Sections
  • News & Politics
  • Food
  • Things to Do
  • Washingtonian Events
  • Home & Style
  • Editors’ Picks
  • Events Calendar
  • Health
  • Longreads
  • Parenting
  • Real Estate
  • Shopping
  • Travel
  • Weddings
Reader Favorites
  • Subscribe
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
  • Washingtonian Events
Washington’s Best
  • Apartment Rentals
  • DC Travel Guide
  • Dentists
  • Doctors
  • Financial Advisers
  • Health Experts
  • Home Improvement Experts
  • Industry Leaders
  • Lawyers
  • Mortgage Professionals
  • Pet Care
  • Private Schools
  • Real Estate Agents
  • Restaurants
  • Retirement Communities
  • Wedding Vendors
More
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
© 2022 Washingtonian Media Inc.
Privacy Policy
All Rights Reserved
 Rss
Skip to content
Washingtonian.com
  • Search
  • Subscribe
  • Menu
  • News & Politics
  • Things to Do
  • Food
  • Health
  • Shopping
  • Home & Style
  • Real Estate
  • Weddings
  • Travel

  • Subscribe
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
  • Washingtonian Events
  • Trending Now in Food
  • Rooftop Bars
  • Festival
  • Brunch
  • Fried Chicken
  • The Square
Food

Anatomy of a Dish: General Tso’s Sweetbreads at Café Saint-Ex

Chef Billy Klein serves up an homage to his favorite Chinese takeout.

Written by Anna Spiegel
| Published on November 30, 2011
Tweet Share

The dish in question: General Tso’s Sweetbreads by Billy Klein. Photograph by Erik Uecke

The Washington Post reports that Great Wall Szechuan House on 14th Street is getting a makeover to become “something more than a take-out,” providing diners more seating room to sample chef Yuan Chen’s fiery Szechuan cooking. But some of Great Wall’s neighbors, among them chef Billy Klein of Café Saint-Ex, are addicted to the Chinese-American fare that the foodies pass over for the more “authentic” menu. In fact, Klein has ordered the same thing at least once a week for the past ten years: General Tso’s Chicken.

“It’s delicious, hot, crispy, and always on point,” he says. “I don’t crave Chinese food. I crave that.”

Saint-Ex recently underwent its own facelift (actually, it was more like a subtle tummy tuck, since work was only done in the back kitchen). With the equipment upgrade, Klein is able to experiment more than ever, and he wanted to take the menu beyond roast chicken, but given the restaurant’s neighborhood bistro rep, he can’t stray too far. So to compromise, he married two of his favorite things to eat: sweetbreads, and General Tso’s. The result is crispy veal sweetbreads cloaked in a traditional Chinese-American Tso’s sauce that’s as close as Klein can get to his Great Wall favorite.

The chef tinkered with different measurements of hoisin, rice wine vinegar, soy, molasses, ginger, garlic, and Sriracha before hitting on a Great Wall–esque ratio. The rest is his own interpretation. Cooking the sweetbreads is a three-day process—cleaning, poaching, braising—that erases any offal gaminess. In lieu of deep-frying the calf bits, Klein sautés them until they’re crisp, then tosses them under a salamander for extra crunch. Whereas traditional Tso’s comes with broccoli and jasmine rice, Klein serves his with rapini and creamy carnaroli risotto cakes. The result may not taste exactly like the takeout from down the street, but they do pass Billy Klein’s ultimate culinary test.

“I got my father to eat them, which is impressive,” he says.

More: Best BitesFood Trends
Join the conversation!
Share Tweet
Anna Spiegel
Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.

Most Popular in Food

1

11 New and Newly Reopened Rooftop Bars for Summer Fun in DC

2

First Look: Sandlot Anacostia Opens Soon With Go-Go and Good Eats

3

The Ultimate Breakfast and Brunch Guide to the Union Market District

4

12 Fun Food Events Around DC This Weekend

5

An American Fry Joint With Chicken and Beer Buckets Flies Into Downtown DC

Washingtonian Magazine

May 2022: Fantastic Foodie Getaways

May 2022: Fantastic Foodie Getaways

View Issue
Subscribe

Follow Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Follow Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Related

Photos From Washingtonian’s Talk & Taste, Sponsored by Chubb

late-night-snack

Planning Your Wedding Menu? Here’s the Case for the Late-Night Snack

drink-station-ideas

Say Cheers! 3 Boozy Bar Ideas That Will Elevate Your Signature Wedding Cocktail

Caviar is having a moment–but with a fun twist. Photograph by Scott Suchman.

Why Caviar Is Everywhere Right Now

More from Food

11 New and Newly Reopened Rooftop Bars for Summer Fun in DC

12 Fun Food Events Around DC This Weekend

Photograph by Scott Suchman.

Number of Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs Hits Record Low

The Ultimate Breakfast and Brunch Guide to the Union Market District

Today at 11: Chat With Food Critic Ann Limpert

First Look: Sandlot Anacostia Opens Soon With Go-Go and Good Eats

How a DC Restaurateur Is Providing 100,000 Free Baby Formula Bottles for Families

Union Market Creator and Minibar Alum Talk Plans for Massive DC Marketplace

© 2022 Washingtonian Media Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Washingtonian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Privacy Policy and Opt-Out
 Rss
Get the best news, delivered weekly.
By signing up, you agree to our terms.
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs