http://www.MelJoulwan.com/2012/04/17/beef-liver-with-parsley-onions-lemon/

There was a lot of talk at PaleoFX about the nutritional benefits of liver (Liver: nature’s most potent superfood), but that’s not the only reason I cooked it recently.

For months, a package had taunted me from the freezer in the studio where we keep our Meat Stash™. Wrapped in white paper, the package was about 4×16 inches, maybe half an inch thick. A piece of masking tape said “Beef Liver” in black Sharpie. Whenever I went in the freezer for wild boar ribs or Lava Lake ground lamb or grassfed ground beef, that little package practically gave me the finger and said, I know you’re scared of me.

So I did what any reasonable person would do: I picked it up and literally buried it under the other packages of frozen meat.

Because that white-wrapped package was right! I was a little scared of it.

I’d never cooked beef liver in my life, and I really didn’t know what to do with it. I’m a big fan of chicken livers (especially crispy, spicy ones), and I remember eating beef liver at my dad’s restaurant when I was a kid. But somewhere along the way to almost-44, I got squeamish about beef liver. I was concerned that inside that package, I would find a giant organ. I was worried about the texture once it was cooked. And honestly, handling raw liver from any animal is not on my list of favorite things to do.

But everyone was so adamant at PaleoFX that liver is a big deal — and my ego couldn’t really deal with that thin, white-wrapped package getting the best of me. I turned to Cook’s Illustrated for guidance and, as always, Chris Kimball‘s gang did not let me down. I basically followed their recipe for sautéed liver with just three minor changes: I cut the amount of total fat in half because their measurements seemed excessive to me; I swapped ghee and coconut oil in for their recommended butter and olive oil; and I doubled the amount of parsley.

The results were very, very good. My grassfed, local beef liver was mild, sweet, and tender — and the parsley-onions, with just the right touch of lemon, are a bright, welcome contrast to the dark, richness of the liver. If you’re at all curious about trying beef liver, I think this is a good entry-level recipe, and bonus! it takes very little time and no major cooking skills to prepare.

And see? It just looks like lovely meat. Sorry to be so judgmental, beef liver!

Beef Liver With Parsley-Onions & Lemon

Serves 2-4 | Prep 5 minutes| Cook 15 minutes| Whole30 compliant

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Italian Classics “Sautéed Calf’s Liver and Onions”