The Accidental Foodie

Euphymisms aren't always good. Well, obviously. Let me just waste some more of your time by stating the obvious. Rain is wet. Mud is dirty. But, back to the point at hand and reason for the outrage that has resulted in this new post.

A couple of coworkers and I were discussing travel and the subject of sweet bread came up. "I've had sweetbread," I announced at which point one of my editors literally recoiled. Then the question I should have pondered prior to this culinary experience popped up- way to go, lightning speed intellect- what exactly is sweet bread?. My editor laughed. My other coworker shook her head in dismay. "Something gross," she offered. So with more than a little dread, I googled it.

Sweetbreads are the thymus glands of lamb, beef, or pork. There are two different connected glands; one set in the neck and the other near the heart. Although both are edible, the heart thymus gland is generally favored because of its delicate flavor and texture, and is thus more expensive. Typically sweetbreads are soaked in salt water, then poached in milk after which an outer membrane is removed. Once dry and chilled, they're often breaded and fried until crisp. It is also popular to use them as a stuffing or in pâtés.

GASP! It's one thing to consume parts of an animal typically discarded as waste but to eat the scraps of an animal who doesn't have the sense to disregard its own feces (ala Samuel Jackson in Pulp Fiction) disgusts me to an almost unprecedented degree. I say almost because when I lived in Corpus Christi, I made the mistake of ordering lengua at a Mexican fast food place. When I asked the cashier what it was she pointed at her tongue and genius thought she meant it was spicy. It wasn't until I bit into it and realized some cow's tongue was on top of mine that I made the connection. If there's a Darwin award for food dummies, I'm a top contender.