Liver Anyone?

[Red Leg]

Liver and onions, done right, very good. If something wrong with animal then…. not so much. For whatever reason, heart was never very good to my taste. Other organs or tripe/menudo.. nah. However I believe hunger does change the palate.

What part of the prey animal do predators or alphas within a predator group commonly go after first? Internal organs. Some theorize because of the concentrated nutrients and fat.

No. Guts are just easier for them to tear off in larger hunks. Moreover, watching a leopard or lion eating rotting flesh should not give anyone a lot of confidence in an apex predator's culinary tastes. For that matter, ever notice what your dog happily chews?

I literally can not stay in the room if I smell liver cooking. Simply vile stuff.

Two hunting horror experiences though neither as bad as anything to do with liver.

Hunting red stag in Germany around 1978. Came in from a long day on the mountain, and the forester's spouse had a huge pot of a white cream soup simmering. It was well laced with finely chopped bits of protein. I gratefully ate a bowl, and then made my first mistake by asking for a second helping. All would have been well, but I made my second mistake as I picked up my spoon. I told her in my best German that it was excellent, and asked her what type of soup was it. The old forester (he looked a lot like a garden gnome) chuckled as she brightly replied, "Hirschgehirnsuppe." That translates as red stag brain soup. It was better than liver.

The second was in Mozambique. My son and I had traveled from the main camp over to Coutada 14 with our PH to hunt buffalo. The manager of the camp and his wife lived half the year on the very edge of that malarial swamp. Whether it was the constant droning of the mosquitos, or the chemicals and drugs they constantly had to take, both of them seemed only a short step from being mad as hatters. In any case, out came the first course. It too was a soup, but more of a fetid green color. As the bowl hit my plate, the odor coming off it was identical to that blast one gets on first opening a deer that was hit just a tad too far back. As I tentatively stirred it, a half-fist sized piece of something floated to the surface liberally equipped with various bits of valves, veins and other plumbing. Even my old Rhodesian light infantryman friend shoved his chair back from the table a bit. The next evening, at his insistence, we thankfully had chicken. I couldn't bring myself to try a spoonful (nor could my son or our PH), but I suspect even it was better than liver.

 

[Jörg Krüger]

Peri - Peri chicken livers on toast wirh baked over cheese is the next best thing

 

[Firebird]

Grass fed beef is a joke all by itself. Three months before slaughter cows you sstart graining them and the meat gets real pretty and marbled and tastes amazing.

We used to raise a couple hundred meat chickens every year. As a small boy it was my job to pull and prep hearts and gizzards. We ate them crock potted in cream of mushroom sauce over rice. They were excellent.

I have hauled untold livers off the mtn for my mother in law who loves them. I won’t eat it rich in iron or otherwise!

The butchery we visited in grahamstown SA sold shrink wrapped “organs” still identifiable as well as bones under clear plastic wrap. I commend those who eat and love them but I do not.

 

[Trogon]

I like to first fry about 8 ounces of bacon, sauté cut onion rings in the grease, then treat floured liver slices the same way.
Bison was some of the best liver I've had, beef is my usual. My older brother learned how to cook it years ago from a chef at a nightclub he worked at through college. Our mother made it terribly. The family cat loved liver night for dinner!

 

[Jörg Krüger]

My buddy has a ranch in the lower northern cape with a little cattle on in. They taste terrible but strange enough the game taste nice

 

[MarkB]

I have never eaten anything I did not like. King fruit, fishing bait, dog, cat, baboon and organ meat included. As a young kid on our farm my job was feeding the cats, no can food, cooked "animal" livers, organ meats, one piece for cat, two for me got me a clout from Mum many times. Stuffed heart from Zim buff was amazing as was fried liver and onions in many a safari camp. Even serval last summer.

As to the Op, I would not waste good fresh liver to a dehydrator. Grass fed anything ranks as pure BS, just like dolphin safe tuna. My suggestion, while on safari=hunt, immerse in Africa, no need for a dehydrator in Africa. Let those who like organ meat consume it and when home find a local "health food store" for liver capsules.

MB

 

[browningbbr]

Another option: You can make braunschweiger out of any edible livers. The best (mildest) that I have made was from calves' liver, but venison liver is usually just as mild. Liver sausage uses the same procedures and materials, but has a different spice profile.

Several years ago, I posted articles on AH outlining carcass prep, butchering and several kinds of meat processing. I don't remember if it included braunschweiger manufacturing as well. Take a look. If you cannot find it, I can try looking in my recipe books for procedures. Spice mixes can be obtained online or at the larger sporting goods stores.

PS: I managed multiple USDA inspected meat slaughter and processing plants in my 30+ year career. Two of which produced 20,000 lbs of braunschweiger daily. I'm not new to this subject.

 

[Velo Dog]

Fellow Hunters,

This thread is at least as entertaining as some of the posts in the Humor related thread/s.
With that, honorable mention goes especially to the posts that Red Leg and rnovi submitted on Page 1 and Red Leg again herein on Page 3.
I'm still chuckling like a teal duck as I write this.

Meanwhile, I’m not bright enough to know what health benefit liver has that regular red meat / muscle tissue does not already provide.
Either way, one look at me would tell you that I will eat pretty much anything.
That said, beef liver is not very good IMO, no matter how it’s prepared.

However, goose liver (duck as well) properly made into pate’ is simply wonderful on crackers or toast.
It is also amazingly easy and fast to make.
Well, other than the extended time it needs to chill in the fridge prior to consumption.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

 

[Jörg Krüger]

How about our German/ European members chime in with Leberkäse. @VertigoBE this is you to shine with your new culinary skills

 

[Phil Giordano]

Fresh deer liver and onions, nothing better.

Add 2/3 laurel leaves during cooking

 

[Nyati]

How about our German/ European members chime in with Leberkäse. @VertigoBE this is you to shine with your new culinary skills

Despite its name, Leberkäse does not have any liver or cheese in it, it is just pork meat.

Anyway, no liver for me, except in pâté and foie gras .

 

[C.W. Richter]

Eland liver is the BEST! Consider having someone make (or DIY) liverwurst out of it!!! High in Vits A, B, and C (lol and 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of Cholesterol!) There's a newer, no chemical preservatives method to make it involving hot water and the usual salts and spices, but you have to eat it within a reasonable period of time. It can be frozen.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Building upon a theme touched upon by Red Leg, my son once got very bad food poisoining from spoiled calf liver. IF ever you should cook liver (or any other meat) and it arches up (resembling a saddle or potato chip) or down depending upon what side is being cooked-THROW IT AWAY! A hard lesson learned (even by Dad sitting on the sidelines watching just how sick he became.) But yes, Let's Eat!

 

[Gemsbok45]

A couple of slices of impala liver with eggs for breakfast. Yep!

 

[Jörg Krüger]

Despite its name, Leberkäse does not have any liver or cheese in it, it is just pork meat.

Anyway, no liver for me, except in pâté and foie gras .

That one I knew. Just enticing our Belgium friend. And yes Leber Wurst Fine/Grob on a hot toast is nice

 

[Jörg Krüger]

This is the funniest thread though on this site. Well done

 

[Trogon]

Another option: You can make braunschweiger out of any edible livers. The best (mildest) that I have made was from calves' liver, but venison liver is usually just as mild. Liver sausage uses the same procedures and materials, but has a different spice profile.

Several years ago, I posted articles on AH outlining carcass prep, butchering and several kinds of meat processing. I don't remember if it included braunschweiger manufacturing as well. Take a look. If you cannot find it, I can try looking in my recipe books for procedures. Spice mixes can be obtained online or at the larger sporting goods stores.

PS: I managed multiple USDA inspected meat slaughter and processing plants in my 30+ year career. Two of which produced 20,000 lbs of braunschweiger daily. I'm not new to this subject.

Braunsweiger makes for an excellent sandwich-
good rye bread, coarse ground mustard (Woebber's here in Ohio, or the Amish offerings),
and some sliced red onion. Great lunch with a lager. Crackers as well for an appetizer.

 

[dchamp]

I love liver!
#1. Fresh goose liver sautéed in butter and finished in a raspberry sauce.
#2 Goose or duck pate
#3 Good ol' liver and onions the way mom use to make it.
#4 Kudu liver ceviche, had this in Namibia the day my son got his Kudu. It was a little crunchy but O'so delicious.
#5 Liverwurst, makes yummy sandwiches

I've had packaged dehydrated calves or cow liver. My daughter came across it somewhere and gave it to me. It was just ok.

I think the only liver I've turned down was the liver from a freshly gutted Dollyvarden sea trout in Skagway Alaska when I was 16. The Eskimo kid I was fishing with gobbeled down though.

 

[Rickmt]

Gag me with a stick!

 

[Neil Molendyk]

Limpopo 2018, 41" sable. The PH, camp cook and tracker said they would try it, maybe? My son would prepare the main course. Sliced thin, soaked in salt water to draw out any blood, then soaked in a baggie full of 3% milk in the fridge for three days, oops, it was supposed to be only one day. Breaded with flour, then fried in a pan with butter, and served with fried onions and bacon. The PH, cook and tracker couldn't believe the delicacy of the liver and there wasn't a morsel left after supper.