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Grilled Chorizo and Crispy Mollejas

Counter 09 · Latin Grill

Grilled Chorizo and Crispy Mollejas

Veal sweetbreads poached in milk, pressed and grilled slowly over coals until crisp and golden, finished with lemon and served beside coarse pork chorizo. The opening act of every Argentine parrillada.

4.3 88 cooks rated this
Prep
30 min
Cook
45 min
Serves
4
Level
Medium
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Mollejas scare some cooks, but at an Argentine parrilla they vanish first. Sweetbreads are the thymus gland of a calf, and grilled correctly they are crisp at the edges and creamy inside, almost like a savory custard. A gentle poach in milk followed by a night under a weight firms them and removes any bitterness. On the grill they need moderate heat and time to crisp, so keep them away from flare-ups. Chorizo cooks right alongside, and a squeeze of lemon is all the sauce required.

Method

  1. Soak the sweetbreads in cold water with 1 tsp kosher salt in the refrigerator for 2 hours, then drain.

  2. Bring the milk and remaining kosher salt to a bare simmer, add the sweetbreads and poach gently for 5 minutes, until firm but still springy. Plunge them into ice water.

  3. Peel away the thin outer membrane and any fatty bits with your fingers, separating the sweetbreads into 2-inch lobes.

  4. Lay the lobes between kitchen towels on a sheet pan, set another pan on top and weight it with a few cans. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

  5. Prepare a charcoal grill for medium heat, about 375 F. Grill the chorizos for about 25 minutes, turning, until they reach 160 F.

  6. Brush the sweetbreads with oil, season with coarse salt and pepper and grill 20 to 25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until crisp and golden brown all over.

  7. Squeeze the lemons over the hot sweetbreads and serve with the sliced chorizo.

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