Liver and onions recipe: the secret that makes it irresistible!
“This looks good,” commented my son Timothy, helping himself to the platter of liver and onions in front of him. “Does anybody else want some of this cow’s poison removal organ?”
Amalia and little Mack both froze, and they turned toward Timothy and the platter of liver and onions in front of him. He smiled slyly at them. They turned away.
“No, thank you, I’m not very hungry,” said Malachi, helping himself to an enormous pile of rice from another bowl.
“I ate too many snacks this afternoon,” mumbled my daughter, picking at her salad. “I think I’ll just have salad, Mom.”
Darn you, high school biology! I fumed, as I gave my son a dirty look. He and I had had this debate for years: is liver actually packed full of nutrients and good for you (as I believed), or an organ meat to be avoided (his argument, although it must be noted that he does eat large portions of it whenever it is offered to him, after all that)? I knew I was on the winning side, as I had done enough research to know that the healthy aspects of eating liver far outweighed any potential unhealthy aspects, but Timothy enjoyed engaging me in this silly debate every time I fixed liver for dinner. It didn’t stop him from eating it, mind you, but he did enjoy arguing about it with Mom.
Why does everybody like to argue with Mom, I ask? I have no answer for that.
This platter of liver and onions is great served with a big green salad, and hot steamed rice.
“Did you know that the FDA checks liver more often than it does any other meat?” I asked my son.
“There’s a good reason for that, Mom. A good reason, since all the toxins and poisons and chemicals that the cow comes into contact with go right through this organ here.” He took a big bite of liver, and smiled at me.
I narrowed my eyes at my son. We had had this argument many times before, but it was all in fun.
Liver has so many good things going for it–it just makes me blanch when I think of the fact that my own butcher throws out most of the liver he gets in, because people just don’t buy it!
Here are the facts: liver is:
- low in calories
- low in fat
- packed with nutrients, including riboflavin, copper, vitamins A and B12 and B6, thiamin, protein and iron
- really delicious if prepared correctly
While it’s true that the liver neutralizes toxins from the body, it does not store them. (Timothy, perhaps, did you skip that vital paragraph in your biology text?) The toxins that the body cannot eliminate, in fact, tend to accumulate in the body’s fatty tissues and nervous systems. I generally do not eat the fatty tissues or the nervous system of the cow, do you, Timothy?
Didn’t think so.
(By the way, did I mention that this post is dedicated to my dear smart-aleck son Timothy? No? Well, it is. So you have to read it, dear son-o-mine.)
On the other hand, liver is the storage organ for many important nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, K, B12 and folic acid, as well as many minerals). Ironically (and please point this out to your child who may try to use the same argument with you) these nutrients provide your body with some of the tools it need to get rid of toxins.
So there, Timothy.
But enough about how wonderful it is, you may say. How can I prepare it so my family will enjoy it, and get all these lovely nutrients into their bodies? There’s this . . . thing . . .about liver. Everybody turns up their noses at it . . . what’s that about?
My mom knew, years (and years and years) ago, how nutritious liver was, and she made it for us all the time. We grew up eating liver and onions, and we never knew that it was something that we shouldn’t like. But then, Mom has always had this uncanny ability to make common things utterly delicious, and her liver and onions was no exception. We probably ate it with as much gusto as we ate steak, or hamburgers.
Guess what. I have Mom’s recipe here. Yep. I do. Just for you, Gentle Readers. ‘Cause I love ya. And as you know–love is powerful stuff.
Mom’s recipe is quick, easy, and will take the sometimes-too-strong or bitter taste away from liver, so your family will enjoy this nutritious meat. You have to plan a little in advance, because of the secret that makes it so delicious, but it’ll be worth your efforts, I promise!
Here goes:
- 2 pounds liver, sliced thin
- 1 1/2 cups of milk, or more, enough to cover
- 2 large onions, sliced into rings (preferably sweet or Vidalia onions)
- 1/4 cup butter, divided (add more if necessary–don’t skimp on the butter!)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, with salt and pepper added, or more as needed
- First Secret you must know: An hour or two before dinner, place liver in a shallow bowl (or a ziplock bag) and cover with milk and refrigerate. Let soak as long as possible. This will remove much of the bitter taste from the meat.
- Melt a couple of tablespoons of butter in a heavy skillet (I use cast-iron) and saute onion rings slowly until they are translucent and a bit carmelized, on medium-low heat, about 10-15 minutes.
- While the onions are cooking, cut the liver into strips and dredge them in the flour/salt/pepper mixture one by one.
- When soft and translucent, move the onions from the skillet and set aside.
- Melt the rest of the butter.
- Saute the liver in the melted butter slowly, turning once. Second Secret: Do not overcook! My family likes liver with just a hint of pink inside, and it takes only a few minutes to cook it to this point.
- When all the liver is cooked, reduce heat, add the onions back to the skillet, and heat through. Arrange on platter and serve.
This makes me hungry.
Now you have the recipe. And the secrets. Go. Go, brave stalwart soul, and prepare liver.
And eat it. It’ll do your body good.
🙂
By the way . . . need anything from Amazon? Remember if you order it from clicking through my blog links, I’ll receive a teensy commission, which I’ll plow back into maintaining my blog and sharing handy-dandy posts like the one you just read . . . so it’s a win/win, baby, and THANK YOU SINCERELY!! 🙂
Are you still here? Well! Before you go away, could I ask you a favor? If you enjoyed this post, and/or learned something new whilst reading it, would you do my the greatest honor of sharing it? Pin it, share it to Facebook, tweet away, whatever you like: and thank you. I’ll love ya forever.
And remember . . . love is powerful stuff, baby.
*smooch*
138 thoughts on “Liver and onions recipe: the secret that makes it irresistible!”
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I adore liver….and yes, it is actually better for you than almost any other meat….
Caro, and I’d love to hear how you prepare it!
I don’t know, hon…. You DO make it sound good… 🙂
Awww, try it, Carrie, try it! Pleeeeeeease?? 😉
Timothy is so smart, I am surprised you didn’t see this, by having this conversation with you every time liver is served, Amalia and little Mack eat something else, leaving their share for him. Pretty cool if you ask me. I have always soaked liver in milk before cooking it, but don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.
thanks Chef, I suppose there’s nothing new under the sun–not even soaking liver in milk–and I agree with you, that my Timothy is about as savvy as they come.
Your arguments for liver are good and I hope people take them into consideration. There’s nothing like a mother’s recipe. It brings warmth to the heart and a tear to the eye. Memories.
I agree, Francene, Mom’s recipes are the best!!
This makes me hungry too. Now to figure out how to de-wheat and de-milk the recipe. Wonder if almond milk would work?
I absolutely believe that almond milk would work, Charlotte, just don’t use the “sweetened” variety. And maybe you could dip the liver into cornmeal, instead?
Almond milk won’t work like actual milk, because it has entirely different properties. The casein in the milk is but one of the reasons it works.
Of course, good point!
I add cooked bacon and gravy to my liver and onions…it goes great with mashed potato
Oh that sounds scrumptious! That’s Sunday Dinner Liver, Allie Mae!
will have to give this a go… I will let the liver soak in milk all day…. I cannot handle the bitter taste.. I may even put some spices like dill or oregano in the flour and then maybe we will put some mushrooms in the mix too…. fungus amongus (mushrooms)is always good! You may have a winner Amy.. will let you know…..
Good luck, Susie! I hope it works out well for you!
Tank you, thank you Amy. I love liver and now I have good arguments to freely propose it at home.
You’re welcome, Gustavo!
I am just going to come out and say it. I loathe liver with a passion known only to me. It makes me physically ill. However, I agree about a Mothers recipe and mine was a saint ( still is) when I was a kid. She prepared liver for my Daddy and little Sister by coating it in seasoned flour ( salt, pepper, cayenne, mixed herbs) and then shallow fried and served with mustard mash and fried onions and a gravy. I always had sausages and mash and onion gravy instead. I’ve tried to like it honest indjun but it’s only one of three things I detest and I know I am not alone 🙂
Awww, I’m sorry, Anita-Clare, and I’m thankful that your mother was sympathetic to your plight of being a liver-hater, and didn’t try to force you to eat it. If you only truly detest three things, I’d say you’re way ahead of most of us, anyway! 😉
My husband hates liver and kidneys. He wishes he didnt as he loves the look of it. He will eat anything else, heart, brain, tongue, sweetbreads etc but he swears he tastes urine with the other two. Oh well more for me lol
ewww. Power of the mind!
Traumatic memories of liver. My husband loves liver. I – well,don’t. When we were newlyweds, beef liver was cheap. We ate the proverbial river of liver (cooked by my cooking talented husband but, still…) until I just couldn’t take it anymore and rebelled. My husband hasn’t eaten liver in years because of what he’s read about the liver storing toxins, but maybe now he will have his favorite dish: chicken liver, chopped with raw onions, and lots of them.
Alana,
Oh, I feel your pain–my hubby and I ate some awful food when we were first married, just because it was cheap! I like chicken liver, too, sauteed dry, then with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice added, and fresh chopped garlic sprinkled on top. Yum!
Love liver, actually! My husband hates it. This sounds like a great recipe!
I hope you’ll try it, Michelle. Maybe hubby can eat a hamburger.
I have never eaten liver because…. well, because it is liver. So that doesn’t really sound like a very good reason, does it? So now this looks like it would taste good. Will have to see if I can get some support at home to take the plunge!
You can do it, Alessa!
You’ve almost convinced me with your recipe that liver may not be so bad at all. I weigh in on the side of your son, but think that’s more from the terrible way it was always prepared when I was growing up. Guess I may have to rethink my resistance and give your recipe a go! Thanks for sharing…
It wouldn’t hurt to try it, Evelyn! You may be pleasantly surprised!
I like my liver fried with bacon lol.
Patricia, I was thinking about trying it with liver someday soon . . .
Hi Amy,
I love liver too – have to eat it with mashed potatoes though!
I’m delighted to tell you I’ve nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award and I really hope you’ll accept. No, this isn’t spam and there’s no charge lol. Find out more here http://becomeyourvision.com/liebster-blog-award/ 🙂
I love your blog and I hope to hear from you
Isobel
Isobel,
Mashed potatoes with liver sounds wonderful! Thank you so much for the nomination, what a nice thing for you to do!
My mom made liver for us growing up and I hated it. But I also hated a lot of other things and one thing I have learned as an adult is you can prepare things a certain way and they actually taste good! I disliked brussel sprouts growing up, and it wasn’t until my father in law served roasted brussel sprouts with dinner that I realized they were really good! I make them all the time now. So I do believe how you prepare things can make a world of difference in the taste! I love your back and forth with your son though!
Michelle,
It’s a pleasant thing to discover, as an adult, that the foods you abhorred as a child taste better now! But the key is (in my opinion) preparing these things the right way, as you found out with your roasted brussel sprouts! Hope you try the liver!
Your mother did not make liver for you. She cooked it 😉 Liver and bacon with mash, onion gravy and cabbage. Pure heaven 🙂
Colin, you are so correct! God made the liver. Mom cooked it. Perfectly, I might add. “Liver and bacon with mash, onion gravy and cabbage. Pure heaven.” Now I’m going to have to put liver in my menu this week! That sounds wonderful.
I don’t like liver either, but I was given liver from a friend who butchers. Another friend told me to put the liver in a crock pot with brown gravy and onions. put on low for 6 to 8 hours. he said it melts in your mouth. Im making it for dinner tomorrow. comments say to soak liver in milk. I am going to try buttermilk.
I LIKE that idea Ed!
Buttermilk works wonderfully, removes all that nasty flavor out.
Great tip, Jim. Thank you!!
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My mom had a stoke 2 years ago. She would always make me liver add I loved it. This mothers day I’ll be cooking for her.
Bless you, Marie. I hope it turns out delicious and *hugs* to you and your dear mom.
Im trying your Liver with Onions recipe tonight. My husband has been wanting it, and I’ll be making it with mashed potatoes, and carrots. I sure hope it comes out as delicious as it sounds. If it does, many thanks to your mama, and you! Thanks again,
Cindy B. El Paso, Tx.
Cindy,
I’m curious, did you like it? I hope it turned out for you!
Liver and onions-the best ever!
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My mother always soaked liver in buttermilk and added a touch of garlic to the flour mixture before preparing, She spent many years trying before she finally convinced me to try it and am i ever glad she did.
Yum, Joe. Was it garlic powder or fresh garlic that she used?
I love liver and have my whole life never knew about soaking in milk. However I do make mashed potatoes and a white gravy with this meal. Is it ok to use the soak milk for this or will it have a bitter taste?
Diana,
I wouldn’t use the soaked milk for the gravy. It is going to have the bitter taste in it that you don’t want, and there may be a contamination issue, too, since it’s going to be sitting in the liver. I’d toss it!
I grew up eating liver and onions. The thing to eat if your iron was low. When I was first married my husband went with me to the grocery store. I started to buy liver and he said no, I don’t like liver. Some time later I asked what he ate for lunch and he replied, liver and onions. Guess he forgot he didn’t like it. After that I fixed it occasionally. My picky daughter even liked it until she got older and decided it was gross. She has probably never tasted since.
As a child, I hated liver…unfortunately, my mom and grandmom didn’t know how to prepare it…it was always overfried and HARD…since growing up and doing a little investigating however, it’s one of my favorite meats…my kids never liked it and my wife “tolerated” it…their loss…strangely, I guess I’m one of the few people who actually like that bit of bitterness though…tonight however, I’m going to try your mom’s recipe Amy…sounds delicious…I’ve heard of it before but never tried it…thanks for the tip
Raymond, I actually have grown to like the bitter flavor, too, as I’ve gotten older. I also kind of crave bitter greens, like dandelion, kale, arugula, etc. Maybe my taste buds are wearing down! That is the thing about any sort of protein–if you cook it at too high of heat, it will stiffen and get hard: liver, any sort of meat, eggs, etc. I hope your family enjoys it made this way! IF they don’t–check out my post on how to cook chicken livers, with lots of bacon!!
Made this recipe several times before will make it again on Friday for a friend who has anemia and is in dire need of iron. Her doctor said eat it as much as you want. So I will be making this wonderful recipe once again. thank you for the wonderful tip on soaking the liver in milk. makes all the difference in the taste and texture. Rate it a 5 or at least highest
thank you, Janet and I’m glad the recipe worked so well for you! For another really yummy liver recipe, make these chicken livers with bacon and herbs. I loooove it:
http://vomitingchicken.com/redneck-chicken-livers-bacon-herbs-recipe-anybody-love/
I used to hate liver as a child. Oddly enough I craved it while I was pregnant for my daughter. Lucky for me I was active duty Air Force at the time and the chow hall served liver once a week. So I got my craving full filled and didn’t even have to cook it! They did theirs kind of braised though, with a brown gravy and mashed potatoes. After seeing this recipe I think I may look for some liver next time I go shopping. Wonder if the Mister will like it? LOL! I like to just cook things and surprise him. 😀
Oh Suzie, I hope the Mister likes it! If he doesn’t you might want to check out my recipe for chicken livers with bacon: it tastes not so much like liver, as it does bacon, and what Mister doesn’t like bacon??
Thank you so very much for sharing with us your mothers secret recipe for cooking liver! I was also raised on liver and onions and have raised my children on it as well. My mother always said “don’t say you don’t like certain foods until you’ve tried it.” And since I’ve always lived by that. I’ve learned that if you over cook liver the flavor is atrocious. However if you cook it with some pink still left to it, it’s actually a great flavor. I’ve never heard of soaking it in milk though and it actually sounds like a great idea. I will definitely try it. And also thank you for the suggestion of using corn meal instead of flour. I’ve always wondered how it would be with corn meal and now you’ve given the courage to try it. I have about 5 packages of liver on hand always because I love it so much and now I have a reason to cook it tonight for dinner. Thank GOD my husband loves liver too so this should definitely go well! Blessings to you and your family.
Frances, I nearly always have several pounds of liver on hand, too, because our favorite butcher doesn’t usually sell it; he tosses it because people don’t often buy it! So he always has quite a bit on hand. Try the recipe! And you are so right, that you don’t have to cook it long for the best flavor. Overcooked liver is pretty awful!
Thanks for sharing the recipe, as well as the entertaining family conversation. You’ve inspired to me to try liver again and blog about it as well. As a healthy blogger I’m always looking to broaden my healthy food horizons 😉
Absolutely Rachelle! Do be sure to check out this post, too, about bacon and chicken livers; yummm, it’s so good!
http://vomitingchicken.com/redneck-chicken-livers-bacon-herbs-recipe-anybody-love/
I just made my very first meal with liver and I used your mom’s recipe. It turned out great. Although I grew up eating liver, I never cared much for it. My mother cooked it until it was very dry.
Thanks for sharing your story. I read it to my doubting husband, who had similar views as your son! Next I plan to share the milk tip with my mom.
Way to go, Lisa!!
Thanks for sharing your mom’s recipe. I made it tonight and it was fabulous. I am not a fan of liver but I am now a convert.
So happy about that, Linda!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I always tend to make it to tough and it’s always so bitter I have can finish my plate at one go but I fix it because I know how healthy it is for you. Now maybe my children won’t complain as bad lol.
Elizabeth,
Yes, like many things, liver–when cooked correctly–is delicious, but when cooked (or overcooked!) incorrectly is nearly inedible.
Thanks for sharing your blog with all of us out here, happy to find a ‘Someone’ who not only posts great recipes, but also great, real stories…became entranced with your blog after reading your readers’ responses along with your kind, encouraging (and ACCEPTING) replies. So relaxing to notice you don’t push anyone to try this recipe, you respect their experience instead, and respond with caring … and sometimes with (supportive) suggestions. Have made your liver and onions recipe 3 or 4 times, reminds me of my mom; hubby, who can be a little picky, loves it too. Found your story of letting your son try skating on the frozen pond, (all the while monitoring your freezing toes to make sure you could get your kids and yourself home safe and sound), culminating in that wonder-ful discovery of Fall’s leaves embedded in the ice, the epitome of a mother’s lenient love, and of the rewards that often come to pass when we take that sort of risk. Thank you; I hope you are awarded the blogger’s recognition another of your readers nominated you for. Bon chance, long life, and many more adventures!!
Ann,
You totally made my day with this sweet comment. Humble thanks.
I m trying this recipe, right now! Yes, immediately, at 9:20 a.m. Seriously.
I’ve been marinating my liver for 2 days, I hope it’s still good.
I absolutely love your url “vomiting chicken” – OMG! What kind of person thinks up such stuff?? ROTFLMFAO!!
Thank you for the great info and the gut holding laugh…
About 30 minutes later…
DeeeLish!!
I now have a beautiful plate of liver and onions, with no one to share. Sigh, I’m surrounded by such ordinary folks who can’t eat beef that isn’t steak or a burger.
You are my favorite, Janet. Your comment made my day! 🙂 Thank you.
I love it! Great recipe blog. I’ve gotten into liver and onions lately (for the exact reasons you pose and your son argues against 😉 ) I’ve been doing the same thing, however I’ve never hear of soaking it in milk..I grew up hunting waterfowl and am quite accustomed to the gamey flavor, which I feel liver has. So I never got why people don’t like liver other than they are not familiar with a gamey flavor…I always asked for…and was rejected! haha. Thanks for your blog! I enjoyed the read. and I’ll try out your milk addition one of these times I make liver again! Thanks.
I love it! Great recipe blog. I’ve gotten into liver and onions lately (for the exact reasons you pose and your son argues against 😉 ) I’ve been doing the same thing, however I’ve never hear of soaking it in milk..I grew up hunting waterfowl and am quite accustomed to the gamey flavor, which I feel liver has. So I never got why people don’t like liver other than they are not familiar with a gamey flavor…I always asked for…and was rejected! haha. Thanks for your blog! I enjoyed the read. and I’ll try out your milk addition one of these times I make liver again! Thanks.
Michael, thank you for your comment! I would be interested to hear back from you, after you’ve tried the milk marinade. My mom, I’m sure, actually used it because we kids probably complained about the “bitter” taste that liver often has. But I slavishly copy everything my mom does, for good reason!
My grandmother was an advocate for soaking gamey meats and specifically gizzards in buttermilk to negate some of the bitter/gamey taste. Do you think buttermilk would work equally as well as regular sweet milk in this recipe?
Kent, Absolutely. Buttermilk would do the same thing as milk.
I love liver but have never tried soaking it in milk, I will try that when I next make it. What I DO is marinate it in worcestershire sauce for a few minutes before flouring and cook it with the onions. Either this also kills any bitter taste or I just never notice it in the worcestershire goodness.
Gonna have to try this in the next couple of weeks.
Chris, that sounds marvelous! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so very much I use to cook liver for the family and they to hated it, so I haven’t cooked it for years. My hubby has some medical issues so he will be eating your recipe for liver this nite while it’s soaking he’s barred from the kitchen . I do hope he likes it. Thank you for your recipe, I was expecting something new & different guess you can only do so much with liver.
I hope you both like it, Rosie!
I grew up eating liver and onions with grits. love, love love it…
I like anything starchy with liver, too–grits is a great addition! Also mashed potatoes, rice, buttered noodles . . . yum!
Born in 1950s England my sisters and I often muse that if we didn’t eat liver then half of our protein would have gone (there was still rationing).
Don’t fully understand about the “bitterness”…never found it to be so ….but like the idea of marinating in milk…which I will try. I make my own yoghourt too, and that works well with lamb and pork (how many Kosher food laws can you break at one sitting)…had never thought of using it with liver.
My late father-in-law and I always used to have liver , usually with bacon onions mashed potatoes and gravy if it was on a menu because our spouses and children would not let us cook it at home. Ironically they eat chicken livers (aka pate) like it’s going out of fashion!
Also love Brains!
Stephan . . .hmmm brains! Now that is something I’ve never even tried! Though I really like heart and beef tongue. Thank you for taking time to make a comment,Stephan! My Mom and Dad eat liver quite often–when Mom makes it for grandkids or company she’ll make gravy to go with it. And, as my Dad will say “You can eat an old shoe if you have gravy to go on it.” ha!
I have always loved liver and onions, my husband also likes. Never heard of soaking in milk, I am making this now. So will let you know if I find a big difference
I’d love to hear back from you about this, Carol.
Thank you for the secret tips. I had no idea about soaking liver in milk. It turned out great! 🙂
Yay!!!
I made it today, but used coconut flour.
It was delish!!!
YUM. That sounds delish, for sure, thanks for sharing!!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your story about your liver debate with your son.
I love liver & try to eat it regularly for the health benefits so I was scrolling recipes to get ideas. Your recipe looks easy & delicious. Thank you.
You are welcome! Thanks for your comment!
Due to health concerns I must be dairy and gluten free. Do you suppose that soaking the liver in coconut milk would work to remove the butter but NOT add a soapy flavor to the liver, AND using an alternate flour like cassava or even sweet potato four would work for dredging?
Oops, that butter should be bitter. Auto correct ‘to the rescue’ again and proof reading forgotten.
KAtie, I would guess it would work, but the only real way to tell is to try it! I’d love to hear back from you!
OMG! I made the liver and onions and it’s the most delicious liver I’ve ever made, so tender and flavorful. I’ll never make it any other way again! Thanks for the recipe and hope to see more recipes in the future. Thanks again and God bless
You are welcome, Carla. Thank you for the sweet comment.
We bought a whole beef from a co worker who had raised 4 cows. I took all the liver as no one else wanted it. I figured even if hubby didn’t like it, I could use it to make homemade dog food. Liver from 4 cows is a LOT of liver. So, following your recipe I made it for dinner tonight. I like the idea of soaking it in milk as it seemed to soften the “liver” flavor. I used sweet onion and lightly cooked the liver as you suggested. We both loved it and hubby said he would eat it again if I made it like this again… Much to our dog’s unhappiness as I think he was planning on eating it all! LOL! So this recipe is going in the keep and make again file. Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
Good, good! I love changing people’s minds about liver. If you know how to prepare it, it’s so good.
I found it interesting that no-one has mentioned the difference in the liver depending on what animal it comes from . We only ever eat lamb or calf liver, both of which are much milder than beef liver. I don’t think I could tolerate pig liver but it is available in stores. I buy lamb liver from sheep raisers and its very cheap because some people are unaware that it exists, I pay $2.00 (CDN) for enough for 4 of us, the best meat deal ever. I have never felt the need to soak it in milk as there is no bitterness in lamb or calf liver.
Try it, you, you might like it
Thank you Avril! I will try it. I also actually prefer chicken livers to beef liver, but I’ve never tried lamb or calves liver.
Wow! I have made liver this way for 40 years. Kudos to your Mom! My on,y change lately is that I sauté the onions in coconut oil, and dredge the liver in buckwheat with S&P. Also sautéed in coconut oil, quickly, until medium rare. Even company asks for this if I invite them for dinner
Way to go, Victoria!! Sounds delish!
My Italian mother-in-law taught me how to make liver. Your recipe is the standard that I grew up with, but my mother way over cooked it. My recipe: clean all the skin and veins, slice up like a stir fry. Fry onions(lots of onions) in olive oil and a little rosemary until almost carmelized, remove from pan. Add more oil if necessary and add the liver (I don’t coat with flour) , fry until almost done (just a few minutes) add the onions salt and pepper and warm through. My husband likes this so much he will eat the leftovers cold from the fridge as a snack.
Yum, yes this sounds so much like my recipe!! The key seems to be not to overcook liver. Overcooked–it is not even edible. But cooked correctly and it’s delicious! THank you for your comment!
Thank you! I bought liver today and plan to make it tomorrow eith your recipe. I hope I like it because currently I am not a fan of liver but I am taking iron supplements and have a blood test at the end of January. If my iron is good and I stop having to take the pills and I like the recipe I might have to make this weekly.
Melissa, I’d love to hear if you liked it?
I was raised in a German family fresh from the old world. We do our own butchering so have plenty of liver- lamb and kid are the best. I also keep the heart and tongue but cannot fix it like Dad could. Do you have any advise/recipes for the heart and tongue? I never turned liver to rubber but did go pinker after studying your site. It is the best liver I have ever made. My wife was taught by her mother to not like it. Fifty-two years later I am still trying to convince her that it is a treat. (I did use lamb liver). Cary
Cary, I wish I had an answer for you on the heart and tongue. I’ve never cooked tongue myself, and all I remember about cooking heart is that I’ve only done it a couple times, and it was also best slightly under- rather than over-cooked.
I was raised in a German family fresh from the old world. We do our own butchering so have plenty of liver- lamb and kid are the best. I also keep the heart and tongue but cannot fix it like Dad could. Do you have any advise/recipes for the heart and tongue? I never turned liver to rubber but did go pinker after studying your site. It is the best liver I have ever made. My wife was taught by her mother to not like it. Fifty-two years later I am still trying to convince her that it is a treat. Cary
Cary, it’s so nice to hear from you. I, sadly, am not an expert on cooking heart or tongue. I will ask my Mom–who speaks of eating those parts when she was a child–and report back, however!
Amy, could you share your Mom’s gravy recipe?
Pat, I will talk to her today!
I grew up in the 50s with calves liver, bacon and onions. loved it at home but sure not when it appeared on the steam table in the school cafeteria. for obvious reasons.
When a small boy, my now adult son thought liver was his favorite thing. Until a other kid told him it was gross.
Here’s the thing: liver needs a PR campaign. you rarely see it on menus and people rarely buy it at the store. A PR campaign is what happened with squid in the 70’s. It became calamari because no one wanted to eat something with a squishy name like that. A marketing professor at MIT earned a big fat consulting fee to rebrand it.
BTW, at the end, try throwing in a splash of sherry, another blast from the 50s. (The real stuff, not what you get in the cooking aisle.) liz
throw in a splash of sherry
A splash of sherry–brilliant! Now I am off to find some REAL sherry!
It makes a big difference which liver you select.
Baby and Calf’s liver is too soft and will turn mushy if slightly over-cooked,
I only use Beef liver because the texture is better.
Many friends have been converts to my liver & onions.
Such great points! Mel, have you used chicken livers in this recipe? Do you have any other tips for me today?
I cooked calves’ liver and added onions and garlic to the milk soak. I also made a miso gravy and added the water from cooking the spinach; the gravy was good but it wasn’t really needed. I served this with baby potatoes and wilted spinach. I added garlic and chopped mushrooms to to onion thing.
Served with a Chardonnay from the Adelaide area of Australia.
Actually the baby potatoes were more like teenager potatoes.
The liver was yummy, thank you.
Yum, yum, Wauden! Your version sounds delicious! Thanks so much for sharing!
I cooked this last night and added garlic an onions to the milk soak. Then I added mushrooms and garlic to the onion mixture that you describe. This is part of my efforts to cook properly and my co-eater said it was restaurant quality!
So, thank you.
Thank you! Sounds wonderful!!
I love chicken livers and onions and just cleaned some to cook tonight. I’ve never soaked them in milk, but will try it tonight. I coat them with some Wondra flour, but regular flour works too. I add some rosemary, salt and pepper and sage to the sauce for both of the following or to the livers before coating with the flour.
I fry the onions until translucent, add the livers, fry for a few minutes, then add about a cup of Marsala wine (NOT cooking wine), cook a few minutes more. Remove the livers and onions, then add about 2/3 cup of chicken stock to the Marsala and simmer until slightly thickened. Put the livers and onions back in and cook a few minutes more until liquid is slightly thickened. Add more liquid if necessary.
I also love calves liver, but cook it with onions and bacon. I cook the bacon, remove all but a tablespoon of fat, add a little olive oil and cook the onions until slightly brown. Remove onions and add liver, coated in a little Wondra flour. Cook a few minutes on both sides, remove and deglaze the pan with 3/4 cup of sherry vinegar.
Add about 3/4 cup of beef or chicken stock, stir to blend and cook until slightly thickened. Return liver and onions to pan for a few minutes until cooked through.
I don’t usually measure, so I’m giving approximate amounts. Adjust them to your taste.
That’s the way it was made in an excellent restaurant, where I always ordered it. I asked for the recipe, which they gave me. The sherry vinegar is the secret ingredient that makes it especially good. You can find it in a liquor store, not a supermarket. A little goes a long way, but it can be used in many other recipes.
My mother made calves liver with bacon and onions when I was a child. I was a very fussy eater, but always liked liver. Go figure!
Nanci, I appreciate all these tips and new ideas for how to cook liver! Thank you! My fellas really like bacon and liver together, too, in fact I wrote a post about chicken livers cooked with bacon and herbs: http://vomitingchicken.com/redneck-chicken-livers-bacon-herbs-recipe-anybody-love/
Liver is NOT a filter. This is NOT how the organ works at all. It is immensely healthy to eat, no ifs, ands or buts. Junk food junkies and vegans alike will straight up lie about anything as deeply healthy for the human species as organ meats. This piece of “just so” nonsense needs to die.
Geez, I appreciate your input! I plan to edit this article and appreciate your help.
I’m dredging up this favorite recipe. Thank you, Sister, for posting mom’s treasured recipes!
I picked up some beautiful liver from The Little Red Farm’s grass fed beef today. I’m trying to up my iron in my blood because last time I tried to donate, I was a teensy bit too low in iron.
Have you been to Little Red Farm south of Palmyra, NE, sister? BEST A2A2 raw milk this side of the Mississippi, and I’m not really a milk drinker! SO good!
You should make this “pinnable” Sister!
Anne,
Great idea! I have not been to the little Red Farm yet, but I’ve heard great things about it! Thanks for the “pinnable” tip. I need to do that, and to take new photos, too. The photos on this post aren’t the best. Thanks for popping in, sister!
I like to soak in buttermilk.
I caramelize my onions and make a gravy with a little buttermilk. A whole family hit! First time making it i called it chicken fried steak but that it was a cheaper cut of meat. It wasnt until i got an anonymous thumbs up that i spilled the actual truth lom.
Thanks so much for this tip, Kelli! I haven’t actually made liver in awhile, and now I’m going to jot it into my menu plan this week. YUM. I love your idea for the caramelizing the onions and adding a gravy. Everything, in my son’s opinion, is made better with gravy!
Kelli, goodness that sounds tasty! Of course gravy makes anything better. My dad says that good gravy will make even an old boot taste good. 🙂
*unanimous
I was happy to hear that liver is clean & toxins are not stored in the liver.
In a restaurant I had it with a splash of balsamic vinegar. Delish!
I never had to soak baby calves liver, Never a bitter taste.
Just brush with Wonder flour, salt, pepper. Fry onions, fry liver, put all back in pan,
and put a splash of balsamic vinegar,
was also happy to hear I can freeze the fresh liver.
Betty, I have never tried it with balsamic vinegar. That sounds delish! I will try it the next time I fry up liver! Thank you!
I know I left a review a few years ago, but I just have to leave another. This is the BEST recipe for liver! Bar none! Both our mothers would make it and fry it to death. I ate it. He didn’t. He was skeptical first time I made this. Now we both love it. I had taken the liver when we had some beef butchered to feed our dog. Now he fights us for it. Thank you again.
Fern,
Yay! That just makes my day! And it really is such a simple recipe, isn’t it?