Beef Liver

About this cut

Liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat, which is why generations of families ate it weekly without needing to be talked into it. Ours comes from our own Black Angus.

It's also the organ that does the most work. What an animal takes in over its life shows up in its liver far more than it shows up in a steak, which is why how that animal was raised matters more here than almost anywhere else. Ours never received hormones, vaccines or antibiotics, and they ate hay and grain we grew ourselves.

Good for

Soak the slices in milk for an hour first, which takes the edge right off. Then a hot pan, a spoonful of bacon fat, and onions cooked down slow and sweet. Two or three minutes a side, no more. Overcooked liver is where the bad reputation came from.

From our kitchen

Liver has a bad name because most people have only ever had it overcooked.

Soak the slices in milk for an hour first; it pulls the sharp edge right off. Then a hot cast iron pan with a spoonful of bacon fat, and onions cooked down slow until they're nearly jam before the liver goes in. Two or three minutes a side and not a second more. Mashed potatoes and something green alongside, and the whole plate comes together in about twenty minutes once the onions are done.

Storage

Arrives frozen and vacuum sealed, and keeps about a year in the freezer. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, or quick thaw it in a bowl of cold water. Once it's thawed, keep it in the fridge and cook it within 2 to 3 days.