Beef offal is no less useful than the meat itself, and some even surpass it in the content of vitamins and other elements necessary for the body. These by-products include beef liver. It can be the basis of a variety of dishes, including diet, as its energy value is low. It can be fried, stewed, boiled. However, before you start cooking, it does not hurt to learn how to cook beef liver so that it is not tough.
To make the dish soft and juicy
High quality of initial products and exact observance of technology of their preparation invariably guarantee good results. Knowing how to choose and cook beef liver, you probably will not spoil it, but get a tasty and healthy dish.
- The liver can be bought both chilled and frozen. There will be no significant difference between the prepared dishes. However, it is necessary to thaw the liver properly in this case: it must be thawed in the refrigerator so that a sharp temperature drop is not allowed.
- Preference in buying should be given to the extreme, rather than the central pieces of the liver, since there are fewer films and vessels in them.
- Fresh beef liver has a sweet smell. If it is sour, it is better to refrain from buying.
- Veal liver is softer than beef and cooks faster. It can be recognized not only by the size of the piece, but also by its consistency, color: the calf is a little lighter and more loose. Liver from an old cow requires the use of additional measures to increase its softness.
- Any liver during preparation must be cleaned of films, vessels, and, of course, rinsed.
- Beef liver will be softer, if soaked for an hour in milk or sprinkled with soda, let it soak for 20 minutes, rinse well.
- If you overdo the liver in a pan or pan, it will be tough. Therefore, do not exceed the cooking time indicated in the recipe. When cooked, it is usually 20-40 minutes, while roasting 6-10 minutes, while stewing - 10-15 minutes. The heat treatment time depends not only on the method of preparation, but also on the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the product itself (the size of the piece, its density, the age of the cow, the presence of pre-soaking).
- So that the liver is not hard, salt it should be just a few minutes before readiness. Salt contributes to a better separation of moisture, so if you salt the liver at the very beginning, it will quickly lose fluid and become dry, hard.
The technology of preparation of the liver may have its own characteristics, depending on the chosen method of heat treatment, a specific recipe.
How to cook boiled beef liver
Composition:
- beef liver - 0.5 kg;
- carrots - 100 g;
- onions - 150 g;
- parsley root (optional) - to taste;
- garlic (optional) - 2 cloves;
- black pepper peas - 10 pcs .;
- allspice peas - 10 pcs .;
- salt - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Liver wash, peel off the films (when preparing a boiled liver, the films can be removed after). Cut into 5 pieces.
- Fold the liver pieces into a saucepan with enough water.
- Peel the carrots, cut them into 2-3 pieces, put them in a saucepan.
- Place the peeled, but not cut, onions, other components besides salt.
- Put on medium heat, bring to a boil.
- Remove the foam, reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove the liver from the broth, cool.
Boiled liver is most often used for making salads, filling for pancakes or pies, pate.
Boiled liver pate
Composition:
- boiled beef liver - 0, 3 kg;
- carrots - 50 g;
- onions - 50 g;
- salt, spices - to taste;
- butter - 50 g.
Method of preparation:
- Boil the vegetables.
- Cook the boiled liver according to the above recipe. Cut each piece into several more pieces.
- Crank the liver with vegetables through a meat grinder or chop them with a blender.
- Using a blender or mixer, mix the resulting mass with butter.
- Give the pate the desired shape and cool.
Pate can be eaten by spreading it on bread. These sandwiches are suitable for breakfast or for a snack during the day.
How to fry beef liver
Composition:
- beef liver - 0.5 kg;
- wheat flour - how much will leave;
- bulb onion - 0, 2 kg;
- vegetable oil - how much will leave;
- salt, pepper - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Liver wash, remove film and streaks. Cut into pieces of approximately the same size with a thickness of 1 cm. The pieces should be approximately the same as for chops, or slightly smaller.
- Heat the oil in a pan.
- In a large bowl, sift flour (about a glass). Put the pieces of the liver into it, roll them in flour.
- Put the liver in a frying pan, fry for 2-3 minutes on each side. After the liver is fried on one side and turned upside down, it should be slightly salted and pepper.
- Put the prepared liver in a plate.
- Cut the peeled onion into small rings or half rings. Fry them in the same pan, on which the liver was fried, until golden brown. Sprinkle the onion with the finished liver and serve.
To the liver, fried according to a simple recipe, you need to submit a side dish and sour cream sauce, with garlic.
How to put out the liver in sour cream (liver in a Stroganov's style)
Composition:
- beef liver - 0.5 kg;
- onions - 150 g;
- sour cream - 150 g;
- flour - 70 g;
- salt, pepper - to taste;
- vegetable oil - how much will leave.
Method of preparation:
- Wash the beef by-product, clean it of films and streaks, cut into bars like meat for beef stroganoff.
- Dip the liver pieces in flour.
- Peel and chop the bulbs.
- Heat oil in a pan, put onion and liver in it. Cook them on medium heat for 30 minutes.
- Salt, pepper, put sour cream in the pan. Stir.
- Reduce heat, simmer, covered, for 7-9 minutes.
There is no need for a sauce for such a dish, so only a side dish will remain.
How to extinguish the liver in portions
Composition:
- beef liver - 0.5 kg;
- onions - 0, 2 kg;
- pitted prunes - 100 g;
- vegetable oil - how much will leave;
- dry red wine - 75 ml;
- salt, black pepper - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Onion cut into rings and fry in boiling oil, put on a plate.
- Cut the liver into portions, put in a pan with boiling oil and fry on both sides over medium heat, giving each side 3 minutes.
- Place fried onion, soaked prunes in water in a pan to the liver.
- Pour in the wine, add salt and pepper.
- Cover the pan with a lid, reduce heat.
- Simmer the liver for 10-12 minutes.
Served with a side dish. Prunes helps to emphasize the delicate taste of the liver, so that it turns out not only soft, but very tasty.
How to cook beef liver with honey
Composition:
- beef liver - 0.5 kg;
- onions - 0, 2 kg;
- honey - 20 ml;
- soy sauce - 80 ml;
- potato starch - 30 g;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- tomato paste - 20 ml;
- vegetable oil - how much will leave;
- water - 125 ml;
- salt, pepper - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Liver wash, free from films, vessels. Cut into bars with a length of about 5 cm, a width of 2 times less.
- Dip the liver in starch.
- Peel and cut onions into small cubes, fry it in vegetable oil for 5 minutes.
- Add liver to the onion, fry it with it, stirring occasionally, 7-9 minutes.
- While the liver is being fried, you can make the sauce by mixing tomato paste, soy sauce, honey and water.
- Fill the liver with sauce, stew with it for 10 minutes.
- Crush the garlic and add it to the dish. Salt and pepper, mix the liver.
- Cook for another 2-3 minutes under the lid.
Beef liver prepared according to this recipe is recommended to be served with vegetable salad.
Even a novice cook can cook tasty and tender beef liver. At the same time cooking does not take much time.
