All liver is a great source of iron and B vitamins and should be a regular part of a healthy diet and if cooked correctly liver can be delicious. Although liver does have bad press and many people will not even consider trying it. Sometimes it calls for the cook to be somewhat inventive to get people to try liver. There are many recipes to choose from and it is worth the experimentation. The best liver is the liver from young animals as it is mildest and tenderest. Calf's liver is delicate and delicious but fairly expensive. Real calf's liver is paler in color than the redder more mature baby beef liver. For a mild flavored liver choose the palest that you can find. The darker the color the stronger the flavor. Take care when choosing liver as sometimes baby beef liver is labeled calf's liver in the supermarket or grocery store. To ensure purchasing true calf's liver buy from a butchers or a reputable gourmet supermarket. Baby beef liver is stronger in flavor than calf's liver but is very good and preferable to actual beef liver. Liver from beef is dark red and the color corresponds to the strength of flavor. Beef liver is readily available but many believe it is too strong for simple preparations. Some cooks after buying beef liver soak it in milk or a flavorful spicy marinade such as a white wine marinade before cooking to soften the intense flavor. After marinating throw the liquid away and pat the liver dry before cooking. A lovely tender well-flavored liver is lamb liver but this is generally quite difficult to find. Also hard to find is pigs liver, which is strong in, taste but extremely tender. Again for pig's liver it can be soaked or marinated like the beef liver. When choosing liver it should be impeccably fresh with no slimy or dry patches and should have a clear scent. Should you find yourself preparing a whole liver first wipe it with a damp cloth, then with a sharp knife remove any exposed veins, ducts or connective tissue. With your fingers peel away the thin outer membrane without tearing into the liver itself. You then just slice on the diagonal to the desired thickness your recipe calls for. Of course presliced liver can be purchased and is actually more commonly available than whole livers. If the butcher has not done so remove the outer membrane on the slices. Before cooking make 1/8th inch cuts at 1-inch intervals around the outside of the liver slice. The reason for this is because liver has a tendency to shrink and curl when it is cooked and these cuts will help to prevent that from happening. The liver is now ready for cooking. Liver should be cooked until it is pink but firm in the center. If liver is overcooked or cooked on excessively high heat it will toughen. Liver is a lot richer in flavor than many other types of meat so a 4-ounce serving should be ample as a main course for most appetites. |
