How to Get Started With Hidden Liver

When I resolved to start eating liver to replenish my nutrient stores after pregnancy and while breastfeeding, I was overwhelmed. I had heard about all the benefits of eating liver and understood conceptually that it could be hidden in our meals, but the practical aspects of adding it this much-maligned food to our diet left me with so many questions. How would we eat it without having to choke it down? If I only added a tiny bit of liver - superfood that it is - to our diets, would it even do us any good? Would my family eat it? Would I actually eat it? How on earth could we get started with hidden liver?!?

Spoiler alert: we ended up loving liver and eat it weekly now.

If you're sitting on the fence, thinking about adding liver to your diet, let me help you take the plunge.

10 Simple Steps to Get Started with Hidden Liver

1. Do your research to find your why. If you (and/or other members of your household) aren't keen to eat liver, make sure that you are armed with the knowledge that will give you the courage to take that first bite. There are so many benefits of eating liver! Consider that just one 100g serving contains 2941% of RDA for vitamin B12 (boosted energy, improved fertility, brighter mood), 1049% of the RDA for vitamin A (smoother skin, improved fertility, stronger immune system), and 1587% of the RDA for copper (stronger immune system, improved cognitive function) - and those are just a few of the benefits! Since it's packed with so many nutrients, even a tiny bit of liver will benefit you in more ways than a kale salad. In our family's experience, adding liver to our diet improved our health in more ways than we could imagine - including in ways that we didn't realize we needed to or even could improve!

2. Talk to everyone in your household. Yes, I call it hidden liver, but I do not encourage you to trick your husband or kids into eating it. This is where your research comes in handy - share it with them. Listen to their concerns and take them into consideration as you plan your first hidden liver meal. They may not be keen on it at first, but you will want to get them on board. If they end up enjoying the meal and crave it (because of all the nutrients from the liver that their bodies crave), wouldn't it be nice if they know why?

3. Decide which type of liver you want to try. I recommend starting with chicken liver because the flavor is more mild. However, beef liver has more nutrients, so perhaps you feel bold enough to start there. It may also depend on what is most accessible to you in your area.

4. Find a source for your liver. Liver is available in most supermarkets, but you may find higher quality liver for a better price from your local farmer or butcher! Go to your farmer's market and ask around - if they don't sell it, they may know someone who does. You can also call around. Don't give up! I called more than ten different farms and butcher shops before we found one that sold it (and other offal) for an incredible price.

5. Plan a meal that will hide the liver. I recommend a saucy, flavorful ground beef meal, like beef bolognese, chili, or chili mac & cheese. The ground beef's texture easily hides the small bits of liver and the flavorful sauce covers any potentially objectionable flavors. In fact, we've found that ground beef meals without liver don't taste as good anymore - they almost taste anemic!

6. Prepare the liver. Trim the thin membrane on the outside of the liver. The best way to do this is to slip a small paring knife under the outer membrane and slide it along the outside of the liver, peeling the membrane away. Also, cut away any arteries or veins that you can see. This is a bit more tricky, but just do your best with your paring knife to cut them away. Both the membrane and arteries/veins are tough when cooked and will not blend seamlessly with your meal.

   

7. Puree the liver. Toss it in a blender or food processor and give it a whirl. Blend until completely liquid.

   

8. Decide how much liver to add to your meal. Start slow - maybe a tablespoon or so per pound of ground beef (or less). Any liver will add nutrients, so it's not a bad idea to start small to build confidence. Then work your way up to whatever level you are comfortable with. We now like 1/4 lb. of liver per pound of ground beef, sometimes a bit more.

9. Add the liver to your meal. I've found that it's best to either cook it with the ground beef or right after. Make sure to stir it in well so that it doesn't clump. If you're using frozen pureed liver, I recommend thawing it completely first. The frozen liver seems to cook in a clump more readily than thawed liver.

10. Freeze any leftover liver. Pour the leftover pureed liver into a specially designated ice cube tray. Standard ice cube trays seem to hold about a tablespoon per cube. This is perfect for portioning when you're getting started!

And that's all - I hope you enjoy some hidden liver! What are your favorite meals to add hidden liver to?