Liver: The Forgotten Superfood

This incredibly nutritious meat offers those who eat it an impressive vitamin count in just a few bites

Liver is the quintessential nutrient-dense food, rich in vitamins and minerals that help our bodies achieve their maximum genetic potential.Timolina/Shutterstock

Up to World War II, most Americans ate liver regularly; doctors told moms to prepare liver for their families once a week, particularly to prevent anemia.

Last week, we discussed how Dr. Weston A. Price toured many cultures around the world with a focus on so-called “primitive” people who lived largely by hunting and gathering. These people hadn’t yet adopted diets that included significantly processed ingredients, such as refined sugars and grains.

Every single healthy population that Price studied ate liver—whether fish liver, shark liver, bird liver, or animal liver. That was a part of the animal that never went to waste. In fact, many groups considered liver to be a sacred food, especially important for men and women before conception, for women during pregnancy and lactation, and for children during the period of growth.

Modern science validates this practice because we now know that liver is the quintessential nutrient-dense food, rich in vitamins and minerals that help our bodies achieve their maximum genetic potential.

Red meat, while containing far more nutrients than apples or carrots, (and 5 and 8 times as many calories per 100 grams, respectively) only rivals liver in its zinc content. When it comes to phosphorus, iron, copper, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, folic acid, biotin, and vitamin B12, liver is a true powerhouse. And consider vitamin A! There’s no true vitamin A in plant foods and only a trace of it in red meat.

In fact, liver is the true budget food. You can get as much B6 and B12 from one serving of liver per week as from eating red meat at every meal, a diet that could raise certain health risks for some people.

Probably the most important thing you can do to put your diet on the right track is to start eating liver—somehow, some way. To many, this will seem a daunting task, but there are several ways to achieve this goal, even for those with delicate taste buds.

What about the argument that we should avoid liver because toxins are stored there? Not true! Liver isn’t a storage organ. Nevertheless, any part of an animal will contain residual toxins from food and water. Do your best to find liver from grassfed animals and pastured poultry, but rest assured, any liver will support your own body’s ability to deal with toxins. If your only choice is the supermarket, calves liver is your best choice. In America, all cattle start out on the open range, so calves’ liver will be mostly grass-fed.

Meal Ideas to Eat More Liver

If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to eating more liver, these ideas could get you started.

Fried Liver and Onions

For those who actually like the taste of liver, there’s fried liver with bacon and onions.

• Soak calves liver in milk or lemon juice for a few hours before cooking, to remove any bitter taste.
• Dry well and dredge in unbleached white flour mixed with seasonings (salt, pepper, cayenne).
• Fry several pieces of bacon and set aside; then fry the liver in the hot bacon fat.
• Set aside in a warm oven while you sauté the onions in the remaining fat. Serve the liver with the bacon and onions on top—delicious!

Liverwurst Sandwiches

This simple option provides a quick dose of liver with ease and includes other nutritious organ meats. It’s a great entry point for many people unaccustomed to liver. It hardly requires a recipe, simply add liverwurst and thinly sliced onion to bread. Some people like them with cream cheese.

Liver ‘Pills’

This is a quick and easy way to eat liver without even chewing it. It’s handy for people that really don’t like the taste.

• Cook up some liver, and cut it into small pea-sized pieces
• Freeze the pieces on a baking sheet so they don’t clump together.
• Scrape the pieces off a sheet and keep in a bag in the freezer.
• Just swallow a few every day for a painless way of taking liver.

Liver Capsules

If you don’t feel like making your own liver “pills,” there are plenty of options on the market, including dried or desiccated liver powder in capsules. There are several brands of grass-fed liver capsules available.

Chicken Liver Paté Recipe

This is delicious on sourdough bread or crackers with a dollop of minimally sweetened jam on top. My daughter gives her boys paté and jam sandwiches for their school lunches.

This recipe for easy paté is a delicious way to get liver into your diet.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pastured chicken livers
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat, lard, tallow, butter, or olive oil
• ½ cup cooking brandy
• 1 cup good quality chicken broth (preferably homemade)
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and mashed
• ½ teaspoon dried mustard
• ½ teaspoon dried dill
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• several tablespoons softened butter
• unrefined salt to taste

Cooking Instructions

1. Dry the livers well and remove any membranes connecting the lobes of liver.
2. Brown on both sides in hot fat. Add brandy and chicken broth to the pan, along with garlic, mustard, dill, rosemary, and peppercorns.
3. Boil down until liquid is reduced by about half.
4. Process the livers and cooking liquid in a food processor, along with butter and salt to taste.
5. The paté should be fairly liquid—it will harden when refrigerated.
6. Divide between 3 or 4 ramekins. Cover and store in the refrigerator or freezer.
7. Serve on sourdough bread or butter with a dollop of minimally sweetened marmalade or another type of jam.