Groks first fresh cow kill - organ meats and blood page

[Issabeau]

I've received a large amount of organ meats and a gallon of blood last night. I was super pumped. It was handed to me in a large container, all thrown in together and I had to sort through a bunch of bloody organs.
I wanted to make gelatin out of the legs/feet but they were just too muddy to be appetizing, so I chopped off the leg bone and threw the feet (best part to make gelatin) to the dogs, because I have no idea how to get the black hoof part off the actual toes.

Also, received a gallon of fresh blood and made my first home-made blood soup.
I can't get over the eeek factor of drinking raw blood, so it has to go into a stock and simmer for a minute before I turn the heat off. Wish I'd know how to make black pudding.

My freezer is now filled with kidney fat, kidneys, liver, sweetbreads (and some other pinkish gland), heart, eyeballs and brain, stew meat (cut from the head I got for free) and meaty bones for stocks.

I would've never even considered even looking at liver about 2 years ago...this all sure sounds gross but the farmer (who also happens to be a Paleontologist! ) thinks it's awesome, "finally someone who appreciates the value of organ meats".

[Misabi]

Wow! I regularly eat offal and a Filipino black pudding, which is a stew rather than a sausage like the British pudding. I recommend googling the recipe for that

Not sure I could handle some of the other bits though... I've had a tub of lamb's brains in the freezer for months that I just haven't been able to bring myself to eat yet

[DeeDub]

Liver is one of my ZOMG foods. Love it love it love it love it!

Enjoy your "harvest" - I did four pigs and 42 chickens this year (I'm now a 3-freezer kind of guy) so I totally get where you're coming from.

[Paleobird]

Not sure I could handle some of the other bits though... I've had a tub of lamb's brains in the freezer for months that I just haven't been able to bring myself to eat yet

I just had lamb brains for the first time recently and they are soooooo good. They are amazingly rich and buttery tasting. Kind of the consistency of scrambled eggs.

[Issabeau]

I want to update what I've cooked with my 'rare' cow organs.
I made Blood Soup and it was DELICIOUS!!! OMG, you guys, I ate 2 gallons of blood soup in 4 days and I was sad when I ran out, because now I have to wait 3 months to do it again.
Recipe ingredients: Warm blood (liquid), chilled blood (clotted), onions, bacon, butter, 1 knee bone with lots of cartilage and hot spring mineral water high in silica, celtic sea salt, black pepper.
I made a bone broth from the knuckle bone (6 hours min. simmer), cut the cartilage into small pieces, added back to soup. Browned onions in butter and chopped bacon, also fried, then tossed both into soup for added flavor.
Cut up chilled, clotted blood into tiny bits (this is where it normally calls for black pudding). Added sea salt and black pepper to soup for more flavor.
Then about 1 minute before turning the soup off, I added the clotted blood pieces and the fresh, runny blood to soup. Wait til it barely browns, take the entire pot off the burner and let soup sit for another 2 minutes. DONE

Today I tossed a chunk of fresh liver (filled with blood, was never drained), buffalo meat and a chunk of fresh cow lung into the food processor and made a giant organ patty with butter in my frying pan, low heat, semi-raw.

Tomorrow I will render some of the heart fat and gently brown my heart steaks (leave raw in middle) in it. Omg, I'm already drooling.

[Hardwarehank]

Mmm heart steak... Had some of that this weekend. Will definitely be doing it again.

[The Superwag]

Thanks for this blood-drinking tip. I have been wondering about the benefits of consuming blood from grass-fed pastured lamb. I enjoy black sausages and often cut them open and slowly bake the sausage contents in a little dish with raw cream and herbs etc. I think plain old blood might be the next step in my primal journey...

[The Superwag]

Also, I have been wondering about the natural blood that gathers in the bottom of the bag after defrosting meat on the bench all day. I usually just toss this out but maybe I should reconsider and add it to sauces? Thoughts anyone? I guess it's just the same as the natural blood that runs out of animals when you cook them. I also do not wash or drain fresh livers from my butcher.

[yodiewan]

Also, I have been wondering about the natural blood that gathers in the bottom of the bag after defrosting meat on the bench all day. I usually just toss this out but maybe I should reconsider and add it to sauces? Thoughts anyone? I guess it's just the same as the natural blood that runs out of animals when you cook them. I also do not wash or drain fresh livers from my butcher.

I don't think it's technically blood (unless you're talking "fresh" meats that haven't been drained) but the meat juices are definietly good stuff. In a post earlier this year Mark mentioned that they have potassium:
Why We Should Eat Leafy Greens | Mark's Daily Apple

[Moochy]

I just had lamb brains for the first time recently and they are soooooo good. They are amazingly rich and buttery tasting. Kind of the consistency of scrambled eggs.

You are very cool for a gal