help get me over my organ fears page

[moonablaze]

I've been eating tongue for a while, tried cabasa the other day (both I've only eaten at restaurants, mostly mexican). but I'm really afraid to try actual organ meats. I tasted tripe once, but it was a bad experience I'm not looking to repeat. I'm totally game to try heart but nutritionally it's not much better/different than muscle meats. I'm also afraid that I'll mess up the preparation and end up disgusting myself so much I won't be able to make myself try again. any ideas for fool-proof organ prep, or even just a place to start?

[Farfalla]

I'd try stomach first. I think it's easiest to stomach for people who are new to this. If you can get turkey stomach, just cook it long enough - e.g. in a slow cooker with bones and vegetables to make delicious broth. Hearts, in particular small ones (chicken), contain tubes, and I think it might turn you off.

If you think you could eat liver, start with chicken. Use lard or bacon grease, brown some onions, add livers cut into small pieces and fry until they are just a bit pink in the inside. Add salt at the end. The texture may seem weird, but it is delicious. I love it with broccoli.

[Wayneeuk]

I just had chicken liver,fried with onions garlic and tumeric,simple but incredible,try it.

[norak]

Live paté is a good place to start. It's processed, but it will help you ease into it. If you can find a good one, it won't contain too much crap either.

[geekgrrl]

my mother in law said to slice liver really thinly, around the outside - I think the center must be tougher. Cut it thin and fry with bacon. So I'm going to try that.

I've also had steak and kidney, chunks of steak and pieces of kidney slow cooked in a rich gravy. Usually a pie, but it'd be as nice without the crust. It really is yummy.

ps, nobody likes tripe.

[Farfalla]

Actually, I once had tripe soup in the school canteen. It has been ages but I still remember how delicious it was! I would surely not mind eating it again if someone (someone I trust with hygiene!) cooks it for me in their house because tripe is allegedly very smelly when you cook it. I think it helps when the tripe is cut finely. Otherwise all those meanders may look repulsive if you are a tripe newbie.

[Dr. Bork Bork]

liver is super easy to do, and tastes like cheap steak
if you're ever in a brazilian churrasco style restaurant (Tucanos, Rodizios), try chicken hearts. Way easy gateway offal! Taste like lil smokies

don't think about what you're eating, only that it's critter (like a hamburger)

[Lynna]

I think tripe is gross. I'm starting to really like beef/calves liver. Calves liver is milder, but I had some beef liver yesterday and it wasn't bad. You have to cook it so that it's still pink in the center or it gets tough and dry. I like to cook it in bacon fat and eat it will sauteed onions. I haven't tried any other offal. I'm nervous about eating kidney, because it can taste like pee. I haven't been able to get tongue or heart.

[DaisyEater]

I have the same problem. I'm thinking of trying to make sausage so I can get some organ meats in my diet.

[geostump]

I don't mind eating livers so much. I grew up eating chicken/calf/beef liver so that isn't a big deal to me. I won't venture over to other things, tripe, heart, brains, kidney, etc. I really think the textures would be totally off putting for me. I had trouble eating coconut flour as its "too mushy".