Best thing I've ever made

[Kaos]

I'm not much of a cook.  I do a fantastic dressing, I used to make really good ham and I can slap down a tasty breakfast casserole.  

The other night I decided to make something that's ridiculously hard to find on any menu, one of those things that nobody much will eat.   Liver and onions.  

If I can do it, it's got to be easy.  It was the best thing I've eaten in years, maybe. 

Here's what you do: 

Soak the liver in a bowl of whole milk for a couple of hours.  I did mine for four.  

Take two onions, cut into circles, sautee in an assload of butter (or oil if you want) until they get soft and start to brown.  Sit them aside. 

Take the liver out of the milk, pat it dry and then dip in a flour/pepper mix.  

Fry in the pan you used to cook the onions (more butter/oil).  When it starts to get brown throw the onions back in.  

Cook it to the level of of done that makes you happy.  Some people like it with a little pink, some like it done all the way through.  

If you like the stuff do this! 

[Snaggletiger]

[Kaos]

I get it.  Not everybody's tea pot.  

I got to tell you, though, soaking it in milk for a couple of hours takes out the bitterness.  If you can eat venison, you can definitely eat this.  

[Buzz Killington]

Love me some fried chicken livers, but I cannot make myself eat beef liver.  Might as well just hand me a raw onion and tomato.

[chinook]

fried chicken gizzards are fantastic.

liver not so much.  though they say it pairs well with fava beans and a nice chianti.

[GH2001]

I get it.  Not everybody's tea pot. 

I got to tell you, though, soaking it in milk for a couple of hours takes out the bitterness.  If you can eat venison, you can definitely eat this. 

Liver is one of the very few things I will not eat. I even eat most of your run of the mill southern or podunk things still. Viennas, Mayo sandwich, potted meat, catfish, collards - you name it. But I just cannot eat liver or chitterlings. 

[Kaos]

Liver is one of the very few things I will not eat. I even eat most of your run of the mill southern or podunk things still. Viennas, Mayo sandwich, potted meat, catfish, collards - you name it. But I just cannot eat liver or chitterlings.

What you talkin' bout Willis?  Catfish, collards. That's high level stuff right there.  Fried catfish, coleslaw, collards, hush puppies.... That's fine eating.  Pounded (or cube) steak, field peas with jowl, squash and onions, butterbeans, okra... king's table. 

Viennas, potted meat, sardines, spam... pantry staples for those days when you just don't feel like caviar. If you've ever gone into a dingy roadside gas station with a wooden screen door and gotten head cheese, some chunks of cheddar and some crackers?  You've eaten like a royal. 

If you're going to draw a line, draw it at pig's (or chicken) feet, chitlin's and possum.   Don't eat any of that shit. 

[GH2001]

Most people look down on those things. When I moved into the city limits and got to talking to people, inviting people to my kids bday parties - you’d think I was from another planet talking about things like those that were just normal to me. Even something like catfish - I had a guy from up north ask me why I would eat such a trash fish.

I had tried chitterlings at a family reunion once down between Montgomery and Troy. Bfe baptist church open field kind of stuff. I about threw up. I was probably 19 at the time. Decided when I turned 40 I would give it another shot. There is a buffet restaurant in auburn called country buffet at the mall. They have things that even most southern buffets dont have. Cheese grits, rutabagas, hominy, turnips with roots, fried boloney, fried cornbread - you name it. Well to my shock they also had chitterlings. Let’s give em another go. Got within 2 feet of them and stopped. The smell was overwhelming. Couldn’t even get to them. No thanks. Couldn’t.

[Kaos]

Most people look down on those things. When I moved into the city limits and got to talking to people, inviting people to my kids bday parties - you’d think I was from another planet talking about things like those that were just normal to me. Even something like catfish - I had a guy from up north ask me why I would eat such a trash fish.

I had tried chitterlings at a family reunion once down between Montgomery and Troy. Bfe baptist church open field kind of stuff. I about threw up. I was probably 19 at the time. Decided when I turned 40 I would give it another shot. There is a buffet restaurant in auburn called country buffet at the mall. They have things that even most southern buffets dont have. Cheese grits, rutabagas, hominy, turnips with roots, fried boloney, fried cornbread - you name it. Well to my shock they also had chitterlings. Let’s give em another go. Got within 2 feet of them and stopped. The smell was overwhelming. Couldn’t even get to them. No thanks. Couldn’t.

If I wanted somebody to shit on my plate, I'd stick my head up a hog's ass and see for myself. 

Wait... I think I did that wrong. 

When you're down this way I'm gonna suggest Fish River Grill for catfish and something they call Swamp Soup.  Turnips(or collards) onions, navy beans, white beans, onions, smoked sausage and a little spice/soup mix.  

They also have a fantastic burger.  

[AUTiger1]

I will have to try Fish River Grill next time I am down that way.  I have heard people talk about it before and I love me some good fried catfish.   I can't do livers, but I can eat gizzards and chittlins' so go figure.  I damn sure draw the line at pigs and chicken feet!  A damn hard line!  My grandmother could eat them and it would gross me the hell out.

What you talkin' bout Willis?  Catfish, collards. That's high level stuff right there.  Fried catfish, coleslaw, collards, hush puppies.... That's fine eating.  Pounded (or cube) steak, field peas with jowl, squash and onions, butterbeans, okra... king's table.

Viennas, potted meat, sardines, spam... pantry staples for those days when you just don't feel like caviar. If you've ever gone into a dingy roadside gas station with a wooden screen door and gotten head cheese, some chunks of cheddar and some crackers?  You've eaten like a royal.

If you're going to draw a line, draw it at pig's (or chicken) feet, chitlin's and possum.  Don't eat any of that shit.

 
Yes to all that in bold.  Spamburgers are great and underrated.  The rest of those pantry staples and head cheese just needs saltines and Crystal's hot sauce.  That makes for some damn fine eating. 

My grandmothers were both good cooks and both grew a big enough garden to feed 4 or 5 families.  Fed and slaughtered their own pigs, chickens and fattening steer.  Growing up we were always eating the good stuff.  Chicken-n-Dumplings, chicken fried steak, fried chicken, ham, chopped steak, pot roast, pork roast, pork chops, smoked pork butt and ribs, tenderloins, deer, rabbit, duck, geese, squirrels.  We also had, slaw, kraut and weenies, turnip, mustard and collard greens, brussel sprouts, broccoli casserole, goulash, pintos, navy beans, 15 bean soup, green beans, lima beans, okra, corn, peppers of all kinds, homemade mac-n-cheese.  There was sausage, bacon, eggs, homemade buscuits, gravy made from the grease and muscadine, blueberry, strawberry, peach, pear, grape, elderberry and blackberry jellies.  The only times we didn't eat like this was during baseball season.  We always had burgers and dogs at home games and BK at away games.

No matter how much of that I ate and I would eat until I was miserable a lot of meals, I couldn't keep any weight on me.  We would ride our bikes for miles, fish, work in the garden, play baseball and basketball all day everyday.  We didn't come in after breakfast except lunch and supper times.  I miss that life a lot. A whole lot.

[Kaos]

No matter how much of that I ate and I would eat until I was miserable a lot of meals, I couldn't keep any weight on me.  We would ride our bikes for miles, fish, work in the garden, play baseball and basketball all day everyday.  We didn't come in after breakfast except lunch and supper times.  I miss that life a lot. A whole lot.

God's honest truth right there.  My dad, his mom and my grandma on my mom's side all had gardens.  We didn't butcher, but sides of beef, whole hogs, chickens, turkeys, venison, lamb, veal... freezers we shared full of meat.  

And I ate like Andre the Giant.  I'd hurt myself eating. But I was skinny as a rail.  I hit the ground running as soon as there was enough light - climbing trees, bike riding (and building ramps to use for jumping cars), damming creeks, building things in the "rock pile" was the fun I squeezed in between working in the garden and helping put shell, peel, pick, can and freeze all the stuff we took out of the garden.  

Nobody needed a damn gym or a treadmill. The world was our gym and the roads were our treadmills. 

[CCTAU]

I get it.  Not everybody's tea pot. 

I got to tell you, though, soaking it in milk for a couple of hours takes out the bitterness.  If you can eat venison, you can definitely eat this. 

Not true. Internal organs for any animal still has the same taste. I’m not a fan. But many are. So your recipe is probably pretty good for them.

[Kaos]

Not true. Internal organs for any animal still has the same taste. I’m not a fan. But many are. So your recipe is probably pretty good for them.

The milk soak (it has to be two hours or more) really takes most of that bitterness out.  You're left with mostly just the wild game kinda flavor.  It's a secret, except I told all ya'll.

I'm going to try a buttermilk soak on chicken and then fry it up in crushed frosted flakes next week.  I'm making it up as I go along.  

[CCTAU]

The milk soak (it has to be two hours or more) really takes most of that bitterness out.  You're left with mostly just the wild game kinda flavor.  It's a secret, except I told all ya'll.

I'm going to try a buttermilk soak on chicken and then fry it up in crushed frosted flakes next week.  I'm making it up as I go along. 

I've soaked venison in milk before. It's no secret. The real secret to venison is soaking in cold water for a couple of days to pull the blood out. Then you have to cut the meat in small enough cubes to allow the seasoning to permeate. If I smoke a shoulder, I like to cut slits and work in a dry rub. But my favorite is butterflying the tender loin and putting cream cheese with mushrooms and jalapeños inside. Wrap with bacon and bake for 20 minutes on 400. Melt in your mouth. 

[jmar]

I'm not much of a cook.  I do a fantastic dressing, I used to make really good ham and I can slap down a tasty breakfast casserole. 

The other night I decided to make something that's ridiculously hard to find on any menu, one of those things that nobody much will eat.  Liver and onions. 

If I can do it, it's got to be easy.  It was the best thing I've eaten in years, maybe.

Here's what you do:

Soak the liver in a bowl of whole milk for a couple of hours.  I did mine for four. 

Take two onions, cut into circles, sautee in an assload of butter (or oil if you want) until they get soft and start to brown.  Sit them aside.

Take the liver out of the milk, pat it dry and then dip in a flour/pepper mix. 

Fry in the pan you used to cook the onions (more butter/oil).  When it starts to get brown throw the onions back in. 

Cook it to the level of of done that makes you happy.  Some people like it with a little pink, some like it done all the way through. 

If you like the stuff do this!

So we have something in common. Each time a birthday rolls around my sister's (4) and I take a turn cooking for our little gathering and in October I chose liver and onions for my B-day meal. 

[CCTAU]

Larry's mom made liver too....