Sweetbreads - Grass Fed

Delicate, tender, and rich in flavor, our sweetbreads are a prized delicacy, known for their buttery texture and mild taste. Sweetbreads are the culinary name given to the thymus gland, sometimes confused with the pancreas, ovaries, or testes, but it's the thymus that gives sweetbreads their unique appeal. Cherished in gourmet kitchens worldwide, sweetbreads have long been a favorite in French and Argentine cuisines. A true must-try for adventurous eaters and a surefire way to impress any dinner guest!

• Average .80 LBS
• Grass fed & Grass finished
• 21 Day Dry Age for the best flavor and tenderness
• No grain, Antibiotics, GMOs, or Hormones - ever
• Frozen & vacuum sealed to conserve peak freshness

We will always aim to pull a cut that matches the weight for your order items. If the next closest option exceeds the average weight listed, we’ll gladly include it!

Preparing sweetbreads is comparable to preparing brains. Here’s a simple approach:

1. Rinse and soak them in a solution of 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of water, with an optional squeeze of lemon. Soaking times can vary from 1.5-2 hours to 4-6 hours, changing the water a few times (overnight is fine too). This softens the membrane and removes impurities.
2. After soaking, trim the outer membrane and connective pieces, ideally after poaching. Avoid breaking the lobes into small pieces.
3. For grilling or braising, you can use them as is, but poaching is recommended for most recipes. Poach in liquid (broth, court bouillon, or salted lemon water) for 2 to 15 minutes, ensuring the sweetbreads are not fully cooked.
4. Cool them in ice water or on a towel. Optionally, place them between two plates with something heavy on top for 2-3 hours or overnight to flatten and remove excess moisture.
5. Once prepared, proceed with your favorite recipe and savor the deliciousness!
   

Did you know that most grass-fed beef in America is actually imported from other countries? And those products can actually be labeled “product of the USA.” Most of the time, you as a customer have no idea if that animal has really been on grass their entire life. To us, grass-fed means that the cows were fed 100% grass during their entire lifetime without shortcuts. In other words, “grass-fed, grass-finished.” All our cows are raised directly by the Circle J Ranch, and we have complete control over how the animal is produced and processed. We are passionate about giving people a healthy and quality product that we consider one of a kind.

Raising cattle is an artisan craft we are excited to share with our customers. If any of our animals get sick, we do treat them, but we take them out of the supply of beef we provide to our grass-fed customers. We are devoted to providing the best and most natural product to you, direct from our ranch in the great state of Texas. Each animal is processed at either a local USDA or state-inspected facility and dry-aged to enhance flavor and tenderness, producing “craft” grass-fed beef from our ranch to your table.