I first encountered sweetbreads a few years ago when I was a judge for a local lamb cooking competition. After sampling some cold, mediocre, and downright bland dishes, my expectations had plummeted.

Sweetbreads are available from good butchers, but may need to be ordered in advance. Calves’ sweetbreads may come from European veal; if animal welfare is a concern, look for sweetbreads that ...

Liver and kidneys are probably the most widely available offal and are as simple to cook as a steak, but far less expensive. For a milder tasting offal, look for heart, sweetbreads or tripe.

Other reasons to seek them out: they tend to be economical (well, not foie gras or sweet­breads) and score highly in the ethics of not wasting food. After all, if you are going to kill an animal ...