Chicken gizzards anyone?
- Thread starter georgevan
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I've never eaten them outside of when a chicken or turkey was cooked and the gizzards were also cooked. As A kid my sister and I would fight over the gizzard on Thanksgiving morning.
I've have used chicken gizzards in a recipe for dirty rice.
I've have used chicken gizzards in a recipe for dirty rice.
Nope, nope, nope. I like chicken livers when cleaned and cooked properly, but the only thing I use gizzards for is stock.
I've never cooked them, but I believe they have to be cooked a long time to become tender, then you can bread and fry or whatever you planned use is.
I've never cooked them, but I believe they have to be cooked a long time to become tender, then you can bread and fry or whatever you planned use is.
Sir_Loin_of_Beef
Chef Extraordinaire
I, too, use chicken gizzards in dirty rice, because ground gizzards and chicken livers are original. The butcher at the supermarket doesn't mind grinding the livers, but hates it when I ask him to grind the gizzards for me because then he has to clean the grinder.
pepperhead212
Executive Chef
Wasn't that long ago I posted about a dish I make with them on the lunch thread:
www.discusscooking.com
They are always available cheap at the Asian markets, along with hearts, and I got some last time I was there. They were something I learned to eat as a kid, though they were always fried then (and VERY chewy!). Now I make them in either Chinese, or a Mexican sauce, which can be eaten in corn tortillas, and a couple of times I made them in a Thai curry sauce. Each way I've pressure cooked them, over an hour, like I did with the Chinese, to tenderize them, then cooked down, to thicken the sauce.
A friend I had - my roommate from college - would try all those offal that we could find in the Asian markets, and these, and the hearts were some of our favourites, along with livers. These have an irony flavor, as the stronger flavor, though not as much other strong flavor of livers. And these definitely have to be cooked for a long time, to get tender. Probably at least 3 hours, just simmering.
What have you had for lunch lately?
And yes, I had a hard time eating the whole thing but I managed to do it, down to the last bite!
www.discusscooking.com
They are always available cheap at the Asian markets, along with hearts, and I got some last time I was there. They were something I learned to eat as a kid, though they were always fried then (and VERY chewy!). Now I make them in either Chinese, or a Mexican sauce, which can be eaten in corn tortillas, and a couple of times I made them in a Thai curry sauce. Each way I've pressure cooked them, over an hour, like I did with the Chinese, to tenderize them, then cooked down, to thicken the sauce.
A friend I had - my roommate from college - would try all those offal that we could find in the Asian markets, and these, and the hearts were some of our favourites, along with livers. These have an irony flavor, as the stronger flavor, though not as much other strong flavor of livers. And these definitely have to be cooked for a long time, to get tender. Probably at least 3 hours, just simmering.
Last edited:
giggler
Sous Chef
I love them. Fried are the most popular. Any decent truck stop will have them. When fried for 10 minutes, they are tough. you need a full set of teeth.
When fried, they have a light internal organ flavor.
If you want them Tender. A slow cooker or pressure cooker for some hours will do it. but to me, they lose that nice flavor.
I have an old cookbook from the 50's.
Says, Carrouso, famous singer's favorite dish was Gizzards in Red sauce simmered for hours on spaghetti. Was his personal favorite dish!
Eric, Austin Tx
ps. All Birds have Gizzards. not just chickens. some are are just more large than others.
When fried, they have a light internal organ flavor.
If you want them Tender. A slow cooker or pressure cooker for some hours will do it. but to me, they lose that nice flavor.
I have an old cookbook from the 50's.
Says, Carrouso, famous singer's favorite dish was Gizzards in Red sauce simmered for hours on spaghetti. Was his personal favorite dish!
Eric, Austin Tx
ps. All Birds have Gizzards. not just chickens. some are are just more large than others.
Are not gizzards what do the chewing for toothless birds?
larry_stewart
Master Chef
Years ago, my wife and I went to this huge indoor/ outdoor farmers market about 20 miles outside of Philly. There was the one booth that sold gizzards cooked and ready to eat. The line to get these cooked gizzards was longer than any other line at the market. I remember there was one time we saw no line at all, so we walked up to the counter out of curiosity, and there was a sign posted " Sorry, no gizzards today". Se kinda got a kick out of the sign. We didnt something like gizzards would be such a popular item. Not sure how they cooked them (nor did I have any interest), but clearly what ever they did , must have been pretty good.
I have only eaten gizzards when a whole bird was cooked. I remember enjoying them and hearts when I was a kid. I thought they were a great snack, partly because they were so chewy. It made them last longer. I agree with the kid version of me.
After a meal at an older friend's place, I was asked how I liked the meat.
Honestly?, I said I thought it was a little strange and wondered about the perfect "hole" in it, a little chewy but acceptable, it just had a little off flavour to the beef. OK, edible but not something I would order again.
She had a good belly laugh and said it was beef heart and she didn't tell me as she didn't want to influence me. She was right - I would probably have liked it a lot less had I known.
Now, I'm more tolerant and will try most things, but in my younger years not so much.
Honestly?, I said I thought it was a little strange and wondered about the perfect "hole" in it, a little chewy but acceptable, it just had a little off flavour to the beef. OK, edible but not something I would order again.
She had a good belly laugh and said it was beef heart and she didn't tell me as she didn't want to influence me. She was right - I would probably have liked it a lot less had I known.
Now, I'm more tolerant and will try most things, but in my younger years not so much.
Marlingardener
Sous Chef
I like chicken gizzards and livers, just boiled in a bit of chicken stock and lightly salted.
I get really riled when I buy a whole chicken "with heart, gizzard, and liver" and get home to find an empty cavity. I have even complained to the store, and was told, "that's how they come from the supplier." The supplier is undoubtedly bumping up his profits by selling the parts separately!
I get really riled when I buy a whole chicken "with heart, gizzard, and liver" and get home to find an empty cavity. I have even complained to the store, and was told, "that's how they come from the supplier." The supplier is undoubtedly bumping up his profits by selling the parts separately!
Roll_Bones
Master Chef
Love them deep fried with Franks hot sauce.
A few years ago, I prepped and cooked the Thanksgiving Turkey for my family in my sister's kitchen. I searched that bird thoroughly and could not find that bag with the liver and gizzards in it. I even had my sister poke around to see if she could find it, but she couldn't either.
I cooked the turkey, let it rest, and carved it up. Sure enough, a few minutes into carving, I found that bag. I can't help thinking that employees at the processing plant hid that thing intentionally, just to mess with whoever cooked that turkey.
Oh, the bag stayed intact, and didn't melt, so it didn't ruin the turkey.
CD
Up here they are often packaged in a type of paper (I assume parchment). Where was it? In the neck cavity?
Yeah, it was in the neck cavity, and I poked around there looking for it. Somebody worked hard to stuff that thing in a place I couldn't find it.
CD
Vinylhanger
Sous Chef
I love deep fried gizzards. My teeth no longer do though. Used to be a staple in the local gas stations and deli's.
I could eat two pounds at a sitting. Dipped in sweet and sour. Yumm.
I may try doing them so they are soft. I miss them.
I could eat two pounds at a sitting. Dipped in sweet and sour. Yumm.
I may try doing them so they are soft. I miss them.
Wow, I'm surprised it isn't the other way around. I have ground raw liver and that certainly makes a bloody mess of the meat grinder. I don't remember grinding raw gizzards, but they don't start out as squishy, ready to make a mess as raw livers do.
I use extra chicken livers and ground pork, leaving out the gizzards, when I make dirty rice.
Our grocery sells frozen "chicken livers and hearts." We asked why the first time the label changed. Apparently, a customer bought a tub of frozen chicken livers and found 1, yes 1, heart, brought the tub back and threw a fit because of the heart. So, they now label it that way in case there is an oops at the processing plant.
I don't bother grinding or food processor-ing livers unless making a pate, just clean them, drain on paper towels, then attack with a chef's knife. The liver pieces will break down further in something like dirty rice.
Our grocery sells frozen "chicken livers and hearts." We asked why the first time the label changed. Apparently, a customer bought a tub of frozen chicken livers and found 1, yes 1, heart, brought the tub back and threw a fit because of the heart. So, they now label it that way in case there is an oops at the processing plant.
I don't bother grinding or food processor-ing livers unless making a pate, just clean them, drain on paper towels, then attack with a chef's knife. The liver pieces will break down further in something like dirty rice.
Linda0818
Head Chef
I love liver, but can't do the gizzards. I've tried them a couple of times, but nope. Tried chicken hearts as well. Don't like those either.
