It was no surprise Canadians do not like liver. Not after that first [and last] liver dish at a good restaurant. I could not even look at my plate let alone touch it after the waiter put down that bloody liver in front of me. Blood pooled on the top and the entire plate was swimming in thick blood. Canadians don’t know how to cook liver? After that experience, I never took a chance on liver at a restaurant.
I always liked liver. It had this magic medicinal aura around it. You see liver was not available in communist Hungary to city people and the only time we could have it was at a restaurant. So I always ordered liver whenever I had the chance. I don’t know where they took the liver, probably to the same place all palatable beef went back in the days.
Eventually I learned to cook liver. It wasn’t easy, I didn’t know you cannot put salt on it. The recipe book didn’t say you must salt the liver on your plate or else you are cooking shoe leather. Eventually I figured it out or perhaps I asked someone for the reason why the more I cook liver the tougher it gets. So that is the first thing, don’t salt liver before serving. Cut out all the membranes, before cooking so cutting the liver into strips is the most economical way, because you can use up all the little bits that result from cutting out the membranes. One more thing, don’t wash liver like other meats, just wipe it with paper towels.
I have two great liver dishes. Today I made the first one. I haven’t made it for years, not since my darling’s heart attack. I thought, to heck with the cholesterol we deserve a little liver. Here it is.
SAUTÉED LIVER STRIPS
500 g beef liver2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp marjoram
ground pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Hungarian paprika
1/4 cup red wine or water
Do NOT salt liver during cooking
• Wipe the liver with paper towels.
• Cut out the membranes with kitchen sheers. Turn each peace over to check for membranes. Sat aside the membrane free pieces and discard the membranous bits.
• Slice the onion very thin.
• In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
• Add the sliced onions and sauté until translucent.
• Meanwhile slice the liver into thin strips using a chef’s knife.
• When the onions are ready, add the liver strips.
• Sprinkle with marjoram and ground pepper.
• Gently stir and cook until the liver strips are white.
• Stir in the Hungarian paprika and add the red wine or the water.
• Continue to slow-cook the liver and the onions until the liquid is a reduced by half.
• Serve immediately with boiled potatoes.
• If the liver is on a serving bowl, do not salt it yet. The leftovers can be heated later, but not if the dish has been salted. Salt the liver on the individual plates only.
