Braised Sweetbreads

Regardless of how sweetbreads are cooked—they’re usually braised or sautéed—they first undergo a blanching and weighting process to compact them. Sweetbreads come in two forms. One, long and a bit ragged, is called in French the gorge, meaning “throat,” while the other, compact and spheroid, is called the noix, meaning “nut.” Always choose the noix, which will look neater on the plate and braise more evenly.

The most frequently made mistake when preparing this dish is