Offal: Sourcing, Cooking, Eating

[Doofa]

On 16/02/2005 at 3:19 PM, Wolfert said:

I just purchased Anissa Helou's The Fifth Quarter, an offal cookbook published by

Absolute Press in Great Britain.

Amazon UK sells it.

The book has a wonderful collection of recipes, from a whole slew of food cultures, to keep you busy for many years to come.

 

I have just put this in my basket. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Doofa]

Whilst I await the delivery of Offal cookbook. Whats with the soaking of chicken livers in milk. Is it absolutely necessary? 

 

Next Q.. What to do with an Ox Tongue. This is solely for work sandwiches and will not appear in another dish. I've only recently found a butcher that can supply them so new territory.

 

TIA D

[liuzhou]

27 minutes ago, Doofa said:

Whats with the soaking of chicken livers in milk. Is it absolutely necessary? 

 

 

It is said that the soaking in milk reduces the "offaly" taste. It certainly isn't necessary. I eat chicken liver regularly and never soak it.

[teonzo]

2 hours ago, Doofa said:

Whats with the soaking of chicken livers in milk. Is it absolutely necessary?

 

It's the same technique as for foie gras: soaking in milk help to get some blood and impurities out of the liver. This way the liver tastes less sharp and milder. I don't see any reason to soak chicken livers in milk, better going for the full taste.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Doofa said:

Next Q.. What to do with an Ox Tongue. This is solely for work sandwiches and will not appear in another dish. I've only recently found a butcher that can supply them so new territory.

 

My preference goes to corned ox tongue. It's great for sandwiches, slice it very thin and add a green vegetable of your choice and some horseradish. If you have a parmigiano crust then shave the outside layer (the one with the burnt letters), roast it on an open flame until it's tender, then eat it with corned beef tongue, perfect match.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[Doofa]

liuzhou and teonzo. Thank you. 

Is there some membrane to remove pre or post sous vide cooking and is it difficult?

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I need to address several small parcels of beef sweetbreads, sleeping in my freezer.    I adore menu sweetbreads but confess I have no experience cooking them.   I scooped these up at a country butcher shop, whose shop subtitle is "Meat eaters' toy store", where they sold for an incredible $3.00 a pound.   (Husband explained "big boys don't eat sweetbreads".)  

 

So, ideas for how to prepare these?    Beef, not veal or lamb.    Blanch?    Weight?    Flour or bread?    Simply saute?    HELP!