Conference turris::cooks

    The Fanny Farmer cookbook has a whole chapter on this stuff.  I
    don't know what type of recipes are there since I skip over that
    chapter.  You may want to check out the cookbook.				

    THIS IS VERY GOOD
    
    2 POUNDS BEEF LIVER,SLICED 1/4 INCH THICK
    3 TABLESPOONS FLOUR
    1 8-OUNCE PACKAGE BACON SLICES
    3 MEDIUM ONIONS, THINLY SLICED
    3 LARGE GREEN PEPPERS, THINLY SLICED
    2 TEASPOONS SALT
    1/4 TEASPOON PEPPER
    1 16-OUNCE CAN TOMATOES(I USE ITALIAN PLUM TOMATOES)
    
    1.  ON WAXED PAPER, LIGHTLY COAT LIVER SLICES WITH FLOUR.  IN 12
        INCH SKILLET OVER MEDIUM HEAT, FRY BACON UNTIL CRISP; DRAIN
        ON PAPER TOWELS; CRUMBLE; SET ASIDE.  POUR OFF DRIPPINGS AND
        RESERVE.
    2.  OVER MEDIUM HEAT, IN 1/4 CUP BACON DRIPPINGS, FRY LIVER, A FEW
        PIECES AT A TIME, UNTIL LIGHTLY BROWNED ON BOTH SIDES.  REMOVE
        FROM PAN.
    3.  MEANWHILE, TO SKILLET, ADD 2 OR 3 TABLESPOONS MORE BACON 
        DRIPPINGS, ONIONS, NEXT 3 INGREDIENTS AND BROWN LIGHTLY.  ADD
        JUICE FROM TOMATOES(RESERVE TOMATOES); PLACE LIVER ON TOP; COVER
        AND COOK OVER LOW HEAT 25 MINUTES OR UNTIL LIVER IS TENDER.
        DURING LAST MINUTES, ADD TOMATOES TO HEAT THROUGH.  TO SERVE,
        SPRINKLE BACON ON TOP.
    

    MY MOM USED TO MAKE THIS WITH BEEF OR VENISON HEART
    
    1 BEEF HEART                        1/4 TEASPOON PEPPER
    1 29-OUNCE CAN OF PLUM TOMATOES     2 BAY LEAVES(DISCARD LATER)
    2 MEDIUM ONIONS, CHOPPED            1 GARLIC CLOVE, MINCED
    1 TABLESPOON SALT                   3 MEDIUM CARROTS, CUT INTO
    1 TEASPOON BASIL                      1/2-INCH PIECES
    1/2 TEASPOON THYME LEAVES           3 CELERY STALKS, CUT INTO
                                          1/2-INCH PIECES
   
    1.  WITH KITCHEN SHEARS, SPLIT HEART OPEN; REMOVE FAT AND WHITE
        TUBES; WASH HEART.  WITH SHARP KNIFE, CUT MEAT INTO 1-INCH
        CHUNKS.
    2.  IN 5 QUART DUTCH OVEN OVER HIGH HEAT, HEAT MEAT, TOMATOES,
        ONIONS, SALT, BASIL, THYME, PEPPER, BAY LEAVES AND GARLIC
        TO BOILING. (MY MOTHER USUALLY ADDS 1/2 CUP OF WINE TO THIS
        ALSO, IT GIVES IT A GREAT FLAVOR.  ANY KIND OF DRY WINE YOU
        WOULDN'T CARE TO DRINK IS O.K.  THE ALCOHOL BURNS OFF WHILE
        COOKING). COVER AND BAKE IN 350*F. OVEN FOR 1 1/2 HOURS.
    3.  ADD CARROTS AND CELERY PIECES AND BAKE 1 HOUR.
    
    THIS RECIPE SERVES 8-10 AND IS GOOD SERVED WITH RICE OR BAKED
    POTATOES.
    

    My favourite is Liver and Bacon casserole (we had it last night
    actually).  The recipe is very similar to note 1585.5.
    
    For 2 people I use:
    
    1/2 lb lambs liver     
    2 slices bacon - chopped
    large onion - sliced
    s + p                                  
    Worcestor sauce (optional 'dash of')                        
    1/2pt water (or beef cube stock)       
    cornflour to thicken                   
    Gravy browning to colour - optional    
                                           
    For health reasons I don't fry anything - put all of it in a casserole
    cook in medium oven for about 1-hr.
    
    I love this served with mashed spuds and cabbage.

    Regards
    Janice

    Since my background is French-Canadian, I am very familiar with
    eating a lot of different things other folks may not have tried.
    
    Chicken Hearts
    --------------
    Saute these in butter, white wine, and garlic - add other spices
    that you may enjoy - try a shallot, salt, pepper, and some yellow
    curry - thicken the sauce when the center of the hearts are no longer
    red, and serve over rice.
    
    Chicken Gizzards
    ----------------
    Sprinkle with garlic powder and some salt and bake at 375 for 30-40
    minutes.
    
    Beef Tongue
    -----------
    I used to love this with mustard on crackers!!!
    
    Boil the tongue until meat is very tender. Texture will be similar
    to a corned beef or pot roast. Boil with several whole onions, salt,
    pepper, some garlic etc. for 2-3 hours. Check for doneness.
    
    
    Beef Heart
    -----------
    This can be sliced similar to a steak and is best sauteed over low
    heat so as not to make rubbery. It's a very fussy meat, and if
    overcooked, comes out like badly cooked veal. This can be spiced
    any way you normally like your steak. Try a saute with some port
    or red wine - allowing it to reduce towards the end of cooking.
    
    
    Have fun.
    
    
    

The TIME LIFE Good Cook Series has a book called "Variety Meats" that has lots 
of organ recipies, including stuffed beef heart, brains, kidney, liver, sheep 
testicles, and so on.  It also has illustrations for making stuffed calves 
head, and recipies for haggis, toungue, etc.  All in all, it's pretty gross.  

A good idea is to cook up the organs and feed them to your animals (but don't 
overdo it, gotta watch their colesterol levels, too).  Back when I had 
tropical fish, they used to go crazy for microwaved chiken livers!

						     
							- JP

    I suppose due to many decades of eating almost nothing but the "lean" meat
    of cattle, the Americal gag reflex is preset at an extremely low
    level and has abslutely nothing to do with the quality of the food
    or its preparation.
    
    In fact, "Organ meats" are known as "Offal" and are a staple part
    of many european countries' diets, as previously mentioned, as in
    the Scottish Haggis (grains and offal in sheep's bladder) and is
    absolutely delicious. If you didn't know what it was made of, you'd
    all love it, too, especially with a good heavy ale and single malt
    scotch (no ice, puh-lease) to finish it off.
    
    In England, there is Black Pudding. I used to love it sliced and
    fried for breakfast (blood sausages).
    
    And I don't believe the bunkum about liver and kidney being bad for
    you; unless you are grinding it up and intraveniously injecting
    it, your own liver and kidneys are responsible for filtering out
    poisons from all sorts of things you eat and some you manufacture
    yourself. Unless you have scirrhosis [sp?], I wouldn't worry!
    
    And if you have never tried liver and onions, well shame on you.
    
    One final word. Try steak and kidney pie. Mmmmmm.
    
    Drooling,
    
    Ray.
    

>    ...the Scottish Haggis (grains and offal in sheep's bladder)...

I believe that's sheep's stomach.  The BBC World Service is running a 
radio soap/comedy where Haggis is getting a lot of attention right now.
    
>    And I don't believe the bunkum about liver and kidney being bad for
>    you;...

I just report 'em, I don't investigate them for accuracy.  On the other 
hand, although we have filters on out blood also, but they wouldn't come 
into play when you eat some other animal's filters.  At any rate the 
your liver and kidneys have enough to do without you raising the 
workload. Many kinds of liver are demonstrably poisonous to people.
Just something to keep in mind.  

				>>>==>PStJTT

    Chorizo is (I think) a Mexican item which is made from tongue and
    salivary glands, among other other animal parts.  It's spicey and
    is delicious when used in cooking scrambled eggs.
    
    
    Regards,
    
    John

    Another one:
    
    Ox Tongue Soup (ground tongue and onion, but virous recipes, plus
    stock). A nice, gamey flavour and a favourite in England.
    
    Ray

   RE: .1
    
    Just a quick FYI:  Kishka may have some organ "parts" in it but...
                       it also contains beef. 
    
    G'Day
    "Nanski"

    re:
    
    Several Recipes come to mind. BUt one "excellent" source for 
    recipes is to try to locate "cook books" produced between 1940 and
    1945.
    
    Of the recipes you can try to find, for Organ Meats, is "Rocky Mountain
    Oysters", which is Mountain delicacy often collected in the spring
    of the year (during pig castration season).
    
    My favorite is Kidney Stew. Care should be taken to select a very
    fresh beef kidney, and to remove all the fat an 'membrane' before
    slicing up. The stew is made similiar to Beef Stew, excpet  that
    the kidney is rolled in flour before sauteeing.
    
    Some people (not me) like "Hogshead Cheese", which is basically
    made from the brain of the pig. So if you like brainfood .....
    
    For  a US Southern Delicacy (or so said the menu in Washington DC),
    you can get the recipe for "Chitlins 'n' Greens".
    
    Then there's alwasy "Fois Gras", "Pate", etc. Put a French name
    to it and some people will eat anything.
    
    Idi Amin had a tasty dish, but its illegal here, so I won't discuss
    it.
    
    Bob