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Ways to cook liver on the grill!

dangerousdon

dangerousdon

"I am Udderly Insufferable”
Veteran
Concierge Emeritus
Okay...I know this thread likely won't get a lot of love. But I love liver. I love most organ meat in general. But I really love liver. Lately I have been eating it purely from a nutritional standpoint. A three ounce portion of liver three times a week provides almost all the daily requirement of vitamins and minerals your body needs. And it is much more bio-available than a multi-vitamin. Liver is one of the most nutrient dense foods in the world...if not THE most nutrient dense foods. There is very little in the way of nutrition that the liver doesn't provide. That being said...I understand that most people don't like the stuff. Which brings me to my dilemma.

My wife can't stand the smell of the stuff when I cook it. So I have been ORDERED to not cook it inside. So that relegates me to the grill. I have been coating the liver in olive oil and minced garlic with some salt and pepper. That is okay...but the straight up grilling sometimes makes it tough to eat. I have been thinking of using a cast iron pan and sticking it on the grill and frying it in butter just like I would if I was cooking on the stove. But I'm not sure how that would work out as I would likely have to close the grill to get the pan hot enough and then you have the issue of an extremely hot cast iron pan.

Since I know we have a cadre with varied interests...I thought I would ask you all in hopes that there MIGHT be a recommendation. Thanks in advance!
 
It’s super easy Don. You float a thin layer of oil in the cast iron pan (cast iron adds additional iron to your diet, did you know that?)and grind some pink salt and pink pepper corn directly into the pan as it heats up on the grill. Next, once the pan is hot, toast some whole black peppercorns and if you like coriander toast some of that too then add some medium thick sliced onions to the pan and stir. Once the onion is cooked down some (like they are beginning caramelize) add some crushed garlic. Then pat the liver dry and sprinkle with a small amount of salt and pepper (I like Leary’s season salt but there are so many nice rubs available now it’s hard to decide)and add the liver directly to the pan. Cook a few minutes on each side until it’s no longer gross and slippery , over cooked liver is nasty. Then carefully remove the liver and while the pan is still nice and warm stir in some butter. Toss the gross liver (it’s gross no matter how you cook it) in the dogs bowl, it should be cool now, and eat the yummy onions.
 
CBLindsay said:
It’s super easy Don. You float a thin layer of oil in the cast iron pan (cast iron adds additional iron to your diet, did you know that?)and grind some pink salt and pink pepper corn directly into the pan as it heats up on the grill. Next, once the pan is hot, toast some whole black peppercorns and if you like coriander toast some of that too then add some medium thick sliced onions to the pan and stir. Once the onion is cooked down some (like they are beginning caramelize) add some crushed garlic. Then pat the liver dry and sprinkle with a small amount of salt and pepper (I like Leary’s season salt but there are so many nice rubs available now it’s hard to decide)and add the liver directly to the pan. Cook a few minutes on each side until it’s no longer gross and slippery , over cooked liver is nasty. Then carefully remove the liver and while the pan is still nice and warm stir in some butter. Toss the gross liver (it’s gross no matter how you cook it) in the dogs bowl, it should be cool now, and eat the yummy onions.
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I was really into your process there and then I spit my coffee out when you said dump it into the dog bowl! (For the record...my dogs love raw liver).

Even if you want me to give the "gross" liver to the dogs...I might try your recipe! Thanks Chris!
 
Cast iron on the grill is a great idea. I have done that to cook up Brussel sprouts while i was grilling meat and it worked great. just preheat the iron with the grill and it should be fine and you will really on have the lid closed for a few minutes so it shouldn't be a huge deal. I haven't had liver in years so i should probably try it again but i have not been a fan previously. My grandpa LOVES liver and onions though
 
uacowboy said:
Cast iron on the grill is a great idea. I have done that to cook up Brussel sprouts while i was grilling meat and it worked great. just preheat the iron with the grill and it should be fine and you will really on have the lid closed for a few minutes so it shouldn't be a huge deal. I haven't had liver in years so i should probably try it again but i have not been a fan previously. My grandpa LOVES liver and onions though
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Thanks Kyle! I know most people don't like it. I grew up on the stuff and have always liked it. Once I found out how nutritious it is...I said "game on." I think whether a person likes the stuff or not likely depends on if a person ate it as a kid. But liver is so good for you though. I have read a couple of blogs where mom's want their children to get the nutrition that liver provides but their kids don't like the stuff. They will go as far as grinding it up and hiding it in meatloaf or meatballs. Add a little of it and you won't even taste it.

We have a seller at our local farmer's market that sells a blend of ground meat that is something like 60% ground beef and 40% ground liver, kidney, and heart. I like the stuff...but it's a tad on the expensive side.
 
dangerousdon said:
Thanks Kyle! I know most people don't like it. I grew up on the stuff and have always liked it. Once I found out how nutritious it is...I said "game on." I think whether a person likes the stuff or not likely depends on if a person ate it as a kid. But liver is so good for you though. I have read a couple of blogs where mom's want their children to get the nutrition that liver provides but their kids don't like the stuff. They will go as far as grinding it up and hiding it in meatloaf or meatballs. Add a little of it and you won't even taste it.

We have a seller at our local farmer's market that sells a blend of ground meat that is something like 60% ground beef and 40% ground liver, kidney, and heart. I like the stuff...but it's a tad on the expensive side.
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just start grinding your own!
 
uacowboy said:
just start grinding your own!
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The grinding part is easy. When it comes to organ meat you would think it would be cheap and easy to find...because after all...it's what no one wants to eat...right? Believe it or not there is a resurgence of people who want to eat offal and fat. When it comes to offal...I prefer to eat all grass fed beef. But that market has become so trendy now that this kind of stuff is getting stupid expensive. I can go the supermarket and buy a frozen package of calf or beef liver for about $4.00 - $5.00 a pound. It's not bad at all. The problem is...I don't trust the quality of the product. I can buy from a couple places that I know (and buy the way...butcher shops in my area either non-existent or are catering to affluent), mostly at the farmers market, but the prices range from $7.00 to $10.00 a pound. I am paying the same price for something that most people don't eat as I am for a steak. It's crazy!
 
I was told soaking your liver in buttermilk before cooking makes it taste better...the person that told me that is no longer a friend of mine but they insisted it did something to improve taste, like you would marinate a steak.

I don’t mention this often but I actually have a BS (for real) in animal science and have a background in animal nutrition and husbandry. There are a Lot if creative feeds available to feed beef, sheep, goats etc that will result in well nourished animals and tasty end products...grass is but one EASY way to go. I suspect a large number of commercial farmers employ creative feeds very successfully as a matter or pride but you never know what you are getting.
You might check out the guy I get my Tallow from (or your own local farmers markets).
 
I love liver but have never tried cooking it at home. Following with interest.
 
Can we all just remember that Don isn’t in charge of the menu for the TSC meet-up?
 
I've never cooked liver myself but when I was in my early 20's I worked in a restaurant that had a sautéed liver on the menu and it was surprisingly popular. My parents would never even think of making liver. Once a customer ordered the liver and when this large slab of meat was put in front of them they decided they didn't want to touch it and sent it back to order something else. Who ate that liver? Me and my waitress partner for the evening (we worked in stations). And it was one of the most delicious things I've ever had. They served it sautéed, likely in butter, maybe some olive oil and served it with sautéed onions. I think sautéing it is the best way to make it because it comes out super tender. So you need direct flame underneath. Maybe go out and get yourself a gas camping stove. This way you can make your liver outside, keeps the wife happy with no smell inside and you get to cook it the way it should be cooked. And the way Chris said to cook it would probably come out nice as well. Now you have me thinking and I'm eager to buy some myself and give it a go. Thanks for the post.
 
Gave it a whirl today. Liver and Onions...and some beef heart!


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Question, does beef heart taste anything like chicken heart?
 
NurseDave said:
Question, does beef heart taste anything like chicken heart?
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In my opinion...no. Beef heart tastes like beef to me. Maybe a tad bit sweeter (?) But pretty much like beef. It's more dense than a steak. It doesn't taste like metal or iron like a liver. To be honest, if it was chopped up and put into a stew or casserole, you might not know it's heart. Hope this helps.
 
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