I accomplished something great today -- I concocted a dish that the grandkids LOVED ... and which contains a respectable quantity of liver! :-D
This combination has been on my mind for some time, and I was delighted to find it actually WORKED. How often do we have "brilliant" ideas that just don't pan out?! Well, at least I do....
I combined pretty homogenously:
1# ground beef
1# ground pork
1# bacon, cut in 1" pieces
1/2# beef liver, soaked in milk, parboiled and chopped fine
1/2 c. barbecue sauce
2 eggs
It made quite a good-sized meatloaf in a large baking pan. I covered it with foil so it would stay moist while it had time to cook through, and I put it in a 350 F oven for an hour and a half. At the end of that time, I uncovered it and drizzled it with some of my home-made catsup and put it back in the oven for a half hour.
The children, 7 and 10, LOVED it. M polished hers off in record time, and G had seconds. My daughter said she thought it was the best meatloaf she'd ever tasted, though I reminded her that it was very much like the one I used to make, way-back-when -- just more nutritious.
Success! And success feels GOOD.
I'll have to give this a try, thanks Tess.
ReplyDeleteMy mother was absolutely refused to have any offal in the house and I never learned to eat or cook the stuff. My one and only attempt with lamb's liver was a disaster - hated it and it went through me like a dose of salts.
I'm trying to work up to trying it again and also to learn how to hide the taste and texture which frankly make me want to gag.
This sounds like a feasible way to do it :-)
I like liver in all forms, except when it is from lamb. The best is from beef, calf liver is especially mild. So, having lamb liver for the first attempt is not the best scenario.
DeleteOops, unnecessary was in the first sentence - I must learn to proof read before posting.
ReplyDeleteI had to LEARN to like liver, myself, but it's a done deal now. :-) though I grew up liking braunschweiger, I could never hack the texture of the intact meat.
Deletemake a half-batch first -- but it turned out imperceptible to us. the BBQ is the secret.
Liver is a bit like 'marmite' you either love it or hate it. I happen to love both!
ReplyDeleteMy mum always tried to encourage the family to eat liver ....she and I were happy to but other family wasn't always so keen.
Well done to getting the grandchildren to eat it though SUCCESS all round.
All the best Jan
to me, the biggest challenge was conquering that funky texture! this recipe takes care of that. marinating in milk also seems to tame the flavor. :-) WIN!
DeleteMy son doesn't like liver. Probably, I will try your recipe on him. Most probably I would add sauteed onions which I usually put everywhere, even in some cheesecakes.
ReplyDeletenow you mention it, I used to put onions in meatloaves, and my husband always does.... I don't know why I didn't think to this time!
DeleteI don't think I've ever seen anything but chicken and lamb's liver in Australian supermarkets or butcher's shops - and our butcher's shops are becoming fewer and far between, chain supermarkets are cornering the market unless you're in the heart of the big cities or in ethnic neighbourhoods. Almost all the offal on sale is lamb's.
ReplyDeleteDifferent countries, different offal. In US lamb liver is sold only in stores for Muslims, I never saw a lamb liver in Russia. I would choose chicken liver over lamb one any day.
Deletechicken livers are a great way to break in. poach them lightly in sherry, wrap uniform-size nuggets of them in a half-slice of bacon, secure it with a toothpick, and bake a half-hour at 400F. mmmmm....
DeleteI mostly just put some chicken livers on skewers whenever I light the bbq. Minimum preparation time and takes just a few minutes to cook. It's quite common teriyaki fare in Japan as is using chicken skin (cheap). Very nice, although the sauce is a little sweet, but I make my own and don't use much. Needs some ground sichuan pepper for maximum deliciousness. Best with a cold beer. But yeah, that's really straying out of LC territory...
ReplyDeletei'll have to try to remember this when we have the grill going and liver thawed....
DeleteOK, OK, you've got me convinced to give this a try... (I've examined too many diseased livers over the course of my career; Ex also nauseated me w/his passion for fried chicken livers!) How long does the parboiling step take?
ReplyDeletenot very long. i had soaked two slices in a little milk (which is said to make the flavor milder) in a skillet; after a couple of hours, i rinsed the milk off and put in enough filtered water to almost cover, and brought it to a simmer. i turned the slices over and turned the heat down, and ignored it while i cut the bacon in bite-sized pieces. so, ... THAT was how long i parboiled it. :-) it makes it easier to work with, in my opinion.
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