Newbie to cooking offal, looking for any tips at all!

terrimolo

Hi,
I've never actually cooked with offal (i'm assuming that is the collective name for all sorts of bits of the insides of animals?) I've never eaten it, not even kidneys. I tried oxtail on holiday in Spain, and it tasted ok. Anyway, I'm looking to save money, and although I eat veggie meals half the time, meat does (like everyone) cut way into my budget. I saw some Italian chef on TV today cook a soup called Soffrito, and it looked like something I could eat.

I live on my own and only have to feed myself, I'm willing to try pretty much anything, in fact I find trying new food pretty exciting, even if I don't like it; I don't feel like I've wasted money as I enjoy the cooking, and at least then I know I dont like it, for future reference!

Anyway, I am looking to try all the bits, such as heart, kidneys, liver, oxtail, even trotters etc. I was hoping some people could help me out, maybe by suggesting some recipes that can ease me into cooking these. Or maybe telling me how to cut up or cook simply these cuts of meat. Do these cuts taste good, or do they have to be cooked in a special way?

Basically, any tips or advice at all would be terrific!! Thanks in advance!!

Pink.

Hi terrimolo,

These older threads may help:

offal - cheap and definitely old style

Cooking Heart????

Help! Which liver is the best?

Liver recipe needed

cheaper cuts of meat

Pink

Jonesya

I'd say try to get offal as fresh as possible, particularly kidneys and liver as they spoil quickly - although it should technically be good until the use-by date I wouldn't buy it unless it still has several days to the use-by date and even then try to cook it same day/next day. Oh and buy good quality - organic if they've got it.

Devilled kidneys are very nice - there's lots of recipes online.
Heart is good but you need to trim it and get the cooking right otherwise it can be very tough.

Stephen_Leak

IMHO, offal is some of the best bits of any animal. It is just that people are squeamish about it being recognisable bits.

Simple liver and bacon or liver and onion, a baked potato with a kidney in the middle (an intriguing mix of cookery and keyhole surgery), braised stuffed lambs heart, a simple oxtail stew or even DIY oxtail soup.

The only offal recipe I've got, to offer as a welcome to MSE, is this one ...

LIVER PATÉ

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

250g of either frozen chicken livers or pigs liver
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of butter
½ a teaspoon of mixed herbs
Ground pepper to taste

DEFROSTING

If using frozen chicken livers, defrost them. This takes 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.

METHOD

Peel the onions and chop them into tiny pieces. Peel the garlic and chop it into tiny pieces.

Put the butter into a saucepan on a low heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until they are soft. Add the liver and herbs. Cook gently for 10 minutes, mashing it together with a wooden spoon to check that it is cooked through.

Put everything into a bowl and mash it together until it is spreadable and to your taste. Season with the pepper.

Serve cold on hot buttered toast.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Add 1 tablespoon of sherry when the liver is nearly cooked through.

TIPS

If you cook liver on too high a heat, it will turn out like rubber. This can be frozen and will keep in the fridge for a day.

suki1964

One bit of advice, if you are looking at liver then find a butcher or butcher counter and just ask for a couple of thin slices. A packet from the supermarket, although cheap, will have enough liver in it to feed a hungry family