Teapot filled with tea, sugar bowl, tea cups and plate full of fried calf liver.
Yes, you heard me correctly. I said liver.
One of our friends just butchered their steer calf this weekend and she asked if I wanted the liver. Heck yes!
So yesterday morning I started cutting up the liver into manageable sizes (the liver was over seven pounds!) and sorting it out into piles. Inedible scraps into the garbage, smaller scraps for the cats & dog, and three hunks for us humans to consume. Two of the hunks went directly into the freezer and the third was sliced up for dinner that evening.
I put the pet scraps into the cast iron skillet and cooked it up for treats for the fuzzballs. Before it was even done cooking, the delicious aroma of fried liver wafted throughout the kitchen and was driving me crazy. So I decided that we should probably sample some of the liver. You know, to make sure it was ok. So I sliced up a few pieces, dredged them in flour/seasoning salt and fried them in a little bit of oil.
Heaven. I think that anyone that doesn't like liver hasn't had it cooked properly. Or they're aliens. Either way I guess it doesn't really matter because it just leaves more for me.
Rhiannon and I ate our little snack of fried livers, slurped the rest of our tea and went outside to run around a bit. Well, she ran around.
I'll do a post on my fried liver and onion gravy next blogging day. Try to keep from drooling in anticipation.
Paul's Take
Apparently I'm one of those aliens.
I agree with you. Cooking liver right is the key. My kids love my liver in gravy. It's tender and yummy.
ReplyDeleteI happen to think that liver from healthy animals, raised on healthy food, in healthy pasture, getting plenty of sun and fresh air, is just wonderful! Any other liver...no thanks! I must say that particular liver looks really tasty and is making me hungry. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never had calf liver, when I was younger and married to a french man he would cook beef heart. Is it similar in texture and taste, do you know?
ReplyDeleteI'm with Patty in that (in these days of terrible pollution of all kinds) I wouldn't eat any liver from any animals I didn't know personally. (Well, not personally but you get my drift.)
ReplyDeleteI wonder if to be a liver lover you had to be raised on it? Hubby and I were, and both still love it. I serve it with sauteed onions and bacon, the liver made like yours but fried in the bacon grease. Mmmm-mm, good!
I always loooove the smell of liver being fried up with onions but just can't get past the texture...I'm with Paul on this one! ;~)
ReplyDeleteI thought those were a little dark for scones....
ReplyDeleteHere it comes...EWWWWWWWWW!!!!! There's one in every crowd LOL!
ReplyDeleteOk, I must be an alien. (Wouldn't be the first time I've been accused of that...) Love, love, LOVE the smell of it cooking, can't gag down a bite.
ReplyDeleteCat.
I'm with Erin and Cat... except that I can't stand the smell either. I've had liver precisely once in my life, and it was the most disgusting thing I ever choked down. I couldn't get over the mealy texture. Maybe it was prepared poorly, I dunno, but the experience still haunts me nearly 30 years later and the entire thought of it makes my stomach turn!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy it though... I'm glad there are people out there willing to eat the stuff so it doesn't go to waste!
Hey it tastes good! My hubby thinks I'm disgusting when I chow down on chicken organ meats :)
ReplyDeleteI used to eat it, but only when I knew its origin and cooked it myself with lots of paprika and garlic. Can't imagine anything that would make me eat it now, but glad you all enjoyed yours.
ReplyDeleteLiver an onions....yum yum!
ReplyDeleteMy husband is also an alien; I still cook it with onions for me.
ReplyDeleteMy kids loved it when they were still at home. I made it like cashew chicken only with strips of livers deep-fried. I used beef broth to make the sauce.
We now have beef in the freezer and lots of liver.
Lisa, kids that love liver....it's a beautiful thing to behold!
ReplyDeletePatty, I agree. I'd be concerned what "Stuff" has deposited in the livers of some of the factory-raised animals.
Sandy, I've never actually eaten heart as I usually just cook it up for the critters. Liver is kind of "pre-chewed" kind'a texture I guess. Think that's the major reason a lot of people don't like it.
Mama Pea, Bacon grease? Gott'a try that next time. I only had liver just recently (in the past seven or eight years maybe). My Mom wouldn't never even look at the stuff so it never got served to us kids.
Candy, maybe it's just the smell of the onions that you like? :)
Susan, Scones, Livers.....you never know what'll be served up on a plate around here!
Erin, Cat & EcoCatLady, I know, I know! I guess it's a weird texture. But there are so many people that don't like it that maybe WE'RE (the liver-lovers) the aliens!
Nancy, I love chicken livers even MORE than calf liver! Heaven.
Charade, Garlic makes EVERYthing taste good....even liver! And I did have to enjoy it all as Paul & Rhiannon only ate a little bit that evening. I had leftovers for two days!
Nancy, oh my yes yummy!
gld, I never though of using it in a Chinese-type dish! Maybe I can disguise it and serve it to Paul that way...hmmm.