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Types of Offal
OFFAL, also called variety meats, are those parts of an animal which are used
for food but which are not muscle meat. The name offal means “off fall”,
in other words, the bits which fall from an animal when it is butchered. The
term covers items such as the heart, liver and lungs (collectively known as the
pluck) plus kidneys, brains, head, feet, tongue, intestines and
tails. Offal from birds is generally referred to as giblets.
They are a generally underrated highly nutritious food and an
excellent source of protein with the liver, kidney and heart in particular
providing a good source of iron, vitamins A, D and C and many offer cooks
flexibility in their preparation including grilling, frying, casseroling and
braising.
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Brains
Considered a delicacy in some cultures, it's very important that brains be
eaten as fresh as possible, so either cook or freeze them the day you buy them.
Brains and sweetbreads can be used interchangeably in most recipes. |
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Heart
Heart is currently not as popular as it once was in the West
which makes now is a good time to take advantage of the relatively
low prices. To prepare, rinse it in cold
water, then cut out any blood vessels and connective tissue. |
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Beef heart should be cooked slowly using moist heat.
As it is quite large, it is sometimes sold sliced as well as whole.
Lamb heart is best lightly sautéed or grilled it until it's
medium rare. Be careful not to over cook as it becomes very
tough. Alternatively they can be cooked slowly using moist heat.
Pork heart is best cooked using moist heatVeal heart is
best lightly sautéed or grilled it until it's medium rare. Ie
careful not to over cook as it becomes very tough.
Alternatively they can be cooked slowly using moist heat. |
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Kidney
Whilst more popular than other offal, kidney's are still
relatively cheap in comparison to many other prime protein sources. |
| Beef kidneys are
quite tough so they need to be cooked slowly using moist
heat, such as braising or stewing. To prepare, cut off the outer membrane, then cut them
in half lengthways and remove and discard the central fatty
core. Because they have a very strong flavour, they should
be soaked in water which has lemon juice or a little vinegar
added for about an hour.
Lamb kidneys
are prized for their tenderness and are therefore best cooked
quickly using dry heat such as grilling or
sautéing both whole, halved or sliced. They quickly
become very tough so care should be taken not to over cook them.
To prepare, peel off the outer membrane and snip out the little
white core if desired.
Pork kidneys are quite tough so they need to be cooked slowly using moist
heat, such as braising or stewing. To prepare, cut off the outer membrane, then cut them
in half lengthways and remove and discard the central fatty
core. Because they have a very strong flavour, they should
be soaked in water which has lemon juice or a little vinegar
added for about an hour.
Veal kidneys
are the most highly prized of all. They are very tender and
suitable to be cooked using dry heat such as grilling
or sautéing. Don't overcook as they quickly
become very tough. To prepare, peel off the outer
membrane. |
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Liver
Liver is an excellent source of iron and Vitamin A. Although most
livers are relatively cheap, calves liver is quite expensive. |
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Beef liver should not be confused with calves liver as
it is much tougher and more strongly flavoured. When grilling
or sautéing, care should be taken not to over cook it and it's best
when served a little pink in the middle . To
prepare - slice and remove any large blood vessels.
Calf liver is the most highly
regarded and has a soft melt-in-the-mouth texture when cooked
properly. Generally sold quite thinly sliced, there is little
preparation needed other than to wash and dry it, and it only takes
a couple of minutes on each side to cook.
Chicken liver is almost as
highly regards as calves liver because of their exquisite flavour. To
prepare - Wash and cut into required pieces or finely chop. They are
an excellent addition to ragouts.
Lamb liver is almost as tender
as calves liver, but slightly stronger in flavour and is therefore
excellent for grilling and sautéing. To prepare - wash and dry. Coat
lightly with seasoned flour when frying.
Pig liver has a very strong
flavour and is generally not as popular as other livers. It is
however, excellent when used in pates. |
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Sweetbreads are the soft and
delicious glands of calves and
lambs. Considered by many to be a gourmet ingredient they are
usually much more expensive than other types of offal. They
should be eaten as fresh as possible so if you aren't going to eat
them the day of purchase, freeze them immediately. Brains and
sweetbreads can be used interchangeably in most recipes. |
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Testicles
are popular in certain cultures and although bull's testicles
probably the most popular those from smaller younger animals have a milder flavour.
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Tongue is
obtained from beef, calves, lamb and pigs. It may seem surprising,
but one cooked tongue
is lean and meaty and are a favourite for use in sandwiches, salads and
even casseroles. To prepare - boil in water for about 20
minutes, then plunge into cold water, allow to cool enough to
handle. Then peel off the skin and trim off any gristle and fat.
It can then be pressed or immediately cut into thin slices and
served it hot or cold. Different tongues can be used
interchangeably in recipes though their cooking times vary according
to their size. |
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Tripe is the
term given to the stomachs of various animals, but most recipes that
call for it intend for you to use beef tripe. Of a cows four
stomachs, the first three are used to obtain various types of
tripe. Smooth tripe comes from the first stomach; honeycomb tripe
is obtained from the second; leaf tripe comes from the third.
Before it is sold, tripe is thoroughly washed and usually
bleached and because it is extremely tough and requires lengthy
periods of slow cooking to tenderize it it is also often sold
partially cooked.
Honeycomb tripe is considered the best being meatier and more
tender than the others however all tripe can be used
interchangeably in recipes. |
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