The
Classic French Pork Liver Pate stands on it’s own, but also makes a beautiful accompaniment to many meals. This traditional dish may be vilified for the high vitamin A levels or cholesterol in liver. However, it’s longevity in traditional cuisine runs counter to concerns. Perhaps everything in moderation still applies!
The Importance of Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin A is an all-important fat-soluble vitamin. In fact, the group of fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K that work together are sometimes even classified as hormones. Vitamin A is most often associated with eyesight and vision; however, it is utilized by the whole body! Skin health, gut health, immune function… these all rely on vitamin A. As Pam Schoenfeld notes,
It regulates the action of over five hundred genes in the body, which makes it a major regulator of all of our cells and how they function. Starting at conception vitamin A orchestrates the proper division and differentiation of every cell in the body. When cells differentiate properly, they are doing what they are supposed to do. You might say that vitamin A keeps our cells ‘behaving.’
In fact, Weston A Price found that traditional peoples that he studied had ten times the amount of fat-soluble vitamins in their diet, including vitamin A. He deduced that these vitamins were the major drivers of well-being and robust health.
Rick of Toxicity?
Yet, eating liver often comes with a warning label that too much can lead to Vitamin A toxicity, or hypervitaminosis A. According to the National Library of Medicine, symptoms of Vitamin A toxicity include headaches, nausea, vertigo, blurred vision, muscle aches and lack of coordination, followed by [peeling skin] and [hairloss]. Severe overdose can cause increased cerebral spinal fluid pressure, progressive drowsiness and coma.’
Yikes! Sounds like we would be wise to avoid liver!
Yet, a review of 259 cases of vitamin A toxicity found that
[Vitamin A toxicity] is induced after daily doses of 2 mg retinol/kg in oil-based preparations for many months or years. In contrast, doses as low as 0.2 mg retinol. kg(-1). d(-1) in water-miscible, emulsified, and solid preparations for only a few weeks caused chronic hypervitaminosis A.
In plain English, this says that supplemental forms of vitamin A (in several forms) causes toxicity at low doses. Meanwhile, consuming liver or other oil-based preparations would require a dose of 10 times as much over many months or years to produce the same symptoms of vitamin A toxicity.
Confounding Variables
If the risk of food-based toxicity is much lower than supplemental forms, then why the warning signs to avoid high sources of vitamin A in liver?
First, practictioners making these recommendations may not be familiar with these nuances (food-based versus supplements) and do not know that there is a difference between different forms.
Also, the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K must be kept in balance. Upwards of 70 percent of the American population is deficient in vitamin D and that may also influence vitamin A utilization.
Finally, it’s possible that the risk of vitamin A toxicity has been used as a potent deterrent for health-based campaigns that continue to vilify cholesterol and saturated fats. Cholesterol is used in every cell in the body and is essential for making hormones. It is increasingly recognized that the assumptions used to reduce choleserol were misguided.
French Pork Liver Pate
In the meantime, even with supplementation, 35% of adults remain deficient in vitamin A. And since liver is so nutrient-dense, a single serving can help you meet your daily needs for many vitamins and minerals. This pate is balanced with ground pork for a milder flavor.
Note that conventional pork is not high in vitamin D. Yet, sunlight produces vitamin D, which animals store in fat. If you have access to a regenerative farmer with pigs that are raised outside, then these animals will contain more vitamin D in their meat than conventional or factory-raised animals.
This is a classic dish that has stood the test of time. It works as an appetizer or a meal in it’s own right! Enjoy this classic French Pork Liver Pate with bread or crackers, cheese, fruit or olives. Traditional garnishes include mustard, cornichons or pickled onions. Try raw sliced vegetables like cucumbers, carrots or radishes for a bright crunch. Enjoy!
French Pork Liver Terrine - Classic and Traditional Fare
Notes
The pate will keep for up to 10 days.
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb pork liver, trimmed of outer membrane or large tubules and chopped
- 2 lbs ground pork
- 1 T white wine vinegar
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 3/4 t salt
- 1 1/2 t pepper
- 1/2 t thyme
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 6-8 slices of proscuitto
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Add trimmed and chopped liver to food processor and blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, add liver puree, ground pork, vinegar, broth, salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix until smooth and well combined.
- In a terrine measuring 8-10 inches long by 4 inches wide and 4-6 inches deep, reserve one slice of proscuitto and lay remaining slices side-by-side across the bottom of the terrine, coming up the sides to hang over the edge. Fill with pork mixture. Wrap prosciutto over the top edges and use the final slice to cover. Add bay leaves to top.
- Cover terrine and place in a warm water bath reaching three-quarters up the side of the terrine. Bake at 275F for ~2.5 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 145F. Remove from the water bath and let cool for 2-3 hours. Refrigerate overnight before serving.
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