By: Svendblad Josephine
Entree, Food Wisdom, Health & Fitness, Paleo, Primal, , , , , , ,

Live-r for life!

Today we wanted to introduce something a little different, an organ meat, or offal that some of you may have never eaten, or perhaps one that you’ve not eaten since your childhood.  We grew up eating calf’s liver, and although it might be an acquired taste for some, we find it to be quite delectable and sweet.  We prepare our calf’s liver in a very simple fashion, because we feel that the more flavors are added the more the actual taste and sweetness is lost.

What to look for when choosing your calf liver:
Make sure that it is nice and shiny, slightly pink, organic, and fresh.  Always buy it from a quality store or butcher.  Smell is a good indicator of a livers freshness.  It is very perishable so once you buy it, it should be consumed within 48 hours.  It can be frozen, but we don’t recommend it.

So why should you eat some calf’s liver?
It is available year round, delicious, easy to make, and most importantly it contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food!

From “The Liver Files” on the Weston A Price Website.
Some of the benefits provided by liver:
  • An excellent source of high quality protein — 25 grams, per 4oz serving
  • Nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A  — Over 600% of RDA, per serving
  • All of the B vitamins in abundance, particularly B12 — 690% of B12 RDA
  • One of the best sources of folic acid — 215% RDA
  • A highly usable form of iron — 16.5% RDA
  • Trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium; liver is our best source of copper
  • An unidentified anti-fatigue factor
  • CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function
  • A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA.

Here is the way we prepare it, this makes 4, 4oz. servings or just enough for two hungry Primals. 🙂

Calf’s Liver Simplified

  • 1 lb of Calf’s liver
  • 1 pinch of sea salt, to taste
  • 1 medium onion or 4 large shallots, sliced
  • 1 very large clove of garlic, sliced
  • 1 pinch of fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3 tbsp butter, or tallow, or ghee, you decide

We prefer to use a cast iron skillet because it cooks foods more evenly and the pan will not cool off as quickly as others once the meat is introduced.

Heat oil in cast iron skillet, add garlic, onions, salt, and pepper, brown until golden and glossy. Slice calf’s liver into 1/2 inch strips and toss into pan – cover with onions and garlic. Sautee for about 5 minutes and serve.

We had ours this weekend with some sweet potatoes (after a crazy workout) :-), but it is very delicious if served with dark green veggies such as spinach or kale, or even some spaghetti squash. Yummm! It’s a staple in our house and we recommend it to anyone who is a meat eater and loves to live healthy.

Go out and get some today!