650646 Mon Sep 07 12:36:15 -0700 2009 14 31 Home Cooking 0 5011302 So after reading the book Julie and Julia, I was left with a pretty intense craving for some good old infamous liver. I went out last Friday night and bought a package (love how inexpensive it is!) and did up some pan-fried liver with onion gravy. Low and behold, however, I was still left with about 4 more servings of the raw stuff in the fridge! I get bored with eating the same thing daily, so I wanted to test out some different preparations. Now, usually google is pretty good at inspiring some ideas, but I found there to be little to no material on creative ways to prepare liver! I ended up finding one recipe that had it sauteed in tomato sauce. So I twisted up that idea by making a sauce with some vodka sauce and my leftover onion gravy. Turned out pretty delicious. STILL! I was left with MORE liver. So I actually ended up breading and frying up the remainder, melting some cheese onto the top, and threw the leftover tomato sauce over top of that. I put it all into some bread and had myself a little liver parm sandwich... Needless to say, I am definitely liver'd out for now. There's only so much you can eat before the "interesting" texture starts getting to you. Now, I ask all of you: Do you eat liver? And if so, what are some interesting ways that you choose to prepare it? Mon Sep 07 12:36:15 -0700 2009 247153 Hassley 1 5011338 A long time ago, a classically trained chef worked at one of the placed I was associated with. Once he prepared calf's liver for me, which to this day is the best way I have ever had it prepared. It was dusted in seasoned flour, pan sauteed medium-rare. He made a sauce/pan gravy reduction consisting of heavy cream and balsamic vinegar. He topped the dish with frizzled onions. The only thing missing was bacon. I've also had sweetbreads prepared in a similar manner @ French restaurants, so it must be a classic recipe/dish. Mon Sep 07 12:51:29 -0700 2009 5011302 123497 fourunder 1 5011341 I love liver, but mainly chicken and calf liver done in the classic ways (sauteed with onions and sometimes bacon, or in the case of chicken livers chopped with onions, eggs and schmalz as a spread... or added whole to a tomato based sauce for Spaghetti a la Caruso). I have also used pork liver is making traditional Hungarian hurka (a sausage made with offals and rice). I don't have an aversion to strongly flavored foods, but beef liver is just too intense and overbearing for me. Maybe I just haven' found the right recipe for making it. Mon Sep 07 12:53:18 -0700 2009 5011302 116047 The Professor 2 5011354 I love liver, and prefer the strong taste of beef liver to calve's liver, and don't really like the mushiness of chicken livers. That said, My chopped liver is made with 60% chicken liver and 40 calves' liver. I often will slice beef liver about 1/2" thick and cokk on the BBQ grill like a steak until med-rare. I serve it with baked potato and broccoli. I also love liver, broiled and chopped/dice fine, mixed with mashed potato and used as the filling in a knish. Also, finely dice satueed liver and onions make a great filling for ravioli or kreplach, Better if fried like a pierogi, than just boiled. Mon Sep 07 13:01:48 -0700 2009 5011341 274541 bagelman01 3 5011413 I too find calve's liver too mild when making traditional fried liver, onions, and bacon, but I do like chicken livers as well (add a little soy but otherwise same method as with beef). I use a 50/50 chicken/beef liver for chopped liver. I think a small amount of minced sauteed beef liver is good in spaghetti sauce along with the usual ground beef and Italian sausage. Mon Sep 07 13:24:42 -0700 2009 5011354 159317 greygarious 1 5011569 The absolute best liver and onions that I've ever had was at the Union House restaurant in Framingham, MA. some years ago when I was up there for a training class at Honeywell. It was cut thick, about 1/2 - 3/8 inch, sauteed in butter with a splash of white wine, and the onions were also cut thick and lightly cooked in the same sauce. It was simple and absolutely wonderful! I shoulda had seconds. Mon Sep 07 14:37:26 -0700 2009 5011302 114978 Purrkins 1 5011629 Just remembered reading that pureed raw liver goes into the ground beef in White Castle slyder copycat recipes, which contributes a certain smoothness to the texture of the burger. I must try that in ordinary homemade burgers and in meatball/meatloaf mixture. There's always the classic German dish, Leberkloesschen (liver dumplings). But I must admit that when I buy a pound of liver I generally just divide the remaining raw liver into portions and freeze for future frying. Mon Sep 07 14:59:04 -0700 2009 5011302 159317 greygarious 1 5012642 Homemade pate! As an aside, do you have any advice on cleaning it? None of the cookbooks or web guides I've found tell you what to do with the white membrane and gobby looking bits in the centre - they all start by saying "slice the liver". Tue Sep 08 02:07:50 -0700 2009 5011302 27525 tastesgoodwhatisit 2 5013088 You trim out the membrane and the cross-section of blood vessel in the center. No reason you couldn't give those to your dog or cat. Tue Sep 08 07:49:19 -0700 2009 5012642 159317 greygarious 1 5013005 My 'Liver Gourmet Style'... Ingredients: 2 to 3 pieces of beef liver. Butter, quarter stick (+ or -). Sliced 'yellow' onion (amount to suit). Sliced mushrooms (amount to suit). Pignolias (pine nuts) 1/2 to 1 1/s oz (or amount to suit). Some sifted flour (seasoned with garlic salt or garlic powder and fresh milled pepper) and laced with a 'small' amount of yellow corn meal and mix all with fork. (Optional, but highly recommended) Chopped or crushed sun dried tomato. Preparation: In an iron skillet melt butter over a low flame. While butter is melting dredge liver pieces in seasoned flour mixture, set aside for moment. Turn up burner to medium flame and just as butter begins to brown slightly add liver pieces. Brown on both sides for a total of 5 to 7 minutes, then remove and place on 'holding' plate. Now to the skillet add onions, mushrooms, and pignolias add a little more butter and sautee for three or four minutes or until slightly browned. Now return liver pieces to skillet on top of mixture, cover and cook for just a few moment more. (Serving suggestion...I serve this with a Caesar Salad and French cut green beans topped with slivered almonds both which really seemed to compliment the liver prepared this way) Presentation...Plate liver and spoon on top with sauteed onions, mushrooms, and pignolias and garnish with a sprinkle of the crushed/chopped sun dried tomato. Plate green beans. Salad on plate or serve separately. Tue Sep 08 07:22:52 -0700 2009 5011302 141261 crt 1 5013192 Because the liver is the animal part that acts as a "clearing house" for all the chemicals that pass through the body, I avoid liver from beef that has been fed on anything other than grasses and grains. I prefer it braised in a mixture of wine, herbs and spices until it is fork tender. Tue Sep 08 08:25:42 -0700 2009 5011302 203621 todao 1 5013702 I like to stir fry beef liver with tempeh, some green onions and lots and lots of fresh julienned young ginger Tue Sep 08 11:05:02 -0700 2009 5011302 11583 ipsedixit 1 5014026 I practically grew up on beef liver...Always fried till pink inside (otherwise it gets too hard), with some onions on a side-mmmmm!!!! I ahd some good liver last month in Berlin, at a hotel restaurant (Mercure hotel by Tegel Airport)) Tue Sep 08 13:14:05 -0700 2009 5011302 147538 polish_girl 1 5033206 Here's a simple recipe that works out pretty well. Soak the liver in cold water. Boil two tablespoons or so of mustard seeds in about a 1/4 cup of water for a few minutes. Salt the liver, both sides. Fry in a teflon pan with a small amount of oil. When you turn the liver over, put the mustard seeds on top. Turn the liver over a second time cooking the liver until it's pink inside. Put the liver aside and add some evaporated milk or cream to the mustard seeds in the pan for a nice sauce (if avoiding dairy, use chicken stock). When eating, the mustard seeds will pop in your mouth like caviar. The results seem much fancier than what it costs to make. Tue Sep 15 21:27:38 -0700 2009 5011302 27287 BigGuy 1 5035181 I really don't choose to eat it though occasionally I have an urge when I think I wouldn't mind liver and onions. What got me curious about this post is the lack of creativity in terms of beef liver. This doesn't really stray too much off the onions/bacon/liver trio, but the addition of apples somehow sounds good Baked Liver with Apples http://recipes.recipeland.com/recipes/recipe/show/Baked_Liver_with_Apples_3904 The gourmet treatment Beef Liver Pâté with Cognac http://kitchen.galanter.net/2009/07/04/beef-liver-pate-with-cognac/ Other liver and onions variations Liver with Caramelized Onion and Pecans http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Liver-with-Caramelized-Onion-and-Pecans-3158 Sautéed Beef Liver with Raspberries ... the recipe actually looks better than this sounds http://www.metro.ca/on/recipe/1582/sauteed-beef-liver-with-raspberries.en.html Some other beef liver ideas Fegato a Scapece Vicidomini http://ericademane.com/2007/05/28/lost-recipes-found-fegato-a-scapece-vicidomini/ Liver Fricassee Recipe http://www.recipestar.com/recipes/view/liver-fricassee-4271 Spiced Liver with Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage http://www.cooksunited.co.uk/recipes/589921213262316/Spiced-Liver-with-Sweet-and-Sour-Red-Cabbage.html Beef Liver in Coconut Milk Recipe ... sounds like it would disguise it enough to make me like it http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com/online_recipes/indonesia/kalio-hati.php Beef Liver Creole seems like it could be good also http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/629/Beef-Liver-Creole78140.shtml Leber Und Bratwurst Auflauf (Liver & Sausage Casserole) http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe2.php?rid=misc-leber-und-bratwurst-auflauf Filipino Beef Morcon Recipe http://www.filipinofoodrecipes.net/morcon.htm THAI SPICY LIVER SALAD http://www.ezythaicooking.com/free_recipes/thai-spicy-liver-salad.htm There are some recipes on the border of what I'd try Grandma's Liver Nip Recipe http://livernips.com/ Kyinkyinga (Beef and Liver Kebabs) : http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe2.php?rid=misc-kyinkyinga BEEF LIVER CASSEROLE http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,168,156185-237203,00.html And there are some I just wouldn't conemplate such as "Recipe to make Delicious Raw Beef Liver children will love" http://www.curemanual.com/blog/2009/06/recipe-to-make-delicious-raw-beef-liver-children-will-love/ Isn't that cruelty to children? I have to man up to eat cooked beef liver but ... raw? Is this where little Hanibal Lector got his start? Beef Liverwurst ... and why does this guy have 22 lbs of beef liver hanging out in the fridge? http://www.pinkmochi.com/eriksrant/archives/000564.html Wed Sep 16 15:26:58 -0700 2009 5011302 10264 rworange