offal?

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wattsy

Native
Dec 10, 2009
1,111
3
Lincoln
do livers, kidneys hearts etc need any special prep before cooking or can you just whack em in a pot and crack on?
 
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Pcwizme

Guest
Are we talking from the butchers? or from an animal you have just killed?
 

wattsy

Native
Dec 10, 2009
1,111
3
Lincoln
either or although i'm assuming if you bought it from a butchers they'd have already done any prep.
i'm showing my scout group how to gut and skin bunnies next month and i want to emphasize how you can use almost every part of the animal but i normally just give the offal to my dog so i'm after info on using offal.
 
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Pcwizme

Guest
ok! with rabbit offal it needs washing, and inspecting, if the liver or kidneys seem to have a white marbling inside, or any marks or scab like bits on the outside, dump them, as that can be a sign of mixi or liver flukes.

Im sure others will have more to say on this (and everything above is only stuff i have picked up online there maybe more i dont know)
 

Oblio13

Settler
Sep 24, 2008
703
2
67
New Hampshire
oblio13.blogspot.com
Hearts will have coagulated blood in them. I cut them open, wash them, and trim off the blood vessels and some kind of white, string-like connective tissues. Livers I just cut into slices. I've never eaten kidneys except for in pies that someone else made, so I don't know how to prepare them.

Tongues are also good. Cut them out (they're a lot longer than you think) and slice them. The skin can be peeled off either before or after cooking.
 

Woodlark

Member
Oct 18, 2006
27
0
60
Surrey, UK
Offal is far to good to waste! A few tips: the liver should be eaten as fresh as possible, it doesn't keep well. If it comes from a male animal (especially in the breeding season) it can be very strong - if so, slice and soak it for a few hours in milk. Mash cooked liver with oil, pepper, salt and herbs to make a decent pate. Kidneys improve with frying in very hot fat, a bit of charr helps the flavour - boiled kidneys can have a slight "urine" edge!! Lungs or lights are very tasty but a bizarre texture - good to lighten a meatloaf. Heart is a beautiful meat - stuff the ventricles with fatty meat, wrap in silver foil and either boil for an hour or chuck into embers (but not actual fire).

Most of the above needs a good smatter of salt to improve the flavour!

Good luck!
 

Adze

Native
Oct 9, 2009
1,874
0
Cumbria
www.adamhughes.net
ok cheers guys so the organs should be the same colour all the way through then?

Not neccesarily.

Kidneys in particular can have a colour variation - lambs kidneys, for example, will have a paler outer than inner and a white/cream 'core' - remove the core as it's pretty tough. Kidneys are also quite soft - if you try frying them whole, unless they're very small, you'll likely overcook the outside and leave the inside quite bloody - quartering them is about right if you want to cook them quickly. Hugh Fluffystockingtops 'Lambs Kidneys with chilli and lentils' recipe is a good one to start out with, let me know if you've not got the River Cottage Cookbook and I'll pass the recipe on.

Liver and heart does tend to be the same colour throughout, although hearts have all sorts of tubes, cavities, connecting tissue and valves in them. The whole thing is quiet edible though, just remove any bits which feel like they'll be too tough to chew. You'll spot the bits which need removing from liver very easily.

Hearts tend to favour a good slow roast full of stuffing unless you like a good chew - with that said I'm quite partial to diced heart flash fried in olive oil, with garlic, chillies and worcester sauce.

As has been said, discard any diseased organs immediately. They do, usually, look very unpleasant and not something you'd want to eat anyway.
 

Melonfish

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 8, 2009
2,460
1
Warrington, UK
remember to remove the gall bladder before you start preparing your liver, try not to get any on the liver as it will stain the meat and its not very nice.
 

Everything Mac

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 30, 2009
3,112
83
36
Scotland
never had the heart of a rabbit but the kidneys are great when in a stew.

haven't ever had the liver come to think about it - but i will next time I get one.

as said avoid the organs with white bits on -


in my experience if the offal looks healthy then it will be fine. - haven't had any issues yet.

andy
 

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