Who eats liver?

[folivier]

So with all of us who enjoy liver, does anyone remember sliced liver cheese cold cuts on a sandwich? Don't know if it's even available anymore.
Did you eat the ring of fat (or whatever that was) or throw it away?

 

[DayDreaming]

I used to hate liver but now I like it. Or maybe it's the bacon and onions that really like. Or maybe my taste-buds are going.

 

[Toast]

There is a Germain Deli nearby, which is where I get my once a year liverwurst. Fresh made, the old world style.

Pacergal, Edelweiss? That’s where we buy ours. It tastes like we are in Germany.

 

[Qs Laptop]

See post #45.

OK. I don't eat liver because of the smell, color, taste, and texture, and because it's the toxin processing plant of the body.

 

[pacergal]

Pacergal, Edelweiss? That’s where we buy ours. It tastes like we are in Germany.

No, but that is a good one too!
Original Bavarian Sausage and Deli

 

[pacergal]

So with all of us who enjoy liver, does anyone remember sliced liver cheese cold cuts on a sandwich? Don't know if it's even available anymore.
Did you eat the ring of fat (or whatever that was) or throw it away?

I remember that. The whole thing went on our sandwiches.

 

[Turbo29]

You might do a little reading on liver, it is a processing plant, not a storage tank. It does not hold toxins any better than the other meats we eat.
This article says liver (of reindeer) contain a bit more of some chemicals and less of others, but none to the levels that would be harmful. ( I guess reindeer because they knew what they ate and what was in what they ate.)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3417694/


https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/why-liver-is-a-superfood#TOC_TITLE_HDR_5
"Another common concern about eating liver is that it contains toxins. However, the liver does not store toxins. Rather, its job is to process toxins and make them safe or turn them into something that can be safely removed from the body.
In conclusion, toxins in liver are not an issue, and it should certainly not be avoided for this reason."



https://www.marksdailyapple.com/does-the-liver-store-toxins/
"To call the liver a simple filter is incorrect. If we want to maintain the metaphor, it’s more like a chemical processing plant. The liver receives shipments, determines what they contain, and reacts accordingly. It converts protein to glucose, converts glucose to glycogen, manufactures triglycerides, among many other tasks, but its best-known responsibility is to render toxins inert and shuttle them out to be expelled – usually in the urine via the kidney. It doesn’t just hang on to toxins, as if the liver is somehow separate from the body and immune to contamination."


https://riemerfamilyfarm.com/blog/beef-liver

Many people have concerns about liver acting as a storage for toxins in the body. The liver's job as a part of the body is to process toxins and then continue them on through the body's elimination systems. The liver does not store toxins, but it does store many essential nutrients that are used to process the toxins. These nutrients include vitamins A, E, D, K, B12; folic acid, and minerals such as copper and iron. Of all the organ meats, liver is by far the most nutrient dense.

Thank you!

 

[Lawrencewendall]

Eating a liverwurst sammie as I read this!

 

[Mansderm]

For beef liver, I soak it in milk first. Tends to mellow the sharpness of the flavor.

For chicken livers (and gizzards) I get them fried at a local chicken place. Or try making pate: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_liver_pate/

My grandmother soaked it in buttermilk for several hours or overnight. She also sued to "skin" it. Key is slice it thin, dredge in flour with salt and pepper and fry with onions. I loved it. A few diners have come close but hers was the best I ever had. It is a good source for iron, but overall, not the healthiest thing to eat.

 

[zippy2020]

Just be aware offal (of which liver is one) are high in sodium. Processed liver products like liverwurst/braunschweiger are even higher in sodium so don't overdo.

Chicken livers are the mildest liver flavor. You can make mashed livers - as mentioned by others, DO NOT OVERCOOK them - even milder by adding some mayo to the mix; that's pretty much all liverwurst is, and homemade will be much lower in sodium/sugar than commercial.

Always remove any external fat or veins from chicken livers before cooking; you'll get a 'cleaner' flavor. My spouse loves chicken livers braised in marinara sauce over pasta.

If you truly can't tolerate them (and many cannot), then take iron pills. So-called "iron rich vegetables" are not absorbed as well as meat:

Iron from food comes in two forms: heme and non-heme. Heme is found only in animal flesh like meat, poultry, and seafood. Non-heme iron is found in plant foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and leafy greens. The heme iron found in meat and animal products is generally more easily absorbed by the human body than the non-heme iron found in plants. For this reason, the RDA for iron is 1.8 times higher for vegetarians and vegans than those who eat meat.


HTH!

 

[Buckeye]

Is there a reason why you wouldn't take a ferrous sulfate tablet a couple times per week? My ferritin got extremely low from donating blood and I had to take one a day for about a year. A bottle of enteric coated ferrous sulfate 100 tablets is $12 on Amazon.

 

[NW-Bound]

Is there a reason why you wouldn't take a ferrous sulfate tablet a couple times per week? My ferritin got extremely low from donating blood and I had to take one a day for about a year. A bottle of enteric coated ferrous sulfate 100 tablets is $12 on Amazon.

Would something like this be cheaper? $9.49/lb?

I use it for my plants, but just saw the description that says it's also good for "animal feed supplements". Humans are also animals.

 

[athena53]

I have very few actual food dislikes (and a longer list of those I try to minimize because they're unhealthy) but liver and other organ meats are on that list. Granted, I've had beef liver only the way Mom made it. She was an excellent cook but whatever she did (probably something with pan-frying it) I could not get past the taste and the texture. Once she served it and told us it was "beef", which was technically true but I knew immediately which part it was.

I like a good, garlic-laden foie gras but won't eat it due to the animal cruelty involved.

Somehow my hemoglobin is at a healthy level despite an almost-vegetarian diet. I eat a lot of leafy greens, don't take iron supplements and am post-menopausal.

 

[indiajust]

Remember to marinate liver in milk for at least an hour or so. Sweetens occasional sharp note. Don't overcook in the onions, tough is no fun.

I also like chicken livers as snackers. Set boiling heavily salted and peppered water. Use tongs or sushi forks to drop individual liver into water. Cooked perfect is about 30-40 seconds while just pink inside.

 

[indiajust]

I love the onion flavored Brauschweiger also. Must agree that Morrell is best brand locally available. If you have access to Usingers sausage from Minneapolis... fantastic german sausage as well

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

...
The liver does not store toxins, but it does store many essential nutrients that are used to process the toxins. These nutrients include vitamins A, E, D, K, B12; folic acid, and minerals such as copper and iron. Of all the organ meats, liver is by far the most nutrient dense.

See @ 4:55:

https://youtu.be/dPzeY9itfLE?t=295

 

[Born2BRetd]

I struggled with anemia at one point. The iron pills killed my stomach, and I couldn't take them. Instead of liver, I took Spirulina and had great results!

 

[mickeyd]

I have been a liver-eater since childhood. I prefer calves liver to chicken liver, but gladly consume both. Here @ our CCRC they have Liver/onions/bacon about once/month. Seems like those who ate it as a kid still eat it now. Others go for any other choice.

 

[W2R]

I have been a liver-eater since childhood. I prefer calves liver to chicken liver, but gladly consume both. Here @ our CCRC they have Liver/onions/bacon about once/month. Seems like those who ate it as a kid still eat it now. Others go for any other choice.

I can relate to that. If I was at a CCRC and liver/onions/bacon was on the menu, I'd eat it because it would remind me of Mom - - my dear sweet mother who has been dead for 15 years by now. I know if she were here she would be after me to eat liver more often!

 

[street]

We still have the plastic tubs of chicken livers at the grocery. Great catfish bait -

Lol! Yep, good catfish bait. Use a piece of nylon stocking and tie a piece of liver in it then install on hook.

 

[Unpaintedhuffhines]

Eating liver is like eating food that has been in someone else's mouth.

 

[tango2]

I use to douse it in capsoup. How about iron pills. Check with your dr.

 

[folivier]

Use liver for fish bait? Are you crazy? That's as bad as using crawfish for fish bait.
Just joking, we tend to eat some unusual things down here.

 

[Kabowest]

When I was 17 back in the 70s I worked with my uncle one winter doing plumbing. He ate liver and onions every day for lunch at the local diner. He loved it - I didn't even like to look at it.

 

[tmitchell]

Love it. I actually had calf’s liver last week because it showed up as a special at a restaurant. I’d never make it myself but it was quite good & mild.

Chicken livers are my go to. I make a much requested pate at the holidays. Everyone grimaced the first time until they got courage, then loved it.

Also love topping risotto with sautéed livers, or just eat them seared in light olive oil and finished with garlic and parsley. This way cuts back on the extra butter. I’ll be making this for lunch today inspired by this post!

Side note, I did have duck liver once at Heston Blumenthal’s london restaurant and did not like them. Once in china I accidentally ordered pork liver and also did not enjoy! So I guess it’s an acquired taste. Mom got me into chicken livers and also oysters at a young age.