Sweetbreads are two glands lying along the back of the throat and breast. The lower one is round and compact, and is called the "heart" sweetbread, because nearer the heart; the upper or "throat" sweetbread is long and narrow and is easily divided into sections. The connecting membrane is sometimes broken and each gland sold as a whole sweetbread, but there should always be two. The sweetbreads of calves and young lambs are those used for food. Lamb sweetbreads are usually left in the fore-quarter and are rarely cooked separately. They are, however, sometimes sold by the pound or pair like those of veal.

Sweetbreads are prime only so long as the animal is fed chiefly on milk; for when the beast is fed on grass for only one or two weeks before being slaughtered, the sweetbreads will be dark, flabby, and tough, whereas if fed on milk they will be white, firm and tender. They spoil very quickly and cannot be kept long, even on ice. Sweetbreads should be put in cold water as soon as purchased, and parboiled before being used in any other form. They were formerly thrown away as worthless, but the demand for them has so increased, that now they are considered a luxury and are rarely sold in the larger cities for less than thirty cents a pair, while in the winter they often bring as much as a dollar and a-half a pair. They are cheapest in the late spring and summer.

To Prepare Sweetbreads

Remove the pipes and membranes, soak the sweetbreads for one hour in cold water. At the end of this time place them in slightly salted, boiling water, and boil for fifteen minutes. In parboiling sweetbreads always use a porcelain or granite-ware saucepan, and also use a silver knife for cutting, as they contain a peculiar phosphoric acid that acts upon iron or tin in such a way as to entirely destroy their own flavor. When they have boiled fifteen minutes, place them in cold water for five minutes; then take them up, drain and dry them, and put in the coldest place available until needed for use.

Fried Sweetbreads

Parboil as directed, and cut the sweetbreads in even-sized pieces; sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip them first in beaten egg and then in bread or cracker-crumbs, and fry in hot lard. When well browned on both sides, place them on a platter. Turn out part of the fat in which they were fried, leaving in the pan only a table-spoonful. Stir into this hot fat a table-spoonful of flour, and stir well until frothy; then set the pan back a little and gradually add a cupful of milk, stirring all the time. Season with salt and pepper, and cook about two minutes. Strain, and pour over the sweetbreads. Fried sweetbreads are served in many ways. They are often dished with green peas, cooked rather dry and placed in a mound or little hill in the center of the platter, the sweetbreads being laid around. Macaroni may be boiled very tender and laid on the platter and the sweetbreads placed in the center, the pipes of the macaroni being laid about them like a little nest.

Baked Sweetbreads

One pair of sweetbreads. One-third of a medium-sized onion. Four slices of carrot. One stalk of celery. One sprig of parsley.

Place in the bottom of a baking dish a few thin slices of salt pork, and on these lay the sweetbreads, which should have been parboiled as directed. Over the sweetbreads sprinkle the vegetables chopped fine, and bake for twenty minutes in a hot oven. Cut a large slice of bread into an oval shape, fry it brown in a frying-pan, and place the sweetbreads on it. Serve with peas or with tomato sauce (see index).

Stewed Sweetbreads

Parboil as directed, and put the sweetbreads in a very little water to stew. When tender, add for each sweetbread a tea-spoonful of chopped parsley and a-quarter of a cupful of cream, and season with salt and pepper. Let them simmer for five minutes, when served in a covered dish with the gravy.

Sweetbread Croquettes

Two pairs of sweetbreads. One-half pint of cream. One-third tea-spoonful of pepper. One-half tea-spoonful of parsley.

Four table-spoonfuls of mushrooms.

Two table-spoonfuls of butter.

One table-spoonful of flour.

One table-spoonful of lemon juice.

One table-spoonful of salt.

Two eggs.

Parboil and cool the sweetbreads as directed, and chop them rather fine; then add the chopped mushrooms, and also the seasoning. Put the cream on the fire, and heat slowly. Rub the flour and butter well together, and stir them into the cream when it boils, stirring until smooth. Now add the sweetbread mixture, stir well, and simmer for three minutes. Next put into the boiling mass the well beaten eggs, stir quickly, and remove from the fire at once. Pour this mixture on a platter and set it away to cool, allowing at least two hours for the purpose. Shape into cylinders with the hands, roll them in beaten egg and then in bread or cracker-crumbs, and fry in plenty of hot lard, using the frying basket, if you have one. Serve with white sauce or Bechamel sauce (see index).