Liver Love.... and Hate

We all know how important it is to take care of our liver- and what can happen if we don't. But what about the importance of eating liver? Prior to the last month or so, the only experience I can remember of consuming liver was when I was quite young, at my great Aunt Vi's house. She had liver pate out to munch on (she always has some little snack out- I think it's a Southern hospitality thing) and I, being the ever brave and curious soul, decided to give it a try. Well, it was gross. It had a very strong and, to me, unpleasant flavor and weird, pasty texture.

I have never had a real urge to try liver in any form again, and besides, I thought, the liver is the organ that filters out all the crap and toxins in your body, so why would I want to consume the crap and toxins from another animal, especially if it doesn't even taste good?!

Turns out that assumption is a common one, and completely wrong. According to Chris Kresser, integrative medicine practitioner and author of Your Personal Paleo Code,

"While it is true that one of the liver’s role is to neutralize toxins (such as drugs, chemical agents and poisons), it does not store these toxins. Toxins the body cannot eliminate are likely to accumulate in the body’s fatty tissues and nervous systems. On the other hand, the liver is a is a storage organ for many important nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, K, B12 and folic acid, and minerals such as copper and iron). These nutrients provide the body with some of the tools it needs to get rid of toxins."

In the same article he states that "every nutrient—including vitamin C—in beef liver occurs in exceedingly higher levels in beef liver compared to apple and carrots. In general, organ meats are between 10 and 100 times higher in nutrients than corresponding muscle meats." He shows a side-by-side comparison of beef liver next to beef muscle meat and apples and carrots. Although beef liver appears to be the most potent nutritionally, chicken liver is not far behind, as shown by this nutrient comparison.

Ok, so I'm totally convinced now- I should be eating liver. And I have been. However, I don't entirely enjoy it. I've found that the texture and flavor is about how I remembered it, and my taste for it has not really changed. I've tried duck liver, just sauteed with onions- it was tough but edible. I've tried beef liver breaded and sauteed- not great, honestly, but I ate it and I DID feel awesome afterwards- so awesome, in fact, that I was too energized to go to sleep (whoops). Beef liver is quite large, so I made the leftovers into a pate which got mostly thrown out because I didn't consume it fast enough. More recently I made a chicken liver pate with copious amounts of bacon, mushrooms, and a little bone broth, which I've been eating with cucumber and carrots, on salads, and mixed into ground meat. So far so good. I'll share my recipe successes and failures with you in an upcoming post.

Have any of you had success with preparing and eating liver? Do you love it or hate it? If you haven't had it, have I convinced to at least give it a try?

Recipe: Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs

 Alright I'm no food photographer (nor was is an iPhone probably a camera of choice among the pros) but I think you can tell from the photo that this dish is de-lish! Super healthy, paleo-friendly, and very satisfying. I think it could even be made vegan with relative success if you subbed the meat for tempeh and omitted the cheese.

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash
1 lb. ground grass-fed beef or other meat (I used a combo of beef and buffalo)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and torn into pieces
1 bunch scallions
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped 
4 carrots
2 parsnips
4 small tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce or tomato-based pasta sauce (not from canned)
3-4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (optional)




1. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and discard or toast separately. Place squash, cut side down, on oiled baking sheet. Bake one hour. Let cool for 10 minutes, then scrape gently with a fork, fluffing the squash to get the "spaghetti".

3. Combine ground meat, 1/2 of chopped onion, Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 chopped green onions, and 3 tablespoons Parmesan. Form into approx. 16 - 2-in. balls. Place on oiled baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 30 min.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan on medium heat. Add remaining 1/2 chopped onion. Once onion starts to become translucent, add chopped carrots and parsnips. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, or until root veggies begin to soften. 

5. Add kale, garlic, and remaining scallions. Once kale has wilted slightly, stir in tomato sauce. Let simmer for a minute or two before removing from heat. 

6. Serve- layering the squash, sauce, and meatballs in bowls. 


Makes 2-4 servings, depending on the size of your squash. We had a small squash so it made only two servings but we had enough sauce and meatballs left over to serve with fried eggs the next morning which was ah-mazing!

 

 If you do make this recipe I would love to hear how it turned out!