Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What do you soak beef liver in before cooking? ›

It's very simple to make but the three things that will set your liver above all others are: 1) soak in milk, 2) turn the liver as little as possible when cooking, and 3) don't overcook.

Liver has the potential to cook up tough. By soaking it in buttermilk, you are almost guaranteed a more tender and juicy meal.

Note that beef liver tastes best when cooked rare to medium-rare. Since a raw liver has high water content, you have to cook it rapidly with medium to high heat. If you try slow cooking a liver, the meat will become dehydrated, leading to tough fibers and dry, chewy meat.

Also called offal, organ meats have been included in traditional diets for thousands of years, such as in the form of liver and onions. Packed with vitamin A, iron, B vitamins, protein and much more, liver may help prevent anemia, support fertility, aid in detoxification and prevent certain nutrient deficiencies.

Some chefs insist on soaking in salt and lemon water. Others opt to soak in ice water or milk to lessen the intensity from an older animal. Others suggest that you should never soak a fresh liver and that its quick preparation is part of the appeal.

Soak the liver in a dish or bowl of milk for 30-60 minutes. This is an important step in removing the bitter flavor from the liver. Salt and pepper the liver generously, and leave it out at room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Pat the liver dry.

Soak liver in milk for 1-2 hours before cooking.

If you follow a strict paleo diet, you can use coconut milk instead of dairy milk; you'll get the same benefit of mellowing out the flavor. Buttermilk is also a great option!

The longer the meat soaks, the more tender it becomes. Do not over cook liver. Overcooking leads to dry gritty meat.

While we are used to soaking liver in vinegar or lemon to get rid of the bad smell and kill any remaining toxins, American and European chefs advise to soak liver in milk. Yes, that's right: Milk! They claim that in addition to getting rid of toxins that usually are present in raw liver, milk helps tenderizing it.

Excess vitamin A and iron: Consuming too much vitamin A can cause birth defects. As organ meat contains high amounts of vitamin A, people who are pregnant should avoid it.

Is beef liver good for high blood pressure? ›

Beef liver is loaded with micronutrients like these B vitamins: Folate (vitamin B9) for lower blood pressure and healthy fetal development during pregnancy. Thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2) and niacin (vitamin B3) for energy and cell function.

It's possible, and dangerous, to get too much vitamin A. Eating large amounts of liver can lead to symptoms of vitamin A toxicity, which happens when your own liver can't process the excess vitamin A quickly enough. Most doctors recommend that people without vitamin deficiencies eat just one serving of liver per week.

The flavor of the lemon soaked liver was slightly lighter and pleasant. The main selling point was that the metallic after taste quickly lessened after chewing.

Soaking liver in milk or saltwater can pull out any leftover blood and improve the flavor. I often cut the liver into cubes or strips, portion it into ziplock bags with milk, and then freeze the individual portions. This method has proven to be much more manageable and effective than attempting to soak an entire liver.

Top tips when cooking lamb liver

You can soak the livers in milk for an hour or two before cooking, which will soften the flavour of the meat. Dusting the liver in a little seasoned flour before frying can make for a pleasing, golden crust.

Slice the liver into 1/4” thin pieces and soak in salted cold water (ratio of 2 T salt dissolved in 4 C water), acidic water (juice of half a lemon in 4 C water) or milk for at least one hour. Rinse well and repeat as necessary to drain the blood from liver.