Veal sweetbreads grilled slowly over embers until the outside is crackling and deep golden and the inside stays soft and creamy. A prized opening act of the Argentine asado, served with a squeeze of lemon.
Among the achuras—the offal that opens every asado—mollejas are the connoisseur's favourite. The Argentine cattle culture of the Pampas wasted nothing, and these glands, slow-grilled over wood embers by the asador, became a delicacy savoured before the steaks ever hit the grill.
The crust is shatteringly crisp and savoury, almost like crackling, giving way to an interior that is soft, rich and faintly creamy, milder than you expect. A squeeze of lemon cuts the richness with brightness. It is the luxurious, slightly decadent prelude to the meat feast.
Pre-soaking and optional blanching firm the delicate glands so they hold together on the grill, while slow cooking high above the embers renders fat and crisps the exterior before the inside overcooks.
Variations
With chimichurri or salmuera, sweetbreads in lemon and white wine, breaded and fried mollejas, served on toast, with provoleta
On the Palate
Where Mollejas a la Parrilla sits in the Argentinian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · 20 min
- 160 min
Soak the sweetbreads in cold salted water for an hour to clean them.
- 25 min
Optionally blanch briefly in simmering water, then cool and pat dry.
- 35 min
Peel away any tough membrane and trim, keeping the lobes intact.
Watch outPeel off the tough outer membrane while keeping the lobes whole — leave the skin on and it shrinks tight and squeezes the sweetbread out of shape on the grill.
- 42 min
Season generously with coarse salt.
- 52 min
Place on a grill set high over medium wood embers, fattier side down.
Watch outSet the grate high over the embers, fat-side down — too close and the outside chars black before the inside loses its raw pink.
- 612 min
Grill slowly without turning too often so a deep crust forms.
- 710 min
Turn once and grill the other side until golden and crisp outside, creamy within.
Watch outFlip only once, when a deep crisp crust has set — the finished sweetbread is golden-crackly outside and creamy within.
- 81 min
Serve hot with lemon wedges and, if you like, chimichurri.
