Actually cooking organ meats week after week
Happy new year! I used to be opposed to hiding offal in anything. I wanted to respect and honor it and I wanted offal to be front and center, named and acknowledged. But now it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll serve it anyway, anytime. I am not ashamed of it, I am not exactly hiding it, but if no one asks, I don’t need to assert it anymore. A Hunter’s Pie can just be served. And the same goes for Chocolate Mousse….
Bison, or American Buffalo, was an ‘all-purpose resource for the American Indian’ and Bison Tongue was considered the ‘best meat’ on this all-purpose beast. When I recently got my hands on a bison tongue, I created a meal with foods from the North American landscape. Bison Tongue alongside Wild Rice, Cranberries and Mushrooms is a modern take on simple meal components. It is served with a healthy dose of reverence and gratitude, explained in a longer blog post than usual….
My local, pastured organic farmer has been giving away the gizzards. They would otherwise go to the pigs, and I take them completely unprocessed. First, I have to take out the little bag of rocks from the middle and trim off excess fat and connective tissue. I have more than 20 pounds of them now as the pile in my freezer grows with each slaughter. Despite having a few gizzard favorites, I am often thinking about new recipes to diversity our surplus. Gizzard Risotto with Chanterelles, Parsley and Sorrel is the newest addition to our collection. …
I was craving the savory flavors of puttanesca… but what to do on a Monday night? Add liver! Any night is a good night for liver, but I find that if I always start the week off well, everything is easier. I created a weekly meal schedule for our family many years ago… to be sure we would have a steady relationship with the most nutrient-dense foods. Chicken Liver Puttanesca was a great Monday night meal and is sure to have a repeat appearance in our home….
Deep-fried gizzards and livers have had a special place in my heart for several years, but only recently did I finally recreate them in my kitchen! I had seen a sign advertising this Southern specialty and always wanted to try them. Recently, one of my farmers sent the recipe and another farmer had a windfall of chicken offal available for me. Serendipitously, I was able to make this recipe a couple of times in the span of a few weeks to tweak and perfect it!…
Are you afraid that beef liver is too strong or too minerally and you aren’t sure what to do with it? Are you due for some self-love today? Do you have a beautiful package of grass-fed, grass-finished liver looking back at you every time you open your freezer? If so, now’s the time to start defrosting it. If not, call your best farmer and get some. Beef liver gets an A+ in nutrient-density. And Chocolate Chili Beef Liver Pate has all the right seasonings to keep you coming back for more. …
We approached this recipe as an answer to a recent interest in wizardry and potions. However, these Steak and Kidney Tartlets had a really nice filling and a different flavor profile than my previous Steak and Kidney Pie post. Less herbs and veg, more meaty, and more umami with the Worcestershire and tomato paste. Alas, I cheated on the pastry crust; I’m not accustomed to taking these kinds of shortcuts, but the kids loved the novelty along with our wizardry theme….
We were inspired to make shawarma recently and, as usual, replaced the traditional with the offal. The prep for the meal was simple and the meat cooked quickly with perfect seasonings. Break up any mid-winter blues with this bright and delicious Offal Shawarma with Liver and Kidney! (Or any organs you have on hand. 🙂 …
Everyone loves pie! Blueberry pie. Pizza pie. Steak and kidney pie. Chicken pot pie! It’s not as ‘boring’ as some of the other foods in our home. My daughter gets to bake, again. Meanwhile, I strongly believe we must continue to minimize the ‘displacing foods of modern commerce.’ Offally Creamy and Delicious Chicken Pot Pie is a hearty and nourishing meal to please all of us….
Thai Chicken with Basil (and Organs!) was inspired by a recent discovery of a chicken and organ blend from Force of Nature. Any ground meat dish deserves to have some organs added. It’s a way to boost nutrient-density in our favorite meals. It’s easy to do by hand, but once I discovered these blends, I’ve incorporated them into many of our meals….