A Chinese friend told me that there is no word for "offal" in Chinese.
Beef liver..
- Thread starter Kayelle
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pepperhead212
Executive Chef
That's interesting, TL. I guess it's just another meat to them.
I've tried just about every organ meat out there, and only one did I not like - beef kidney. My roommate in college and I were always trying just about anything, but some bad beef kidneys turned us against them. We tried something that was supposed to get rid of that urine taste and aroma, but it didn't work, suffice it to say. I still laugh when he tells the story about the smell from those, when I cooked them, being so bad that he was in the bedroom, with his head hanging out the window, to escape the smell. Even years later, when he lived around here, and we tried everything they had in the Asian market, we couldn't bring ourselves to try lamb or pork kidneys - supposedly milder than beef. Couldn't be better than the livers, so why try, we figured.
I've tried just about every organ meat out there, and only one did I not like - beef kidney. My roommate in college and I were always trying just about anything, but some bad beef kidneys turned us against them. We tried something that was supposed to get rid of that urine taste and aroma, but it didn't work, suffice it to say. I still laugh when he tells the story about the smell from those, when I cooked them, being so bad that he was in the bedroom, with his head hanging out the window, to escape the smell. Even years later, when he lived around here, and we tried everything they had in the Asian market, we couldn't bring ourselves to try lamb or pork kidneys - supposedly milder than beef. Couldn't be better than the livers, so why try, we figured.
I have cooked kidney. I don't remember if it was beef or pork. The fist time was a really pleasant surprise. I somehow avoided the urine smell, so I bought and cooked it again. That was an unpleasant surprise and it stank. I don't remember it being so bad that anyone needed to go get fresh air, but I never got around to cooking it again.
Linda0818
Head Chef
At least I know it's not just me with the calves liver thing. To me, it didn't really even taste like liver and when I want liver, I want that livery flavor.
CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
Kidney is definitely not on my list of things to try again. I had the same experience as Dave when my roommate and I cooked kidney in graduate school. Never again.
OP
OP
Kayelle
Chef Extraordinaire
I'm a butcher's daughter but even my Dad wouldn't have anything to do with beef kidney. Lamb kidney's are another story however. He taught me to make the most wonderful dish he called "Lamb Kidney Saute" that's made with lots of butter and Sauterne wine served over noodles. I haven't made it in many years.
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Linda0818
Head Chef
I think I tried kidneys once and I didn't really like it. It was a textural thing for me, if I remember correctly. I also recall a time where I was at a relatives house and an aunt of mine had made something called kidney pie. When she sliced into it for serving, I almost puked just looking at it. It was one of the most unappetizing things I've ever seen.
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
Kidneys are good in a soup, or in a pie, grounded and mixed with other meats. But to prepare it you have to boil it several times, rinse it and boil it again. Until you completely boil out the urine. it may take 3-4 or even 5 times. Then they are good.
Good to know. I had no idea they needed to be boiled several times. I must have been really lucky the first time I cooked them. And, yes, they were delicious.
Linda0818
Head Chef
Blech. Yeah. I'll pass
My husband used to say to me, anytime I was eating liver, "You are aware, I hope, that the liver is used to filter toxins. God only knows what's in that stuff."
OP
OP
Kayelle
Chef Extraordinaire
All kidneys should be soaked in a water vinegar mixture for at least two hours. The water/vinegar mixture should be changed about every half hour.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Your husband was aware, I hope, that a filter is not a storage unit. It prevents toxins from spreading throughout the body and sends them to the bladder and kidneys for excretion. I would be more concerned about the kidneys.Blech. Yeah. I'll pass [emoji38]
My husband used to say to me, anytime I was eating liver, "You are aware, I hope, that the liver is used to filter toxins. God only knows what's in that stuff."
Linda0818
Head Chef
I told him that, but he still thought it was nasty. I didn't care, though. I love liver and that's that!
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
And that's what's important! [emoji2]
Linda0818
Head Chef
*high five*
All my life I ate and LOVED liver and kidneys.
Kidneys was always cooked with red wine and mustard, with no variation in that recipe, but it was so good, nobody complained.
Liver was a different matter. We had some variation between calf and beef liver, all cooked with wine and onions like in this recipe :
https://youtu.be/Pi2ATbImjLo
Calf liver was more appreciated as it was more tender than beef, but not as strong as beef. So it all depends of each one's taste buds.
Through most of my life, I always included rich flavored and iron packed liver diet.
until last year.
As I am preparing for retirement (in 10 years from now), I decided to raise rabbits, for a whole year, trying to have an understanding and first hand knowledge of the little fury things.
During that trial a error time, I had the opportunity to eat what I was raising. To my surprise, I discovered the most delicate and tasty livers and kidneys of all time.
You have to understand, rabbits are dispatcher around 14 weeks old. That makes all of the rabbit meat and insides super tender.
Yes, the kidneys are very small, but rabbits are dispatched in bunch (an entire litter at a time). So you got plainty of kidneys to serve for lunch. And rabbit livers are huge. It's easy to have some for your meal and enough left over to make pâté.
Liver all the way
Kidneys was always cooked with red wine and mustard, with no variation in that recipe, but it was so good, nobody complained.
Liver was a different matter. We had some variation between calf and beef liver, all cooked with wine and onions like in this recipe :
https://youtu.be/Pi2ATbImjLo
Calf liver was more appreciated as it was more tender than beef, but not as strong as beef. So it all depends of each one's taste buds.
Through most of my life, I always included rich flavored and iron packed liver diet.
until last year.
As I am preparing for retirement (in 10 years from now), I decided to raise rabbits, for a whole year, trying to have an understanding and first hand knowledge of the little fury things.
During that trial a error time, I had the opportunity to eat what I was raising. To my surprise, I discovered the most delicate and tasty livers and kidneys of all time.
You have to understand, rabbits are dispatcher around 14 weeks old. That makes all of the rabbit meat and insides super tender.
Yes, the kidneys are very small, but rabbits are dispatched in bunch (an entire litter at a time). So you got plainty of kidneys to serve for lunch. And rabbit livers are huge. It's easy to have some for your meal and enough left over to make pâté.
Liver all the way
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