Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak liver in milk before cooking? ›

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.

Traditionally, cooking liver requires slicing it into strips or diagonal slices that can cook quickly, helping minimize the risk of overcooking the meat. If you overcook liver, it will develop a tough and grainy texture.

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.

Heat bacon fat in a pan over medium-high heat. Place the liver in the pan once the bacon fat is heated. Flip each piece until golden brown all over and internal temp reaches 145 degrees F. In a separate pan, cook the sliced onion for 10-15 minutes.

Do not wash or rinse raw meat or poultry before you cook it. Washing can cause bacteria found on the surface of meat or poultry to be spread to ready-to-eat foods, kitchen utensils, and counter surfaces. This is called cross-contamination. Rinse fruits and vegetables before eating.

Most likely it was previously frozen and not thawed out sufficiently. Liver should be fresh and cooked on a relatively high heat.

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.

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.

You don't need to dredge the liver in flour before you cook it, but some recipes will feature doing this - it's a personal preference.

How do you get the gamey taste out of beef liver? ›

There are ways however to diminish the strength of liver flavor by soaking it in whole milk (raw preferred!), apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice. For many recipes, you may decide to thinly slice your liver before soaking it. You need probably 1/8 to 1/4 cup of acid. You want to soak the liver for 30 to 90 minutes.

The key is to slice and soak the liver; the soaking removes the pungent taste. After soaking, the liver is battered, fried, and dipped in garlic aioli -- it's a crowd-pleasing, crunchy preparation. Enjoy! Beef liver fry dipped in garlic aioli.

Soaking liver in milk or buttermilk is optional. It's not necessary if the liver is fresh and of high quality. Soaking is done to make the flavor less "gamey" and to tenderize the meat. The lactic acid in buttermilk (and milk) tenderizes protein.

If your liver is sliced, trim the edges (and any tubes within). If whole, get a finger underneath the membrane (start with the flat-side up) and pull it away while holding down the liver. After the membrane has been removed, the liver is likely to stick to towels. Rub a little oil over the surface to avoid this.

Here's why: A steak that marinates in an acidic or enzymatic liquid too long, such as citrus juice or cola, becomes tough or mushy. But the acid in milk is so mild that you can soak beef in it long enough to tenderize it effectively, without damaging the proteins on the surface.

One of his key tips is to soak the liver in something acidic such as lemon juice. After it's done soaking, pat the liver dry with clean paper towels and cook it however you'd like. Soaking liver in an acid can help cut down on some of the metallic or “iron” taste common in beef and lamb liver.

Soak chicken livers in milk for up to a couple of hours to help remove any strong flavors. Place livers in a colander and rinse under cold water; discard milk. Cut each liver in half.