Cooking with Offal
After finishing Julie & Julia and reading about Chris Cosentino's & Michael Ruhlman's recent "Head to Tail" dinner (post here, I've found myself interested in learning how to cook offal. I bought a pretty piece of beef liver from our local free-range farmer and I'm looking forward to using it, but... how? I'm a little trepidatious, remembering the foul liver and onions dish my mother made once as a child; but at the same time, remember my first experience with foie gras and how much I loved it. What do I do with it? What can I do to make it tasty instead mushy and funny tasting?
Assuming the other half finds my first attempt at serving offal palatable, anyone have suggestions for what to try next? We're lucky enough to have good connections in the area for local-raised meat, although anything beyond the big three (beef, pork and chicken) can be a little hard to get.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Got a fantastic recipe or a happy offal story you'd be willing to share?
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14 Comments:
My absolute favourite meat when I was a child was liver; I can still remember this, and my parents became vegetarians when I was about 2.5 (and have been, ever since).
My mother said the recipe she used was the very simple one typically used in Tuscany: the liver was sliced thin and quickly pan-grilled in olive oil, along with a small fresh bay leaf and a small sprig of fresh sage. I have no idea how you tell when liver is done, but I'm hoping someone else will say something about this; this seems like a meat that might be unpleasant if underdone, but overcooked liver is spongy-rubbery, and absolutely horrid.
This was frequently served with fresh or briefly sauteed fennel; it's aromatic flavour stands up well, and makes a good foil for the liver.
mongoose at 4:41PM on 03/15/08
I'm a big fan, but I don't make it often. I buy baby calves liver. Sometimes I flour it, sometimes I don't. I cook it with bacon and onions, and make gravy. It cooks quickly. I'd use a recipe the first time.
I also love chicken liver pate'.
PerkyMac at 5:15PM on 03/15/08
I've always loved liver and onions. One day, when hubby and I were still dating, I told him I was going to be making liver and onions for dinner. He gave me an odd look, but said "okay."
When he started eating, it was the funniest thing. "What is this?I can stick a fork in it! I can cut it with a knife! I don't even need a knife, I can cut it with a fork! I can chew it! What is this, really?"
He'd never had liver and onions cooked any way except the tough as shoeleather way. I've never eaten it like that. I had no idea what he was raving about, but it was really cute.
I usually flour the liver and cook it hot and fast. I've also seen recipes where you cook it low and slow for a long time, but I've never tried that.
dbcurrie at 12:49AM on 03/16/08
Offal! Yum. :)
Beef tongue is fantastic hot or cold, and makes amazing sandwiches on rye bread with whole-grain mustard and pickles. It's a little disconcerting to prepare (it looks like a tongue) but it tastes quite similar to brisket, beefy and a little fatty. Joy of Cooking should have some good recipes; there was also an article on it in the NYT a few months ago.
Veal sweetbreads, provided you can find them, are magical morsels of deliciousness. Pan-fry gently and serve with a butter-lemon sauce and chopped parsley.
And bone marrow is also delicious, if you can get big shank bones. I believe the NYT has a Fergus Henderson (author of "Nose to Tail Eating") recipe for that.
thebasilqueen at 2:56AM on 03/16/08
D'oh. I completely forgot the obvious... chopped liver!
thebasilqueen at 2:58AM on 03/16/08
beef liver can be very strong tasting, but i believe that's what the onions and bacon are for.
cybercita at 12:07PM on 03/16/08
Funny! Hubby and I were just talking about liver and onions, something I never make, not being overly fond of liver, but which he loves. I told him I'd make some, but that it probably would be nothing like what he remembers from childhood.
Hopefully the beef liver you purchased was actually calf liver. Beef liver can indeed be very strong tasting (gamy), and the texture is often wanting. The primary purpose of the onions and bacon is to offset the gaminess, and to add fat to a piece of meat that doesn't give off much fat in the cooking. It's the same reason so many game dishes rely on bacon.
The big secret, as wisely pointed out so many times already, is to avoid overcooking it at all costs. Also, I remember reading about the importance of soaking in salted water and then milk, as is common for most organ meats. I believe the milk tenderizes the meat, and softens the flavors. The salt water helps clean the meat, which makes sense if you keep in mind that the liver's primary purpose is to remove waste from the body.
I'd definitely rely on a good, detailed recipe for this, and any other offal dishes you decide to take on. Depending on how much the liver was processed by the butcher, there are steps that need to be taken to prepare it for eating (remove membrane, blood vessels, etc.).
Good luck! Let us know how it goes!
LoCo at 1:06PM on 03/16/08
BTW, an old 1920s cookbook in my cabinet recommends larding the liver if it's not being cooked in slices. Personally, I prefer it sliced relatively thinly and cooked hot and fast. But if it really is beef liver (not calf), you might want to consider larding it after an overnight milk soak, and cooking it whole, or in large pieces.
LoCo at 1:22PM on 03/16/08
If you can find it, fresh pork liver can't be beat !!! We used to keep a hog in the pigpen, and when we butchered it I always made sure I got the liver. And I agree, cook it hot and fast, preferably in the bacon grease you have left from cooking the bacon !!!
onepercent99 at 7:27PM on 03/16/08
Liver & onions was a staple when I was growing up (although I must confess I never eat it (or any other offal) now. It was always sliced relatively thinly (1/2 inch max) on the bias, then lightly dredged in seasoned flour before frying in hot bacon grease. Must not be overcooked or it will be tough and sometimes bitter. If you prefer long and slow, just quickly sear both sides, then turn down to very low heat, preferably covered to retain moisture.
SusanZ at 9:34PM on 03/16/08
The local tacqueria makes it awesome: thin, quickly seared pieces served in a red chile sauce with tortillas, rice and refried beans. It's awesome!
Amandarama at 2:29PM on 03/17/08
Way back, Weight Watchers required liver once a week. I used to sear it and then cook it in a reduced tomato juice. Couldn't compare to bacon & onions! I never soaked it in milk LoCo, but it's a great idea. I soak chicken in buttermilk and strong tasting/oily fish in milk, but never liver. I'm going to try that next time. You always have wonderful tips!
PerkyMac at 2:33PM on 03/17/08
Beef tongue sliced very thinly and grilled on very high heat a la Korean BBQ...very beefy flavor, and not tough at all. If you didn't tell even the most squeamish people that it was tongue, they'd probably happily gobble it down.
This is an ocassional treat in my house...when we can find very fresh young pig's kidneys, they're boiled in a clear broth and served with a dipping sauce of sweet soy sauce and ginger.
They're simply cleaned very thoroughly (soaked in several changes of water, preferably over night, and then held under running water until the water runs clear through the kidneys.
They're sliced thinly and thrown into a small pot of boiling chicken or better yet, pork bone broth to cook through just barely. If they're cooked any longer than this, they get tough and unappetizing.
Serve in fresh broth and fresh julliened ginger with a little of the dipping sauce on the side. The cooking broth can be discarded as it might have turned a bloody color from the kidneys.
The ginger cuts any strong innard-y flavor there is. But if they're good kidneys, there shouldn't be much in the first place.
You can buy bottled sweet soy sauce (its similar to soy sauce, only reduced and thickened with a lighter, sweeter taste) or even some thinned oyster sauce with sugar should work.
fuuchan at 6:43PM on 03/17/08
It sounds.........offal (groan).
BITTER at 4:56PM on 03/21/08