What Is Cook Liver?
This liver and onions recipe will delight liver lovers! Quickly cook tender calf liver in bacon fat and serve with plenty of savory sautéed onions. It’s just like mom used to make.
Tips to Make the Best Fried Liver
Two important points to remember when making liver. First, use the most organic, free-range, antibiotic, hormone-free calf liver you can. As full of vitamins and nutrients that liver is, it also collects the bad stuff. So, get beef that is as free of chemicals as possible.
Second, use calf liver, veal liver, or baby beef liver, not regular beef liver, which is just too strong in flavor.
Tips for Buying Calves Liver
These days, calf livers are sold already sliced. However, if you have to buy them whole, remove the outer membrane, freeze them for a while to firm them up, and then slice them horizontally. They are rather flimsy and delicate and would be really hard to slice yourself without partially freezing them first.
Note that calves liver may be hard to find. You may have to special order it from your butcher.
How Long Should I Cook Liver and Onions for the Best Flavor?
As tempting as it is to overcook liver slices, it’s best to cook them just about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. That should be enough to brown them but not overcook the liver, which makes it rubbery.
How to Remove the Metallic Taste of Liver
Worried about your liver having a strong taste? Soak in milk or buttermilk! Place the liver slices in a shallow pan and pour in enough milk to cover. Refrigerate at least and hour or two. Drain and pat dry before dredging in the flour.
Alternately, you can soak soak your liver slices in lemon or lime juice, or even vinegar. The acid counterbalances the flavor of the liver.
Even if you don’t have any milk or citrus juice, just soaking in water overnight will help mellow that strong liver flavor.
What Other Types of Liver Can I Use for This Recipe?
If you hunt or raise livestock, you’re in luck! Readers have commented about making this recipe with lamb, venison, and elk liver and having great results.
As noted above, don’t think you can swap in beef liver and have this recipe turn out the same. Beef liver has a much stronger taste and a very liver-y aroma. You can use beef liver in this recipe if you like, but it’s for hardcore liver lovers only.
Great Side Dishes for Liver and Onions
- Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Green Beans with Shallots and Pancetta
- Broccoli Rabe with White Beans
- Rice Pilaf with Mushroom and Pine Nuts
- Dinosaur Kale with Baby Potatoes
How do you fry liver in Uganda?
Peel off the skin and chop finely. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic and continue frying until golden. Add the liver and fry briskly, browning it briefly on both sides.
What is the best liver to eat?
Beef liver
Beef liver is perhaps the most nutritious and healthy meat you can eat – and cooked right it’s delicious! Gram for gram, beef liver is probably the most nutritious food on earth. This nutrient-dense organ meat contains substantial amounts of vitamin B12, copper, and many other essential nutrients.