Liver is an offal that many people don’t like. This is because it sometimes has a very strong aroma and/or is hard and chewy when chewed.
There are solutions for this, which are very easy to apply. I am also going to give you some recipes which you will see how to easily solve these common liver problems.
Apart from being one of the cheapest offals, liver contains a lot of properties that are beneficial for our health. In these recipes that I am going to give you, we will try to waste these properties as little as possible.
We will start with the following:
Stir-Fried Liver (Basic and Simple)
This recipe is very classic among many people, it involves cutting the liver into very thin strips and then letting it season for a few minutes in the refrigerator. You will need:
Ingredients
500 gr. of Liver
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
Salt to taste
1 large onion
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
Preparation
We make sure to wash and cut the liver into very thin strips. We put these in a bowl followed by the previously chopped garlic, salt and pepper.
Mix well and leave in the refrigerator for about 15 to 20 minutes, tightly covered. After this time, remove the liver from the refrigerator.
In a frying pan, put the olive oil and fry all the strips of liver that we have in the bowl. Once it is somewhat cooked, add the onion previously chopped into julienne or brunoise (lengthwise or in small squares).
When the onion is transparent, remove from the heat and enjoy this delicious seasoned liver. This is a very easy method that never fails.
Since the liver is cut very thinly, it is very difficult for it to become tough. Also, all the seasonings and ingredients that we put in it, because it is so thin, are absorbed much faster.
Liver fillets (marinated in milk)
In this other method, what we are looking for is to soften the liver with milk. Rest assured, the final result will not taste like milk, but rather some seasonings which enhance the flavor. For this you will need:
Ingredients
500 gr. of liver in fillets
2 cloves of crushed garlic
240 ml. of milk
1/2 tsp. of seasonings and some aromatic herbs (to taste and can be whatever you want)
2 Onions
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
Preparation
Place the liver fillets in a bowl. Add the spices and herbs you like on top and mix.
Once mixed, pour in the milk (it is important that the fillets are well covered). Place them in the refrigerator to marinate for about 2 to 3 hours.
After the time has passed, remove the liver from the milk and wash it thoroughly on all sides. Then dry it well with kitchen paper.
Put the oil in a frying pan and heat it over medium heat. When it is slightly hot, add the fillets and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side (they do not need to be cooked through).
We remove the fillets and place them on a plate. In the same pan we add the onion cut into julienne strips. Once the onion is slightly golden, we add the fillets to finish cooking.
For this method, the steak does not need to be very thick or thin. What is important is the marinating time, which can also be left overnight to enhance the flavour.
Liver in White Wine Sauce
This is one of my favorites as you can put the liver and sauce on top of a bowl of rice and it makes for a perfect lunch. For this you will need:
Ingredients
500 gr. of whole liver
1 Cup of White Wine
2 tbsp. White or Lemon Vinegar
1 Large Onion, chopped
1 or 2 tomatoes, chopped and seeded
Chopped parsley to taste
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Olive Oil, Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Preparation
We wash and cut the liver into 2 cm cubes. We place all these cubes in a container and add the vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper on top, mix well.
Once mixed, place the container in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. After this time, add the oil and onion to a large pan with thick walls.
We leave the pan on medium heat until the onion is somewhat transparent. Then we add the tomato and parsley and sauté for a few more minutes.
After 2 minutes, add the liver. Check to see if there is liquid under the ingredients that are cooking. If there is, let it cook until all the liquid evaporates.
It is important to let the liver stick to the pan, this will caramelize it and enhance the flavor. Then we add the cup of wine and lower the heat to minimum.
The key is to stir gently until some of the alcohol in the wine evaporates, which can take 8 to 10 minutes. After this time, taste a little and adjust with salt and pepper if necessary.
And that’s it, you’ll now have a delicious dish to accompany with whatever garnish you want. You’ve probably already noticed, but if you want to make other recipes, remember this well:
- Cutting it very thinly to prevent it from becoming tough is one of the quickest ways.
- Milk is more effective on thick steaks which you can season to your liking, although it may take longer.
- Wine (especially its alcohol) brings out all that strong aroma it has, and incorporates an incredible flavor.
- Remove the cloth (if you have it filleted, you can find it on the edges) since this can shrink and harden the liver.
With this in mind, you can make whatever dish you like. And if you don’t like liver, have them try one of these methods and I assure you they will change their mind.
