offal - cheap and definitely old style

Rave

A while ago on a booze cruise we ate in a restaurant at Cite Europe. I saw an Andouille sausage on the menu and commented that I'd eaten one years ago on my school French Exchange, and that it was full of guts. Anyway my brother foolishly ordered one, but when it came he found the smell overpowering and just couldn't eat it- I had to swap it for my steak in the end. I polished it off O.K., they're really tasty but the smell is so pungent that they're hard to eat, and I must admit that putting what was obviously a chunk of intestine in my mouth took a bit of willpower_pale_.

I really must make more of an effort with offal, I love pig's liver with onions, gravy and mash. Oxtail is delicious too. Thinking about it, it's a very long time since I had haggis too.....

moggins

The only way I can get anyone in this family to eat offal is to heavily disguise it. The house favourite is sweet and sour liver and onions. I remember my dad eating pigs trotters though and my mum still cooks sweetbreads when she can get them.

scuzz

Thought I'd bump this one, seeing as we're all talking about butchers at the moment

I would suggest for any kidney lovers to get theirs from the butcher rather than the supermarket. They tend to be plumper and definitely tastier

Was watching a programme the other day and they said you should never put flour on liver before cooking it. Now everyone I know always puts flour on it. So what's the general feeling

Sarahsaver

Cool so glad to see this thread again
Re. the liver I think the british thing is to overcook it but it needs to be still a bit soft IMHO.
My boys LOVE haggis which is great as it is so cheap. Lungs liver and heart it has in it.

odds-n-sods

I love liver, my OH hates it, so I don't cook it. Kidneys are OK, ox-tail is fab, dont' like brains.

savingsara_2

Are brains the same as sweetbreads? if so, a resounding yuk from me I'm afraid.

Definitely a carnivore but school put me off liver (all those tubes). I've tried it as an adult but I just don't like the texture and taste, same with kidneys, though I love the gravy from either

As more eating all parts of a pig, when faced a pigs chap (I think it was called) as an 18 YO mothers healp I have to say I felt a little queasy at eat something with half it's teeth in place.

Can't bear brawn, potted meat or tripe - sorry! Give me proper meat or I'd rather go veggie.

vixtress

savingsara wrote: »

Are brains the same as sweetbreads? if so, a resounding yuk from me I'm afraid.
.

brains and sweetbreads are most definately not the same sweetbreads are much lower down the animal, think dangley bits!

i love haggis, oxtail, liver and kidney and tounge sandwiches are lovely

saying that, cant stomach the idea of brains or heart (yes i know they are in haggis but i cant see them)

in fact think i will get a haggis for tea

thriftlady_2

Sweetbreads are not testicles but the thymus and pancreas glands of calves or lambs. The thymus sweetbread is sometimes called the throatbread.

The term for testicles is 'fries'. Lamb's fries are sometimes available here, but rarely as most lamb's are castrated soon after birth.

I've yet to try any of these, or brains and hearts except in haggis and faggots and the like. They are all supposed to be highly nutritious.

I love liver and kidneys though and oxtail although that doesn't really seem like offal as it isn't from inside the animal.

vixtress

thriftlady wrote: »

Sweetbreads are not testicles but the thymus and pancreas glands of calves or lambs. The thymus sweetbread is sometimes called the throatbread..

well you learn somthing new every day!!

i always thought they were testicles! i remember my dad eating them for saturday tea, mum had tripe or udder. used to love it as it was the only meal of the week where i was allowed frozen pizza or similar

didnt like tripe, i remember trying it and it tasting of nothing, just nasty cold jelly. dont think i ever tried udder (cant really say it appeals!)

KittyKate

Well, I must be the pickiest person ever - I feel borderline veggie reading this!

I don't eat mince (urgh), any type of offal (my dad loves tripe, pig's bag..blegh) or even allow bones on my plate (chicken wing, leg of lamb etc). I much prefer veggie options to most meals, but I agree if you're willing to tear through a cow's rump you should be just as willing to eat it's stomach! It's all expired animal at the end of the day...but I'm just a hypocrite I guess!