. It's good to make extra so you can put in your omelet in the morning and add to another salad for lunch next day. I tossed the shrimp, still frozen, onto the roasting tray still in their shells for the last 15 minutes of roasting. When they are cool enough to touch, peel them, top your salad, and enjoy your healthy dinner!

That's it for today, but before I go I want to tell you about a local rancher I recently met who raises beautiful cows in the Argentine tradition, right here in southern Arizona. No pesticides, additives, hormones...all natural out on the range. Duncan and his wife Susan Blair of Rico Santa Cruz Ranch finish their beef with what he refers to as a salad of grasses-both annual and perennial. I sampled a leaf of alfalfa from the rich gorgeous soil and it was delicious so I know these cows are enjoying it, too. I just bought a 40 lb. family-pack of his beef which includes lots of different cuts so get ready for some new and exciting recipes! The first roast I am going to make is an Arm Roast which I will braise in wild mushroom and red wine gravy. Can't wait to try it and share with you!

UNTIL NEXT TIME...REMEMBER THAT LOTS OF COOKING HELPS KEEP YOUR FUEL BILLS DOWN IN WINTER MONTHS SO KEEP THAT OVEN BURNING!

www.cookwithcindy.com

This is the view Duncan and Susan's cows enjoy as they grow into fine,
healthy, and happy critters on the Rio Santa Cruz Ranch.
http://www.riosantacruzgrassfedbeef.com/