Don’t start here – with kidneys. The smell of ammonia can be off-putting if you aren’t expecting it or aren’t used to it.  At this moment, you will be forced to acknowledge the role of the kidneys – to detox the blood and remove excess fluid via urine.  And this thought could really make you reconsider your commitment to nutrient-dense organ meats.  You’ve been warned.

But please don’t be dissuaded either.  I love kidney and so do my people.  I find it far easier to slip kidney into taco or hamburger meat than liver due to the more meaty texture. Yes, it has a distinct taste, but I find it oddly good.

No really. As the smell can stay with me from earlier in the kitchen, I often stall getting to the table and finally sitting down to eat.  I am kind of preparing myself for the moment when I have to fake it til I make it… The moment when I insist that the kids are fortunate to have access to this nourishing food.  And then, every time – Pellegrino at the ready – I find that I actually like it.  We all do.

Purchasing kidneys

A fresh kidney has no odor and is firm and shiny. Kidneys come in pairs, except for beef kidney – where the pairs are split and each lobe sold separately.

The fat that surrounds the kidneys – the leaf lard or suet – is a very nourishing fat, firmer than other animal fats, and highly regarded.  Seems that in the past, kidneys were nearly always sold with this fat in tact.  If you get one – like this or this – be sure to save all the fat and render it. Though without asking, it’s not so common anymore.

Preparing kidneys

Prepare kidneys in two parts. First, remove the excess fat or thin filament layer. Then, you can soak in cold water – one tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar and two teaspoons salt to two cups of water. This is optional and some dissuade soaking. However, it’s a nice gesture to temper your own uncertainty in the beginning. Soaking for thirty minutes is good, 15-90 will do.

The filament is easy to remove by piercing it (careful not to pierce the kidney) and peeling off easily with your hands.  This layer will help keep the kidney from drying out, so remove it just before soaking or cooking.

There is still one more lobe of fat in the center of the underside of the kidney.  For a smaller kidney like lamb, this can easily be snipped off.

For a veal or beef kidney, the fat meets the kidney with some connective tissue.  This lobe is best pared off with a sharp knife, working your way around carefully cutting the connective tissue below to separate it.  If it’s your first time trimming this, it’s not essential to remove it all – just get what you can – it will be enough.

After removing this lobe, you can separate most of the fat by pulling the fattiest parts off the top and reserving for use in the recipe itself or later.  Ground kidney or other recipes that rely on this envelope of fat benefit from leaving it all intact.

Cooking kidneys

Similar to heart, kidneys have a lot of connective tissue. They are best cooked quickly (tender and still pink in the middle) or slow and low.

Partially boiling (parboiling) the kidney as a final preparation step is recommended for pork or beef kidney in some recipes.  For example, when including kidney in soup, a parboil allows you to pour off impurities without muddying up the soup.  Parboiling is also recommended before a quick, high-temperature stir-fry to keep the juices clear.  In this case, avoid overcooking and limit the parboil to 1 minute max.

And I leave you with a final cooking tip, best described by Julia Child in Mastering the Art of French Cooking,

“Cooked kidneys should be tender and slightly pink near the center. The bursting out of juices is always a problem when they are sauteed in slices. Unless your source of heat is a very strong one, within a few seconds after slices hit the pan, their juices pour out and the kidneys boil and toughen rather than saute. An excellent solution – and, in fact, the best method for kidneys in our experience – is to cook the whole kidney in butter, then slice it, and warm the slices briefly in a sauce…” (pg. 416-7)