unsung heroes of food - liver lovers unite!

welcome to the first of many issues where i’ll feature an obscure and misunderstood ingredient - one ingredient, two solid recipes, and lots of reasons to eat it.

LIVER?? This might be a ballsy early issue of Lovingly Made, but I beg you to hear me out on this one. It was going to happen anyway, so I’ll just step up on my soapbox now.

I only started eating liver when I was pregnant. I read this amazing book by Lily Nichols and took much of it to heart. At the time, I was studying for my Holistic Nutrition certification - with so much nutrition information bouncing around in my head, I felt very equipped to read and understand that book on a deeper level. Eating optimal foods during my pregnancy was very important to me, so I gave liver a shot and ended up falling in love with it. I’m a liver lover. 

Pregnancy aside, liver is a great food for everyone to include in their diet (as in your general way of eating, not something you do temporarily to “fix” something). Liver is such a nutrient-dense food that it’s often referred to as “nature’s multivitamin.” 

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Quick liver nutrition facts:

• vitamins: A, B-complex vitamins, C, D2, D3, E, K2

• minerals: iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, selenium, manganese, zinc

• USDA macronutrient profile (per 3 oz): 140 calories, 22g protein, 3.7g fat, 3.2g carbohydrates

• has generally more iron, vitamins, minerals than muscle meat

• high in cholesterol, but can generally be eaten in moderation

Health benefits:

• helps strengthen your immune system (vitamin A, zinc, selenium)

• can improve eye health (vitamin A)

• supports brain and nervous system health (B12 + B-complex, choline)

  • great for infants and young children, whose brains are developing rapidly

• good for athletic performance (B-complex)

• good for those who are prone to anemia (iron)

Extra benefits:

• sustainable: part of “use the whole animal” philosophy/long-standing human tradition

• budget-friendly: organ meats (offal) are generally less expensive than muscle meat ($5/lb for liver vs $20/lb for ribeye)

• need lower volume than muscle meat: so nutrient-dense, body doesn’t need to consume large amounts

Read this healthline article to get a more detailed look at all things liver. 

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Most people give me a very polite but confused look when I talk about how much I love liver and how incredibly healthful it is. My passion and conviction to help liver make a comeback knows no bounds. I think that liver is one of the most underrated proteins. It’s actually kind of a GOAT protein. Greatest of all time, not a real goat 🐐 - you just can’t beat the balance of macronutrients, the concentration of vitamins + minerals, and the price! My heart swoons.

Yes, the flavor can be intense and very metallic at times - but chicken liver has a much milder taste than beef liver, so I tend to use them more often and in a more exposed format. I actually don’t care for beef liver on its own, but it is a magical addition to meatballs. It takes a strong person to eat chunks of beef liver, and my hat is off to you.

One of the key methods to temper the metallic and earthy taste of liver is to include different types of spices - especially those that come from seeds, roots, and peppers. Cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, chili powder, cayenne. Alliums are also necessary, so include garlic and onion in some form fresh or powdered. Herbs that you use will depend on the cuisine inspiring the meal - my favorite cuisines to look towards include Middle Eastern and Mexican. 

The two recipes I have for you in this issue lean into the flavors mentioned above. They both have a similar vibe in that there is lots of flexibility to how you dress them up with garnishes, and that you eat them in folded or wrap form. They are recipes that I have strong positive associations with - shawarma and street tacos. For me, shawarma is such a comfort food and is good to have basically any time of year. And street tacos always mean a good time 🌮 

As far as time commitment goes for these recipes, the tacos are done in a cool 20-30 minutes and the shawarma meatballs require about an hour to get everything on the table.

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A true shawarma roasting spit is, um, hard to pull off at home, so I’ve translated the concept to fit a busy home kitchen by meatball-ifying it. I couldn’t think of a better way to say that.

before + after: we love a good meatball glow up 😍

SHAWARMA MEATBALLS

makes about *18 - 24 large meatballs

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef liver, **ground (or 1 lb + 1 egg)

• 2 lbs ground beef 

• 1 ½ cups fine breadcrumbs (add more if needed)

• 4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 3T shawarma spice blend

• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

• drizzle EVOO

• wrap it up 🥙:

  • flatbreads (pita / naan / large flour tortillas)

• garnishes:

  • chopped pickles (intense, but great)

  • pickled red cabbage 

  • sliced red onion

  • sliced tomato

  • chopped herbs (parsley / cilantro / mint)

  • greens (romaine / arugula / kale)

  • sauces 

    • Nicki Sizemore’s tahini sauce ❤️

    • Love and Lemons’ garlic yogurt sauce

    • Huy Fong chili garlic sauce

Directions

• preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat

• grind the liver into a large mixing bowl

  • I use my Kitchenaid attachment

• add the remaining ingredients and smash together with your hands until a homogenous mixture comes together

  • if needed, add more breadcrumbs and mix until combined

• wet your hands with cold water and form the mixture into 18 to 24 meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet

• put the meatballs in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a food thermometer reads 165F when placed in the center of the meatball

• slice into rounds and serve in your wrap of choice or over cooked rice with your desired garnishes

Notes:

• tsp = teaspoon ; T = tablespoon

• EVOO = extra-virgin olive oil

• *I offer the wide range of how many meatballs to make because everyone has a different idea of what their perfect meatball is - if you want to make even smaller meatballs, please adjust your baking time accordingly (smaller meatballs = less baking time)

• **grinding the liver can be done easily at home if you have the equipment I’ve mentioned, or you can ask your butcher to grind it

  • don’t worry, it’s supposed to look absolutely disgusting

• it’s going to be a sloppy, very unappetizing mess. you can get through this, I believe in you.

• freeze leftovers in a reusable freezer storage bag

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Am I telling you to make street tacos at home ASAP? Yes. Chicken liver street tacos. As if you needed an excuse to bring Taco Tuesday back into your life, this quick and easy weeknight family meal also makes a unique offering at a small gathering. 

from start to finish - pictures always help

CHICKEN LIVER TACOS

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken livers

• bacon grease/tallow/lard

  • non-animal substitution: avocado oil

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin

• 4T fresh oregano, finely chopped

  • or 1 ½ tsp dried oregano

• dash cayenne (optional)

• salt + pepper, to taste

• juice of 1 orange

• small-size corn tortillas

• garnish:

  • chopped cilantro 🌿 + white onion 🧅 

  • avocado chunks or guacamole 🥑 

  • your favorite Mexican style hot sauce or salsa 🌶️

  • pickled red onion 🫙

  • lime wedges 🍋‍🟩

Directions

• begin by placing your chicken livers in a single layer on a big plate

• pat livers dry with a paper towel

• heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat, melt your fat (bacon grease/tallow/lard/avocado oil) and lower the heat to medium high

• place the livers in a single layer in the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, enough to get a nice brown sear; lower the heat if needed to prevent blackening

• turn off the heat, remove the livers and place on a cutting board

• roughly chop the livers (there will still be some pink on the inside) to varying sizes (small crumbles to chunks - see photos above)

• turn the heat back up to medium, add a little more fat, and place the chopped livers back into the skillet

• cook until browned all the way through (there still might be some light pink parts, and this is ok)

• add the smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, optional cayenne, salt + pepper, and orange juice; stir to evenly coat 

• heat your tortillas according to the instructions on the bag (microwave for the win), get your garnishes ready in separate bowls

• spoon cooked livers onto tortillas and garnish as desired

Notes:

• tsp = teaspoon ; T = tablespoon

• this taco meat loves garnishes, so get chopping while the livers cook up in the skillet 

  • multitask only as much as your brain feels up to; it’s also just as valid to chop everything before you start cooking the livers, the overall mood will be much calmer

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Please join me in the Liver Lovers Club. You’ll get a package in the mail which includes a membership card, golden certificate, and free bumper sticker. In Liver We Trust.

From the bottom of my heart and liver, thank you for being here.

❤️Sarah