Beef Liver Pâté
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t always a fan of even the idea of consuming offal/organ meats, but after reading about their insane stack of benefits and seeing how much people have transformed their lives with them, I figured I’d eventually bite the bullet a while ago and try to incorporate even a spoonful of occasional homemade pâté snuck into my meals. I was so glad I did—the taste is still something I’m getting used to as a domesticated modern human of the West diving into regenerative, wild, ancestral ways, but the grounded, balanced, limitless and clear energy it gives me is well worth it. I understand the hype.
Beef (and other animal) liver is also an integral part of the Root Cause Protocol by Morley Robbins. Feel free to visit and investigate if you feel the teachings may be of use. Liver (grass-fed, grass-finished, regeneratively and ethically pasture raised without corn or soy) is such a protective, preventative food that cannot be replaced by a pill, and I plan on making it on occasion for the rest of my life.
This is an easy and quick way to make it, and you could even blend in some cooked nitrate-free, wood-smoked bacon if you’d like to add more of a dimension to the flavours. A little bonus is that apparently it’s kid-approved by multiple readers on my blog, something I’d consider a truly major feat in my own childhood (I was the pickiest).
It is true that the liver is a filter that filters toxins, but that doesn’t mean it stores them! The liver actually eliminates them, primarily through urine. Liver is an unparalleled source of protective vitamins, minerals, glycogen and more.
If you’re dealing with serious autoimmunity issues or simply want to omit the rosemary and/or onion, go for it.
Ingredients
Approx. 500g pasture raised, grass-fed and grass-finished beef liver, sliced into pieces to fit on the pan (or other animal liver, such as grass fed/finished organic bison, lamb, elk, chicken, etc.)
Optional: approx. 150g organic, pasture raised, nitrate-free, sugar-free, naturally wood-smoked bacon (around 3-8 strips)
1/3 cup grass fed, grass finished beef tallow (or grass-fed and grass-finished lard, or grass-fed ghee, all highly nutritious options with higher smoke points)
1 small organic onion, fine dice
Big pinch of organic rosemary (fresh or dried)
Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
Optional: get your bacon cooking, either on a toxin-free frying pan, or baked.
If you have convenient leftover bacon lard on your frying pan, use that, but if not, heat up 2 tbsp of your chosen cooking fat on the pan over medium heat. To the pan, add the onion, rosemary and sea salt, and sauté about 4 minutes, or until onion is soft and translucent.
Add the liver to the pan with the onions. Pan fry the liver on both sides until cooked through, flipping regularly to cook evenly.
Once cooked, remove from heat and let it cool with the bacon, about 10-15 minutes. Too hot, and the heated plastic in the food processor may be affected when blending (releasing BPA/toxins).
Add the bacon (if using) and liver/onion mixture to the food processor along with the remaining cooking fat until it becomes a smooth paste. Scrape it out into a big glass Mason jar and enjoy right away, or freeze it for long-term storage!
Tips
Charcuterie goodness.
Use code ROOTTOSKY for $10 off your first order at Wild Meadows Farm.
Store it in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer for several months. To thaw, simply place the frozen jar in the refrigerator overnight.
Scrape out spoonfuls to sneak into soups, stews, sauces, casseroles, or anything, really.
You could serve the pâté as a dip with a charcuterie board. I find that the taste of liver goes well with bright tasting things like raw cheese, organic olives, raw local honey.
Only enjoy organ meats once every other week at most, since they’re so nutrient-dense. Too much of a good thing applies here!
This liver pâté recipe can be found in my upcoming book, The Vital Life Cookbook.
