by Shaun Duffy

In the famous words of Jerry Seinfeld, “What is the deal?” With sweetbreads that is. Not sweet, not bread, what is the deal?

To squash all the rumors floating around in the minds of the skeptics, sweetbreads are the thymus gland of veal, not brains, even though they may resemble a floppy brain in the raw form.

Technically speaking, sweetbreads can come from lamb, piglet, or can even be a pancreas, but in the United States almost all of our sweetbread consumption is from the veal thymus gland. A thymus gland helps convert the mother’s milk into sugar and nutrients for the young. That is why when an animal grows older and stops nursing, the thymus gland gradually disappears. A veal sweetbread is tenderer than that of a lamb or piglet, and doesn’t have such a profound, gamey flavor. Nobody really knows why they are called sweetbreads, but I do know that this humble and delicious organ meat is avoided by many Texans.

Just like most of the delicacies of today, sweetbreads started off as a poor people’s food. Since the poor didn’t have the money to buy prized cuts of meat, the leftovers or scrap was what they received. Lobster, caviar, and liver all started out like this until the wealthy took a break from filet mignon and tried something new. Sweetbreads are not considered peasant food anymore—for the simple reason that they are delicious.

All this talk about organs and young livestock might not get the mouth watering, but eating sweetbreads are not as taboo as people think. Offal, or organ meat, really hasn’t caught on in Austin, but gradually, people’s palates and curiosity are getting the better of them.

Austin is growing and people are arriving with their own culture, traditions, and gustatory ingredients. A new breed of diner is emerging, and the days of medium-well steak and baked potatoes are on their way out—to make room for new menu items like sweetbreads, foie gras, pork cheeks, and calves’ liver.

Fine dining establishments are offering sweetbreads, not only as a special once every month, but as a daily menu item. This means demand is up and patrons are enjoying this delicious delicacy. Two restaurants that have sweetbreads as a menu staple are Zoot and Wink. Both are owned by the dynamic duo of Stewart Scruggs and Mark Paul. They are among the few restaurants offering sweetbreads as an entrée. Sometimes they have requests for small tasting-size portions, so curious diners can indulge their wild side, and at least try them without a total commitment.

There are two cooking methods that complement sweetbreads very well: roasting and pan-frying.

Roasting is the classical preparation, and at Zoot Restaurant they execute it flawlessly. A roasted sweetbread with thyme-infused baby vegetables and a sherry reduction links the beautiful combination of a sweet sherry sauce and a savory sweetbread. Most organ meats like sweetbreads, foie gras, and liver are paired with sweet sauces to accent the delicate flavor of the meat.

Wink Restaurant has incorporated this not-so-sweet meat in a way fitting for Texans. They offer panko crusted sweetbread on fingerling potatoes with pancetta, chicory and foie gras hollandaise. This dish strikes me as homage to the famous chicken fried steak and cream gravy—with a few changes, of course. Panko is a Japanese bread crumb that is courser than the fine Italian bread crumbs. Once breaded and pan-fried, the panko forms a crispy exterior, while keeping the inside moist and flavorful. Topped off with a creamy hollandaise, and served with tender fingerling potatoes and vegetables, this dish has great textures, and flavors.

Just to be on the safe side, phone both restaurants ahead of time to make sure that sweetbreads are available, because sometimes shipments do not come in on time.

Seeing people tasting new things, and enjoying different textures and flavors is what makes our food culture move forward. Change is a good thing, but it is human nature to not like change. I urge Austinites to take advantage of change and new menu items. Even though people say we eat with our eyes, taste is everything. If you’ve never tried something, how do you know you don’t like it?

Wink Restaurant
1014 North Lamar, Ste. E
(512)482-8868
Mon.-Sat. 6pm-11pm

Zoot Restaurant
509 Hearn St.
(512)477-6535
Tues.-Sun. 6pm-11pm

Shaun Duffy graduated from the Arts Institute of Houston, School of Culinary Arts Program, and recently moved to Austin from Las Vegas, where he cooked at the four star restaurant Picasso, in the Bellagio Hotel. Now he works under the direction of Chef Elmer Prambs at the Austin Four Seasons Hotel.

–From the May 2004 Austin Review