Posted by Renée Suen in meat and poultry, photo essay on October 8, 2008 at 7:53 am
According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, offal is defined to be:
- the waste or by-product of a process: as
- trimmings of a hide;
- the by-products of milling used especially for stock feeds;
- the viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal removed in dressing: variety meat.
- rubbish.
Being brought up to treat the odds and ends from animals as regular protein matter, I've never had an issue with these often neglected cuts. As more restaurants have started to re-embrace these often overlooked animal parts, these days it's not so rare to find organ meats treated like a delicacy. Whether it's a prairie oyster (testicle), blood jello, heart or pair of eyes, chefs are challenged to make gory sounding ingredients worthy of the modern palate. In fact, those of us who have accepted the challenge of practicing sustainable eating should also consider the concept of eating every part of the animal. Think of it as being an altruistic way to eat well and help the environment. Below may be some approachable ways that ensure a pleasant anatomical gastronomic experience.
Here's a head-to-tail guide to those inner organs, heading straight to the heart of it, a no guts, no glory examination... eh, I think you got the idea.
Popular trend in restaurants these days seem to introduce breakfast at dinner time. At Perigee Restaurant (55 Mill Street) foie gras makes a happy home sandwiched between Belgian style waffle slices, drizzled with maple whiskey glaze and topped with Chantilly cream.
While Splendido (88 Harbord Street) serves "English Breakfast," showcasing a delicious maple bacon & egg yolk sandwich with an even more inspiring slice of boudin noir (aka blood sausage).
House made charcuterie include gorgeous mosaics like the headcheese found at Gilead Café (4 Gilead Place). True to its name, the headcheese is studded with bits and pieces from a former pig's head, with little chunks of fat floating magically in flavourful aspic. Yum!
Oreille De Cochon, aka crispy sow's ear strips, may be a recommendation worth listening to when dining at Le Sélect Bistro.
In good taste: Coca Tapas & Wine Bar (783 Queen Street West) serves smooth boneless duck tongues draped over Fino Sherry soaked apricots.
Pigs' stomach has more use than just an edible food wrap - its great texture can be fully appreciated when stir-fried with long beans at Chiu Chow Boy (3261 Kennedy Road, Scarborough).
Although sweetbreads are neither sweet nor are they banned from any Atkins diet (they are thymus glands), the cornmeal-crusted versions at Perigee Restaurant are way better than any popcorn-ified nugget from The Colonel.
Herb crusted and served with crostini, the roasted bone marrow from Chef Marc Thuet's re-opened Bite Me (609 King Street West) is a great source of lipids and calories, and taste bud-pleasing pleasure.
Renée Suen is a graduate student at the University of Toronto, specializing in cardiovascular sciences. She has an insatiable appetite and can often be found with her camera, searching for something tasty to eat. Discover why offal really isn't all the awful (at least not when it's properly prepared) on her Flickr site.
