Veal, variety meats and by-products, thymus, raw

This is veal thymus, known in classic French cooking as ris de veau, or sweetbreads. It has a pale, delicate texture and a mild, faintly sweet flavor, prepared by soaking in cold water to draw out blood, then blanching briefly before the outer membrane is peeled away. From there it is typically sliced and pan-seared in butter until golden, braised in a cream or mushroom sauce, or breaded and fried. Classic pairings include morel mushrooms, peas, and a simple pan sauce finished with lemon juice, and it is often served as a first course rather than a main.

Fresh sweetbreads are delicate and don't keep long, so they are best used within a day or two of purchase, kept very cold and often stored on ice in the refrigerator until soaked and cooked. At 101 calories and 17.2 g of protein per 100 g (about a 28 g ounce serving), it is a relatively lean way to work organ meat into a meal, with protein at 34% of the Daily Value. It also stands out for vitamin C at 55% of the Daily Value, an unusual figure for an animal product and one of the reasons this cut differs nutritionally from more familiar muscle meats like chops or roasts.