I have memories of choking down liver as a kid, trying to drown out the powerful taste with mountains of mustard, ketchup, and mashed potatoes. All the time, I promised myself that I would never eat it as an adult. I think this may be a familiar experience. Organ meat, with its strong taste and unique texture cause many of us, used to our industrialized modern diets, to avoid it completely.
Fast forward to today and organ meats are on my family’s menu at least once, sometimes even twice, a week. So what happened?
We have come to understand part of what I believe past generations knew intuitively - offal is a powerhouse of nutrients and health benefits that cannot be found anywhere else. Eating organs are incredibly affordable and can be part of the solution to food waste and modern food productions’ footprint and impact on the environment.
When a carcass is broken down, less than fifty percent of it is muscle meat. There are plenty more options than cuts we generally know so well – such as bones, skin, liver, heart, kidneys and other organs.
In the book ‘The Third Plate’ Chef Dan Barber explains a revolutionary moment he experienced after running out of grass-fed lamb chops early into one dinner service. Having spent the entire summer raising the lambs on his farm, only to run out of the choice cut halfway through one meal, he realized that picking and choosing optimal muscle meat is not sustainable way to feed people. In his book, he sketches out his vision of a sustainable food future which requires us, along with other things, to look at the often overlooked and neglected cuts of meat without cherry picking. Some of these cuts, such as organs, have incredible health benefits that we’d do well not to ignore. With a 2024 report indicating that more than 40% of food produced in Canada is wasted, paired with increasing food insecurity and environmental implications of commercial agriculture, tackling this issue becomes an important sustainability matter.
In years past, when our family direct marketed most of our farm raised meat, we consumed quite a large quantity of liver – simply because our customers didn’t want it. Because we knew the liver would be trashed if we didn’t consume it, we ate a lot. I won’t say we didn’t tire of it, but we grew to appreciate it for the benefit it offers.
Organ meat is incredibly nutrient dense and is sometimes even labelled as nature’s multivitamin. According to the website Healthline, organ meat contains many important minerals and fat-soluble vitamins. It offers a way to build and maintain muscle mass as it is a source of very high-quality protein. Additionally, organ meat, especially the liver, is among the best sources of choline, which is incredibly important for brain health. Pound for pound, organ meat is way more nutrient dense than muscle meat. And it is full of nutrients often lacking in our standard American diet, such as iron, phosphorus, zinc, and B vitamins.
Choosing offal is incredibly affordable as it often can be found at low prices. Add to that it’s high nutrient content, you don’t need a lot of it to reap the benefits. Purchase organs at your butchers’ counter or from a farmer who sells meat direct from the farm. You may need to specially request the organs you are looking for, as often they aren’t offered for sale simply because of lack of demand. If you order a whole beef, pig, or lamb from a farmer, make sure to specifically ask for the organs to be saved.
If you haven’t tried organ meat before, it can take some time to develop a taste. It may be best to start off with the more mildly flavoured organs like tongue or heart. If you dislike beef liver, try chicken or lamb to start with, as they tend to be more pleasantly flavoured. Making bone broth with the bones and skin can be a wonderful way to start. Explore old cookbooks for recipes from past generations. Google can help with this too. Finding recipes that your family enjoys can make a big difference to your experience. For example, our family enjoys breaded deep fried gizzards, tongue tacos, and kidney pie. Homemade liver sausage also gets good reviews from a few of us.
Eating more nutrient dense food as well as prioritizing sustainability is important journey for all of us to undertake. Since the beginning of time, offal has been included, even prized in the diet of many civilizations. I believe it’s time we develop some of our lost intuition. Trying offal takes some courage along with a sense of adventure and openness to new tastes, but you’ll find many rewards, such as a lowered grocery bill and an increasingly nutritious diet for your family. Try some new recipes and be patient as you develop this new habit.