If you’re willing to give internal organs a try, as long as you don’t overcook the livers, you’re in for a treat! I love organ meats. Each of them (beef liver, chicken liver, beef tongue, chicken hearts, beef heart, and beef cheeks) has its own unique flavor and texture. If you’ve ever tried liver and onions and remained underwhelmed, my guess is that the dish was not cooked properly. Beef liver can be delicious! As long as you soak it in milk before cooking or use a young calf’s liver, its flavor can be quite mild. And the sweet, caramelized onions (or sauteed onions) greatly enhance it.
Instructions
Recipe Card
Onion: Slice it thinly and separate the slices into rings. I prefer to use a yellow onion, but a white onion works, too. Olive oil: Extra-virgin olive oil adds great flavor to this dish. Beef liver: It’s best to use calf’s liver. The liver of a mature cow has a dense, gummy texture and a strong metallic flavor, while the liver of a young calf is relatively tender and mild. Seasonings: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
You can also use different fats for cooking, including butter, ghee, and bacon grease. Start with the onion. Slice it, separate the slices into rings, and cook the rings in olive oil until caramelized. This takes longer than cooking the liver. You should expect to cook the onions for about 7-8 minutes. Once the onions are cooked, set them aside and turn your attention to the liver. Cook them briefly - about 3 minutes per side over medium heat. You don’t want them overcooked. I like them slightly pink in the middle (though the USDA would disagree). When they’re done, place them on plates, top them with the onions, and serve.
Use Calves’ Liver
If at all possible, use young calves’ livers (as shown in the photo below) instead of the mature cow’s liver. It will make the experience significantly better. The young livers are more tender and taste better. If you can only get a cow’s liver, consider soaking it in milk while you prepare and cook the onions, then blot it, season it, and cook. I do sometimes buy frozen sliced beef liver at the grocery store: It comes pre-sliced in convenient vacuum packs: While its flavor is more robust than that of a calf’s liver, I find that as long as I cook it minimally, it tastes good. These liver slices are very thin, so I don’t soak them in milk (they would disintegrate). I cook them for just 2 minutes per side over medium heat:
Avoid overcooking
I cannot over-emphasize how important it is to avoid overcooking liver (and this is true for chicken livers as well). When cooked to medium rare (still slightly pink in the middle), liver is wonderfully tender and sweet. When overcooked, it becomes tough and grainy. However, according to the USDA, beef internal organs should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F.
Microwave asparagus Creamy cucumber salad Tomato salad Arugula salad Microwave broccoli - as shown in the photo below. You can also see in this photo that I topped the liver with deeply caramelized onions. They take longer to cook - at least 30 minutes - but I had some leftovers that I reheated.
I prefer to eat them cold (much like chicken liver pate or chopped liver). But if this idea is not appealing, it’s probably best to only make as much as you can eat immediately. I don’t recommend freezing livers. Their texture and flavor will be off after thawing.
