At a talk I attended, Michelle Tam of Nom Nom Paleo was asked how she recommends cooking organs to make them taste better. She answered that, “bacon never hurts.” I agree!
I also think that caramelized onions help to sweeten the sometimes bitter flavor of Nose to Tail eating and I have consequently become a big fan of caramelized beef liver.
Eating organs is something that takes getting used to, and the recipes often sound less than appealing, but the protein-rich, nutrient-dense boost is well worth trying out (at least once). It’s also makes a good pairing with a light summer salad.
Here are the impressive facts about beef liver:
- It has about 3.5 times more phosphorous than red meat
- It has over 100 times more vitamin B12 than red meat
- It has more than double the iron found in red meat
- It has nearly 4 times the vitamin C than apples
- It has about 6 times the folic acid of carrots
And don’t worry, while the liver is the organ that detoxifies the body, it does not store these toxins. Actually, what the liver does store is various vitamins and minerals; these are necessary to enable the organ to perform its role in the body. So try not to shy away from this dish before you have tried and tested it for yourself.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 pound organic beef liver
1/2 a large onion, sliced to form rings
RECIPE
In a medium pan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat.
Add the beef liver and cook for about 2 minutes, turning midway.
Place the onion rings alongside the beef liver in the pan and continue to cook on medium heat for approximately 6 minutes, or until the liver is well cooked and the onions have begun to brown; flip both the liver and onions periodically.
Remove the liver from the pan and slice before plating.
Top the liver strips with the onion rings and serve while hot.
Let me know how you like it!
Camilla Carboni
The Paleo Pact 