Definition and nutritional properties
Offal are the internal organs and (apparently) less valuable parts of the slaughtered animal.
Offal is part of the so-called "fifth quarter", that is everything that does not fall within the "four quarters" of slaughter; the slaughter quarters are 5:
- 2 forequarters
- 2 hindquarters
- 1 fifth quarter
The first four quarters divide the beast sagittally (obtaining 2 half carcasses) and transversely at the height of the 6th rib. The fifth quarter includes the head, legs, tail and offal.
The best known offal is undoubtedly the liver and the heart; however, limiting the consumption of animal organs exclusively to these two pieces is extremely reductive. Offal is very numerous and varying its consumption greatly enriches the nutritional intake of the diet; moreover, compared to the most common cuts of meat, the purchase of offal affects much less the "health of the wallet!". In fact, on average, offal are low-cost foods, which allow the introduction of proteins with a high biological value, essential lipids , vitamins and minerals in abundance.
NB. In case of hypercholesterolemia, it is better not to underestimate the intake of saturated fats and cholesterol contained in offal.
Types of offal
Among the offal we remember the "sweetbreads", a term that generally indicates several organs of the calf or in any case of the bovine; these include the pancreas, the salivary glands but above all the "thymus", an endocrine gland positioned under the animal's neck (cholesterol 250mg / 100g of edible portion).
The "brain" is a dish with an intoxicating taste and the "high percentage of lipids (among these many phospho-lipids) gives it a typically melting consistency; the most consumed brain is that of" lamb, in the form of "baked head", or that of beef eaten breaded and fried. (cholesterol> 2000mg / 100g)
The "heart" and the "liver" are the most common offal; they contain high levels of bio-available iron and the liver is an impressive source of vitamins. The heart is generally cooked in a pan, thinly sliced with a little garlic and fresh parsley, while the most popular liver recipe is "Venetian style", with butter, flour and onion.
The "tongue" of the bovine falls, together with the "diaphragm", in the category of muscle offal. However, while the diaphragm is very suitable for feeding the child due to its tender consistency and the good quantity of iron, the tongue has no particular nutritional characteristics and its consumption is substantially limited to mixed boiled meat.
The "spleen" is the organ that provides the most iron of all, about 42 mg / 100g. Unlike the liver, the spleen is low in calories and contains a reduced percentage of lipids.
"Lung", "intestine" and "kidneys" (together with the liver and heart), make up the so-called "coratella"; this is nothing more than a set of offal carefully washed and cooked together in a pan. It is a typical dish of central Italy, where the slaughter of lambs increases during the Easter period.
Finally, the "tripe". Contrary to what one might think, tripe is nothing more than the stomach of the animal and its fat content is very low. The digestibility of this food is however poor due to the very slow cooking and the high amount of tissue. connective tissue containing collagen fibers.
Offal and health
Offal are excellent foods to be consumed on a weekly basis. In any case, it is advisable to be careful in the selection of sources of supply and to prefer Italian farms in which the regulations for hormonal treatment and veterinary checks are rigid and strictly carried out; we remind you that offal are organs, and as such they often suffer the most from the " toxic action and the deposit of drugs and contaminants that may be present in feed.
