Latin America
In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico, almost all internal parts and organs are consumed regularly. Chicken hearts, gizzards and livers are usually eaten fried or boiled, either alone, or in broth. Brainstem is served as soup, sopa de médula. The tongue is boiled to make tacos. Eyes are eaten as tacos de ojo. Tripas (intestines) are also eaten, but normally in tacos rather than stews. A popular dish is the "pancita" or "menudo", a stew of beef stomach. Tripe is also used to make menudo and mondongo. Cow's head is usually eaten as "Tacos de Cabeza", which include every part of the head: lips, cheeks, eyes, etc. Sheep's or goat's head are also eaten as part of the barbacoa, the "montalayo" is dish made of chopped organs, spiced with adobo, and cooked inside of the sheep stomach. This is known as "menudo de birria" in the Pacific states and is made with goat parts instead of sheep. Chopped carrots and potatoes can be added, as well as peas. Pork brains are considered a delicacy and are eaten in the deep fried quesadilla de sesos. Beef and pork liver are regularly eaten pan-fried with onion or breaded and deep-fried. The pork ears, feet and snout are pickled and eaten in tostadas. Elsewhere, as in Peru, beef heart is used for anticuchos - a sort of brochette.
In Brazil, churrasco (barbecue) often includes chicken hearts, roasted on a big skewer. The typical feijoada sometimes contains pork trimmings (ears, feet and tail). Gizzard stews, fried beef liver and beef stomach stews used to be more popular dishes in the past, but are nonetheless still consumed. Buchada, a popular dish from the northeast of the country, consists of the diced organs of a goat, which are seasoned and then sewn inside the goat's stomach and boiled.
In Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, the traditional asado is often made along with several offal types (called "achuras"), like chinchulines and tripa gorda (chitterlings), mollejas (sweetbreads) and riñón (cow's kidney). Sesos (brains) are used to make ravioli stuffing. Tongue is usually boiled, sliced and marinated with a mixture of oil, vinegar, salt, chopped peppers and garlic. Criadillas or huevos de toro ("bull's eggs", testicles) are eaten mostly in cattle-raising regions.
Read more about this topic: Offal
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