How To Make Beef Liver And Onions: It took me a long time to overcome my aversion to the liver to be able to enjoy it. It’s amazing how we divide the world into three groups when it comes to the liver: Those who love it; those who have tried it; and don’t like it while some people hate liver.
What group do you belong to? The testimonials on our liver shopping page speak volumes about how many people love liver. I used to belong to the middle group, but recently I realized my arguments were based on two factors.
Here I am in group #1 and I’m most excited about sharing how I now cook beef liver. The biggest lesson I learned from cooking beef liver several times is to never overcook it. You want a bit of pink – nothing more, nothing less.
Where to Buy Beef Liver?
Beef liver is available in grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and as part of our family farm orders of sixteenths, quarters, halves, or whole beef.
Tips and Tricks to Cook Liver:
Following are a few tips to make the best beef liver and onions.
- You can add cumin and/or paprika to improve the flavour of the liver. You can also add cayenne pepper to increase the heat level.
- If you want, serve the liver and onions with the gravy made from the pan drippings by adding one or two tablespoons of flour and a cup of beef stock for each tablespoon of flour. Continue stirring until the gravy has thickened.
- Using a liver that is organic, free-range, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free is extremely important when making a liver. Not only will that liver be full of vitamins and nutrients, but it will also collect the bad stuff associated with chemically contaminated beef.
How To Cook Beef Liver And Onions
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb sliced beef liver
- Butter, 2 tablespoons
- 1 cup milk (or more if needed)
- Slice 1 large onion in rings
- Garlic powder, 1/2 tsp
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1– By placing a finger under the membrane on the outside of the liver and pulling it up, you can remove the thin membrane if necessary.
2– Serve the liver with milk and make sure the liver is completely covered. Let it soak for about two hours. Drain the milk off the liver and slice it into 1/4-inch thick slices.
3– Then, mix the flour with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and let it sit for a few minutes. Coat all sides of the liver with the flour mixture. You need to cut an onion into rings and melt 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Keep the heat at medium and then stir in the white sugar.
4– To sauté the individual onion rings, you need to add them to a skillet. Now, keep the heat medium to high. Sauté until the onions are soft and remove them to another plate.
5-In a skillet, add some butter, and cook liver for about a few minutes on both sides. Keep cooking until it is golden brown. Lastly, add the onions and cook for about 3-4 more minutes.
Nutritional Importance Of Liver
A little amount of liver is more nutritional than you think. The liver is a good source of Vitamin B, C, Iron, Potassium, Phosphorus, Folate, Copper, and many other essential nutrients needed for a balanced diet and proper body functioning. In addition to providing more than 50 per cent of each of the daily recommended protein and phosphorus intakes, 3 ounces of the beef liver are very low in saturated fat and are loaded with vitamins A, riboflavin, and niacin.
Other Ways to Eat Beef Liver
If you don’t enjoy liver and onions, but want to take advantage of the health benefits that liver has, we recommend following this recipe! Try using beef liver cubes by cutting the liver into chunks and then processing in a food processor.
When cooking something with ground beef, add a cube of the liver. Check if it has been chopped and liquefied into an ice tray. Freeze it. Put it in an ice tray.
FAQs
1. Why Soak Liver in Milk Before Cooking?
Some people believe that the liver tastes bitter or gamey. If you soak it in milk before cooking, you will eliminate much of the bitter taste. So, you need to soak the liver in milk for 1-2 hours before cooking.
2. How Long Should I Cook Liver and Onions for the Best Flavor?
Although it is tempting to boil liver slices for too long, you should cook them on each side only for 3-4 minutes. This will brown the liver but doesn’t overcook it, producing rubbery liver.
3. How to Remove the Metallic Taste of Liver?
Soak it in milk! Slice the livers thin and place them in a shallow dish. Cover the liver with milk and chill for several hours. Once cool, drain and pat dry before coating in flour. The liver flavour can be tamed by soaking in water overnight even if you do not have milk or citrus juice.
Alternatively, you can soak your liver slices in lemon, lime, or even vinegar for a similar effect.
4. What Other Types of Liver Can I Use for This Recipe?
Those who hunt, raise livestock or raise lamb, venison, or elk liver have reported great results with this recipe.
You cannot substitute beef liver for chicken liver in this recipe. Beef liver has a strong flavour and an overwhelming aroma that would be very hard to replace with chicken liver.