Dish of Cajun Liver & Onions
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Cajun Liver & Onions


USA Louisiana Cajun
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 1-1/4 #
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Steps
Prep		 Liver and Onions are a standard pairing worldwide. This version (with some variations) is very popular in Cajun and Creole cuisines. As with any Liver recipe, the Liver must be cooked with care.

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Beef Liver (1)
-- Coating
Flour
Salt
Pepper
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Onion
Bacon Grease (2)
Cajun Seasoning (3)  
Water
-- Garnish
Parsley
-- Serve with
Steamed Rice 		Prep   -   (1-1/2 hours - 35 min work)
  1. Strip off the membrane covering parts of the LIVER and cut out major plumbing (see Peeling). The membrane makes it a bit chewy and the blood vessels are very chewy.
  2. Cut Liver into chunks of fairly even size. I make these about 1-1/2 inches on a side and the thickness of the slice of liver.
  3. Soak Liver in water to cover with 1 t Salt for 60 minutes - see Soaking. Drain very thoroughly.
  4. Slice ONIONS into fairly thick rings.
  5. Chop PARSLEY for Garnish.
Run   -   (20 min)
  1. Mix all Coating items and place them on a deep plate.
  2. I use a 3-1/2 quart sauté pan for this entire recipe. Heat 3 T Bacon Grease to about 330°F/165°C.
  3. Working in 3 batches, tumble chunks of Liver in the Coating to cover thinly. Fry tumbling until just very lightly browned. This will go very quickly. Remove and set aside. Be careful the flour in the coating doesn't get too brown, it's an important part of the recipe. The Liver will not be cooked though at this point.
  4. Make sure you have about 2 T Bacon Grease in the pan. Stir in a little Oil if you don't. Stir in Onions and fry stirring over moderate heat until they are a little browned (recipes vary a lot on this).
  5. Pour in Water and bring to a boil. Return Liver to the pan. Sprinkle in Cajun Seasoning and bring to a boil. Hold at a high simmer, tumbling a couple of times, until Liver is just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes is usually enough, depending on size of chunks. The sauce should be lightly thickened by now (it will get thicker as it cools).
  6. Serve hot with a good splash of the sauce and some of the onions (see Serving). Garnish with Parsley and accompany with steamed Long Grain Rice.
NOTES:

  1. Liver:

      The liver should be very smooth, evenly dark red and without defects. For details see our Beef Liver page.

  2. Bacon Grease:

      If you don't have this, you will have to use oil. I take some Bacon Slices, cut them in smallish pieces and fry in a pan until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp. Then I eat the Bacon.

  3. Cajun Seasoning:

      This can be purchased, but is much better made at home. See our very easy recipes Cajun Seasoning #2 and Creole Seasoning (they are pretty much interchangeable).

  4. Peeling:

      This is the hard part, but the membrane makes the Liver a little chewy. Best to cut the liver in half crosswise and start peeling from there. It is not easy to start a peel from the edges. Pry up the edge of the membrane, then peel pulling with one hand and using fingers of the other under the membrane to loosen it from the meat. This method is "official" but our livers come from rather young beefs and the membrane can be too weak. If so, then I get under it with a razor sharp boning knife and shave it off. This job is likely to take you 20 minutes or so.

  5. Soaking Liver:

      Most recipes say to soak the Liver in 2 cups Milk or Buttermilk. Others say water with juice of one lemon or 2 T vinegar. Some don't soak it at all, resulting in a stronger flavor. I use salt based on a recent scientific study in China that showed 1% Salt solution for 60 minutes was very effective - longer than 60 minutes was not as effective. This has proven successful for me.

  6. Serving:

      I keep the chunks at full size and serve with a fork and steak knife. They are fairly tender, but the knife allows cleaner cutting than trying to break them up with a fork.

  7. Health & Nutrition:

      Liver is extremely nutritious, and in some ways excessively nutritious, too much Vitamin A. It is recommended to not eat more than 1/2 pound a week, though I have survived a whole pound in just two days without issues. For details see our Beef Liver page.
  8. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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