Offal and other edible parts of

the carcass
Offal is the name given to the edible parts taken from the inside of a carcass of meat, including :
• liver
• kidneys
• heart
• sweetbreads,
• Tripe
• brains
• tongue
• head and oxtail are also sometimes included under this term.
 Fresh offal should be purchased as required and can be refrigerated under hygienic
conditions at a temperature of 1-4 0C. Frozen offal must be kept in a deep freeze at -
180C or below, and defrosted in a refrigerator as required
 Liver

Liver is low fat, a good source of protein and iron, and also contains vitamins A and D.
Calf’s liver is considered the best in terms of tenderness and flavour. It is also the most expensive.
Lamb’s liver is mild in flavour, light in colour and tender. Sheep’s live, being from an older animal, is
firmer in substance, deeper in colour and has a stronger flavour.
Ox or beef liver is the cheapest and, if taken from an older animal, can be coarse in texture and strong
in flavour. It is usually braised
Pig’s liver has a strong, full flavour and is used mainly for pate recipes.
Quality points
• Liver should look fresh, moist and smooth, with a pleasant colour and no unpleasant
smell.
• Liver should not be dry or contain an excessive number of tubes
 Preparing liver
• Remove the skin if possible
• Remove the gristle and tubes
 Cut into thin slices on the slant
 Kidneys

Quality points
• Suet- the unsaturated fat in which kidneys are encased should be left on,
otherwise the kidneys will dry out. The suet should be removed when kidneys
are being prepared for cooking.
• Both suet and kidneys should be moist and have no unpleasant smell.
Preparing kidneys
Skin them and remove the fat and gristle, then cut as required:
For grilling: split the kidney three quarters of the way through lengthwise. Cut out and
discard the gristle. Skewer.
For sauté: cut slantways
For calves’ pigs ‘kidneys: cut down the middle lengthwise. Remove the sinew. Cut into
thin or neat dice.
Hearts
Hearts are good source of protein which is needed for growth and repair of the body
Lamb’s heart is small and light; they are normally served whole
Sheep’s hearts are dark and solid; they can be dry and tough unless cooked carefully
Ox or beef hearts are dark coloured and solid, and tend to be dry and tough
Calf’s hearts, coming from a younger animal, are lighter in colour and more tender.
Before cooking, remove the arterial tubes and excess fat. Most hearts need slow braising
to tenderize them.
 Quality points
• Hearts should not be too fatty and should not contain too many tubes
 When cut they should be moist, not sticky, and with no unpleasant smell
Sweetbreads
Sweetbreads are the pancreas gland (heart bread) and thymus gland (neck bread). The heart bread is
round, plump and of better quality than the neck bread, which is long and uneven shape. Calf’s heart
bread, considered the best, weighs up to 600g, while lamb’s heart bread weighs up to 100g Sweet
breads are an easily digested source of protein, which makes them valuable for use in invalid diets.
 Quality points
• Heart and neck breads should be fleshy and of a good size
• They should be creamy-white in colour and have no unpleasant smell
Preparing sweat breads
• Soak in salted water for two to three hours to remove blood, which would darken the
sweetbreads during cooking. Use several changes of water for calves ‘sweetbreads.
• Wash well, blanch, trim and refresh.
• For calves ‘sweetbreads, peel off the membrane and connective tissue.
• The sweetbreads can then be pressed between two trays with a weight on top, and
refrigerated.
 Tripe
Tripe is the stomach lining or white muscle of ox, consisting of the rumen or paunch and
the honey comb tripe (considered the best).
Sheep tripe, which is darker in colour, is obtainable in some areas. Tripe contains protein,
is low in fat and high in calcium.
Tripe should be fresh, with no signs of stickiness or unpleasant smell.
To prepare it, wash it well and soak in cold water, then cut into even pieces. Boil or
simmer until tender.
 Tongues
Ox, lamb and sheep tongues are those most used in cooking. Ox tongues are usually
salted then soaked before being cooked. Lamb tongues are cooked flesh.
Tongues must be fresh and have no unpleasant smell and there should not be an excess of
waste at the root end. To prepare them for cooking remove the bone and gristle from the
throat end and soak in cold water for two to four hours. If salted, soak for three to four
hours.
Oxtail
Oxtails usually weigh 1.5kg-2kg and should be lean with not too much fat. There should
be no sign of stickness and unpleasant smell.
To prepare the tail, cut between the natural joints then trim off excess fat. The large
pieces may be split in two
 Suet

suet is the fat that surrounds the kidneys. Beef suet should be creamy- white, brittle and
dry. Other meat fat should be fresh, not sticky, and with no unpleasant smell.
 Bone marrow
 Marrow is obtained from the bones of the leg of beef. It should be of good size, firm,
creamy white and odorless. Sliced, poached marrow may be used as a garnish for some
meat dishes and savouries
 Bones

Bones must be fresh, not sticky, with no unpleasant smell, and preferably meaty (as
they are used for stock, the foundation for so many preparations).
 Pig ‘trotters

To prepare trotters, boil in water for a few minute then scrape of a knife to remove the
hairs. Wash off in cold water and split in half.
 Uses of beef offal
Offal Cooking method Uses

Bones Simmering Stocks

Heart Braising or stew stuffing

Kidney Lamb kidney: fry or grill Pig or ox: stew or Steak and kidney pie,
braise casseroles, breakfast

Liver Lamb: grill or fry Pates, casseroles, pastes

Pigs: fry, braise or stew

Suet Suet paste and stuffing, or rendered down

for first- class dripping

Sweetbread Braising, frying, stew, grill or steam

Tail Braising, stew Soups, stews

Tongue Boil gently until tender then press until cold Salads, sandwiches

Tripe Boiling, braising, stew Serve with onions

Importance of offal in the diet

Protein the protein of offal is of high biological value and if well-cooked is readily
digested.
Fat there is less fat in offal than in muscle meat in general
Carbohydrate liver may contain a little glycogen, but is not an importance source
Vitamins vit A is stored in the liver so liver is very rich source. Kidney and heart also
contain retinol.
Heart and liver contain useful amounts of thiamin. There is some vitamin C in the liver,
but it is not a valuable source.
Minerals tripe contains a useful amount of calcium. Liver and to a lesser extent kidney
are important sources of iron
Storage of offal

Offal should be kept in a cold place and used as soon as possible after purchase. It can
be frozen for long term storage.
 Forcemeat

This is term given to numerous mixtures of meats (usually veal and pork) and poultry,
game, fish, vegetables and bread. Forcemeats range from a simple sausage meat to the
finer mixtures used in the making of hot mousses (ham, chicken, fish) and soufflé’s. also
included are mixtures of bread, vegetables and herbs, which are alternatively referred to as
stuffing’s.
Forcemeats are used for galantines, raised pies, terrines, meatballs and a wide variety of
other dishes.
 Crepinettes

These are small sausages, usually made from a forcemeat of veal, lamb, pork or chicken,
encased either in caul (a thin membrane of fat from the intestines) or paper-thin slices of
salt pork. Other ingredients are sometimes added (e.g. chopped mushrooms or truffles).
Crepinettes are usually covered with melted butter or good quality oil, coated with fresh
white breadcrumbs and grilled, sautéed or cooked in the oven. Traditionally they are
served with potato puree and well- flavored demi-glace sauce.
 Meat products

A varietyof meat products are available and are very popular. These include
• Pates (burgers)
• Sausages
• Faggots
• Meat extractives (pastes and spreads)
• Cold cooked meats