 Rocky Mountain oysters, served with lemon andcocktail sauce. | |
| Alternative names | Prairie oysters, calf fries, cowboy oysters, swinging steak |
|---|---|
| Course | Hors d'oeuvre |
| Region or state | Western North America and South America |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Beef testicles,flour, pepper, salt |
| 182 kcal (760 kJ) | |
Rocky Mountain oysters,mountain oysters,[1] orprairie balls, also known asprairie oysters in Canada (French:animelles), is a dish made ofbulltesticles. The organs are often deep-fried after being skinned, coated inflour, pepper and salt, and sometimes pounded flat. The dish is most often served as anappetizer.[2]
The dish is served in parts ofCanada, wherecattleranching is prevalent andcastration of young male animals is common. "Prairie oysters" is the preferred name in Canada where they are served in ademi-glace.[3] InOklahoma and theTexas Panhandle, they are often called calf fries. InSpain,Argentina and many parts ofMexico, they are referred to ascriadillas, and they are colloquially referred to ashuevos de toro (literally, "bull's eggs"; besides its literal meaning,huevos is a Spanish slang term for testicles) in Central and South America.[4] A few other terms, such as "cowboy caviar", "Montana tendergroins", "dusted nuts", "swinging beef", or simply "mountain oysters" may be used.[5]
The dish, purportedly cowboy fare,[6] is most commonly found served at festivals, amongst ranching families, or at certain specialty eating establishments and bars.[5] They are, however, also readily available at some public venues (e.g., atCoors Field duringColorado Rockies baseball games).[7][8]Eagle, Idaho, claims to have the "World's Largest Rocky Mountain Oyster Feed" during its Eagle Fun Days (now held the second weekend in July).[9]Clinton, Montana;Deerfield, Michigan;Huntley, Illinois; Sesser, Illinois;Olean, Missouri;Severance, Colorado; andTiro, Ohio also holdtesticle festivals.[10]Virginia City, Nevada holds a Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry in conjunction withSt. Patrick's Day each year.[11] Rocky Mountain oysters are sometimes served as a prank to those unaware of the origin of these "oysters". They are considered to be anaphrodisiac by many people.[10]
The primary goal of testicle removal is not culinary.Castration in veterinary practice andanimal husbandry is common and serves a variety of purposes, including the control of breeding, the growth of skeletal muscle suitable for beef, and temperament alteration.[12]
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Testicles from other animals are also eaten. The most common islamb fries (not to be confused with lamb's fry which is lamb liver) made with testicles from castrated sheep. Pig testicles are used to make "pig fries".
Another dish found on occasion is turkey fries made from turkey testes. These are sometimes known as "short fries" as well.[citation needed]
