Liver: how long to cook? page

[iniQuity]

I got some beef liver, just a small amount to try it. It was under $2. It's not grass fed.

1) Since it's not grass fed, is it somehow more toxic? like eating conventional animal fat vs grass fed fat?
2) How much should I cook it to get the most nutrients out of it? I've heard closest to rare is best.
3) Size wise, should I cook it as it is (about 4 oz pieces) or cut it? a friend in culinary school said something about some membrane and to be careful if I cut it ... I was thinking of dicing it and throwing it along some ground beef like a chili, would that work? I would cube it and throw it at the end when the ground beef has cooked, toss it around for less than a minute so it warms up then eat it. Even though it would be cubed I'd be careful to just warm it up not cook it through.
4) how do YOU like to have it?

I don't care if it tastes bad, I'll eat it anyway, I'm looking for the way to get the most out of it in terms of nutrients and minerals. I haven't had liver in a very very long time. If it tastes somewhat ok I'd like to include it at least once a week or something like that.

Good thing it's so dang cheap I'm not afraid to ruin it once or twice.

Thanks!

[Hilary]

AFAIK (which is not very far) we process toxins through our livers but don't generally store toxins there, so conventionally reared liver isn't a big problem.

I like my lamb's liver (which is more or less indistinguishable from calves', but half the price) just cooked through: sliced to a bit more than 1cm thick, and fried for a minute or so on each side. Plus a spoonful of home-made stock if I have some, and of course bacon if some 'needs eating', served with pan juices over strongly flavoured salad leaves, like rocket or watercress. I freeze the slices individually wrapped, and I've found I can cook them more or less directly from frozen. It all takes about 6 minutes from start to lunch.

You have the right basic idea for cooking it - not too much. First time I bought lamb's liver, I overcooked it woefully, and got something like boot leather only less edible. I've never tried it rare. Maybe it'd be a thought to find out how you like it before mixing it into something else?

[iniQuity]

That's true, I've just heard it's not too appealing taste-wise but I should try it alone and see what's what. Is there an upper limit to how much one can eat a day? I'm not sure if it's a "more is better" type of deal.

Can it be reheated in a microwave or would that cook it to death? probably so since I typically have to heat things for 2 minutes or so... if I bring it to work I mean.

[Hilary]

Well, I really like liver on its own (now I've learned not to make it into boot leather). I've eaten it microwave-reheated in a packed lunch, too - which was edible, not inspiring, and slightly disconcerting as the parts exposed to air had turned blue-green overnight. (No idea why. Copper content, maybe??)

I don't know about any upper limit for those of us who aren't pregnant. Would be good to know. Anyone?

[racingsnake]

I don't know precise amounts, but there's a definite issue with Vitamin A if you go mental on the liver. I stick to one 200g dose per week.

[conpewter]

Just don't eat polar bear liver

I have not tried calf/lamb liver yet but I love chicken liver wrapped in bacon.... it is pretty much like it sounds, cut into small enough pieces to wrap, but it in a pan and bake at ~350 for ~30 minutes, just check for the bacon getting a little color to it. My mom always put toothpicks through them to serve like appetizers, I just wrap and leave the loose end on the bottom, then eat primally... with fingers

[janie]

If you use dairy, one of the ways the French prepare liver is to saute briefly as described above. Keep the liver warm while you add 1/2 cup or so of chicken or beef broth to the pan to deglaze it, boil it down a bit, then stir in a dollop of mustard and a touch of heavy cream. Makes a great sauce.

[yodiewan]

I recently made this recipe; it's chicken liver, so I guess it wouldn't work quite as well for beef, but it's delicious.

I agree that it tastes better if it's still pretty pink inside. It dries out pretty easily. I'm not sure if it affects the nutrient levels.
I also don't know about the liver storing toxins, but I like the idea that it is a filter and not a storage site, heh.

My favorite easy way to enjoy beef liver is fried in bacon grease and served with super-caramelized onions. Mine usually comes in big slices with the membrane running across the top of each slice. It's easy to pull it off and removing it makes the liver easier to cut after cooking.

[muaythaimike]

I think up to 100g of liver a week is enough. I normally cook it as minimally as possible to make sure I get the most out of it. Beef liver is an acquired taste lol chicken liver has a much better texture and flavour IMO.

A lot of people say you should soak the liver in milk for 10 minutes or so before cooking it to get rid of the livery taste. I don't really have any good recipes for liver though......

[iniQuity]

Good stuff all around guys. I'm taking it out of the freezer tonight to have some tomorrow after work. I think I'll throw it in the pan with onions and bacon and see what happens.

I was watching Bizarre Foods last night and in Trinidad they serve it with goat milk on a big wrap. They added hot sauce and other stuff to it. Sounded awesome.