Best 5 Spicy Sweetbreads Recipes

SPICY CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Combine the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, cayenne, coriander, salt, pepper and baking soda in a large bowl.
• Melt 8 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, then pour into a small bowl and set aside. Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add another tablespoon of butter and once it melts, add the poblano pepper and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it is softened and light brown, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the pepper-garlic mixture to another small bowl.
• Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and the reserved 8 tablespoons of melted butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cornbread mixture and stir until smooth. Separate and reserve a few pieces of poblano from the pepper-garlic mixture, then mix the remaining pepper-garlic mixture into the batter.
• Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet and melt, swirling to coat (if your pan has cooled a bit, warm it up over low heat). Turn off the heat and pour the cornbread batter into the skillet. Top with the reserved pieces of poblano and bake until the center bounces back when gently pressed with a finger, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SWEET AND SPICY CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Put a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook until they are soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan onto a plate. Leave the remaining oil in the pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the baking mix, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cayenne. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the reserved onions and the jalapeno. Pour the batter into the skillet the onions were cooked in and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. (Reserve 2 pieces cornbread for the Online Round 2 Recipe Pork and Cornbread Bites.)

SOUTHERN-FRIED SWEETBREADS

Steps:

• Soak sweetbreads in a large bowl of ice water in the refrigerator, changing water occasionally (2 or 3 times), at least 8 hours.
• Drain sweetbreads and transfer to a 4-quart heavy saucepan. Cover with cold water by 1 inch and add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until sweetbreads plump and feel slightly firmer to the touch, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Cut away any fat and pull away as much membrane and connective tissue as possible with a small paring knife, then separate with your fingers into roughly 2-inch pieces.
• Whisk buttermilk with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add sweetbreads and soak, chilled, 1 hour.
• About 10 minutes before sweetbreads are finished soaking in buttermilk, start heating 2 inches oil to 350°F in a 5-quart wide heavy pot over medium heat. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, paprika, cayenne, and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper in a shallow dish.
• Put a metal cooling rack in a 4-sided sheet pan and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Drain sweetbreads well, discarding buttermilk. Dredge in flour mixture, shaking off any excess, then fry in 3 batches until golden and cooked through (cut one open to test), 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, depending on size. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, then season lightly with salt. Keep warm on rack in oven. (Return oil to 350deg; between batches.) Serve fried sweetbreads immediately.

GRILLED SWEETBREADS

Steps:

• Rinse sweetbreads well, then transfer to a 6-quart pot and add water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer gently 10 minutes. Drain sweetbreads in a colander, then transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to cool.
• While sweetbreads are cooling, prepare grill for cooking over direct heat with medium-hot charcoal (moderately high heat for gas; see "Grilling Procedure").
• Drain sweetbreads, then pat dry gently and separate into roughly 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 20) using your fingers. Toss sweetbread pieces with oil in a bowl, then thread onto skewers (about 5 pieces on each). Season with salt and pepper.
• Grill sweetbreads on lightly oiled grill rack (covered only if using a gas grill), turning occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 5 minutes.

BREADED SWEETBREADS

Steps:

• Put the sweetbreads in a mixing bowl and add cold water to cover. Refrigerate overnight or for several hours. Put the sweetbreads in a saucepan and add cold water to cover. Bring to the boil and let simmer, stirring often, about five minutes. Drain and run under cold water until they are thoroughly chilled. Leave the sweetbreads whole, but cut or pull off any unsightly membranes, connecting tissues, etc. Place the sweetbreads on a rack and cover with a cloth. Cover with weights and let stand for one hour.
• Place the sweetbreads on a flat surface. Hold a sharp knife parallel to the surface and slice through the sweetbreads. This will produce up to 10 or 12 flat pieces.
• Put the egg in a flat dish and add the water, two teaspoons of oil, salt and pepper. Beat thoroughly.
• Put the flour in another flat dish. Put the bread crumbs in a third dish.
• Sprinkle the sweetbread slices with salt and pepper.
• Coat the slices individually in flour and shake off excess. Dip the slices in the egg mixture to coat well. Dredge the slices, one at a time, in the bread crumbs and pat to make the crumbs adhere.
• Heat two tablespoons of oil in each of two skillets so that the sweetbread slices can be cooked in one layer. When the oil is hot, add the sweetbread slices and cook until they are golden brown on one side, about six minutes. Turn the slices and cook until golden brown on the second side, about four to five minutes.
• Transfer the slices to a warm platter. If desired, wipe out one of the skillets and add the butter. Cook until it is foamy and starts to turn hazelnut brown. Pour this over the slices and serve sprinkled with finely chopped parsley.