Calf liver is pretty high on my list when it comes to nutrient density. It is loaded with vitamins and minerals.
When I nursed my babies, if my milk needed a boost, liver, was my go to source. Liver not only increased my milk supply, but gave my milk a buttery yellow color. I found I had more cream on top as well.
I serve my children calf liver for lunch, about once a month. Despite it’s strong taste, I have never had a major issue getting them to eat it. A favorite? Probably not. But for children, it is a very tender meat to chew and they are still developing tastes for things, so it is a taste to which they becoming accostome.
As a child my mom would cut liver into strips, roll it in cornmeal or flour and fry it in butter. We then would dip our liver in generous amounts of ketchup…shivering as we swallowed.
A dear motherly friend of mine from the former Yugoslavia taught me to soak liver a 6-24 hours in milk before cooking it.
That little trick makes a big difference in reducing the bitterness of the meat. So now, when I bring a package of liver home from the store, I usually open it up, and put it in a ziplock bag with some milk. After a day in the fridge, I drain the milk, potion out the liver for lunches and pop it in freezer bags. So it is ready to cook for lunch.
When I want to serve liver to my children, I put a pack of meat in the fridge first thing in the morning. By lunch, the liver has thawed, but not completly, making it the perfect consistancy to cut into strips. Then I fry the liver for about 7-10 minutes, in nearly a half stick of butter. I turn the meat a bit while it cooks to insure it is cooked on all sides. A bit of salt, and the meat is plated with some veggies.
When shopping for liver, it is also important not to confuse calves’ liver and cows’ liver. Liver from a calf is much more mild than an organ from a full grown creature.
Liver is a very inexpensive cut of meat and makes an easy to include for a nutritious lunch.
I like to serve liver in the winter. Served with a side of homemade saurkraut and broccoli that has been drenched in the same butter with a bit of salt and garlic makes an excellent immunity boost for my little people.
A serving of liver is so nutrient dense it is a complete multivitamin. And truly, it does not deserve the bad report. It can be cooked to be something delicious!