The Offal Truth

A Primer on Organ Meat Cookery

Welcome Fren, 

The subject of organ meat cooking has come up frequently on Twitter and some Discord servers, so it made sense to write this out and provide a helpful starting point for my Jungle Frens. 

‘The Meat Stall’ by Peter Aertsen (circa 1508–1575)

My experience has been that most people are turned off at the thought of cooking organ meats for two primary reasons.

1. Bad experiences with poor preparations/flavors

2. Stigma associated with eating “weird animal parts”

Reason #1 is very hard for people to push past because that bad flavor memory serves as a marker/frame of reference for any future thought or interaction with the food in question. 

In this Primer on Organ Meat Cookery let’s cut through some of the BS get the Jungle cooking more organ meats that are flavor filled, nutritious and delicious. 

Organ meats, (aka Offal, Variety Meats, Pluck), is a wide canvas category referring to (obviously) a variety of animal organs, in addition to cuts that are not regularly consumed by the masses. Think trotters, chicken feet, etc. 

If you travel to any of the major continents you will find Offal preparations that have become a part of regional food culture in varying degrees of consumption. 

For this Sub we are going to be specifically talking about:

-Heart

-Liver

-Tripe

-Brains

-Kidneys

-Sweetbreads

So why eat Offal? While Octopod is not a licensed nutritionist, I’ve spent enough time in the science and cooking worlds to give some brief data that should encourage you to make Offal Cookery part of your weekly cooking regiment. 

Health: Organ meats are nutritionally rich in many vitamins/minerals that are helpful to body health. I’ve heard Offal referred to as “Nature’s Multi-Vitamin” which is quite apropos. Listed below are a few key vitamins/minerals found frequently in Offal meats. 

-Vitamin B

-Iron

-Phosphorus

-Copper

-Magnesium

-Vitamin A

-Vitamin D

-Vitamin E

-Vitamin K

-CoQ10

-Folate

-Choline

-EPA + DHA

-Amino Acids

-Collagen

Waste: Any responsible chef will tell that you that waste is a culinary sin. In fact, a lot of restaurants go belly up because their costs get out of control and “waste” can be a big contributor to that metric.  Nose-to-Tail eating isn’t a new concept at all, but I believe everyone would benefit from having some exposure to consuming Offal and buying these less “desired” ingredients.

With the advent of industrialized meat processing consumers saw less Offal coming to market in large part due to spoilage issues (organ eats have a much shorter shelf life), the stigma we referred to above, and processors had an easier time off-loading most variety meats to pet food manufacturers and other nutrient niches. 

Cost: In most parts of the world, Offal carries a much lower price tag than the standard well known cuts like Ribeye, Filet, Strip Loin, etc. This is one reason that the stigma of Organ Meats being “poor people food” has stuck around for so long. They are, generally, the cheapest cuts to buy. Great news. Nutirious & Cheap… Win-WIn. 

The Most Important Factor when cooking Offal is in the quality of the ingredient. Primarily “Freshness”. As referenced above, Offal has a shorter shelf life than your standard beef/pork cuts, so ensuring a fresh product to start will put you miles ahead. 

Favorite places to buy Offal are Middle Eastern and Asian Markets. It makes sense really, most of these markets butcher on site, and also have a high turnover of product which means you won’t find Liver that’s been sitting around for very long at all. Contrast with a typical US Grocery store and out the 3,000 people that enter, I would guess less than 10 individuals will have Offal on their grocery list. 

Offal Type & Preparation Tips:

Liver: 

Primary Animal(s): Beef, Pork, Chicken, Duck 

Cooking Method: High Heat Sear/Grill

Preparation tip: Rinse, Soak in salted water/milk/buttermilk prior. 

Problem: This organ meat can be very polarizing, as it is high in iron content and has a distinct flavor. Most people screw this up by over-cooking the liver resulting in a very unappealing mealy-texture on the palate which also elevates that irony-flavor. 

Solution: Sear over high heat, leaving the interior medium-rare to medium. Serve with an aggressive sauce to balance the natural flavor of the liver (eg: red wine sauce, mustard sauce, etc). 

Turbo Notes: If you can find fresh calves liver, this is a true delicacy, when prepared as above. The calves liver will have a milder flavor so a sauce or jus of caramelized onions/shallots would be delicious. 

Some alternate preparations to consider: An emulsified pork liver terrine is to die for, as well as a chicken liver mousse. 

Heart:

Primary Animal(s): Beef & Chicken will be most common; for the Jungle Hunters   Deer is a great option too.

Cooking Method: High Heat Sear/Grill

Preparation: remove excess fat and membrane from exterior. If not butterflied, open the heart and remove connective tissue. 

Problem: Overcooking and improper cleaning prior to cooking. 

Solution: Cook in larger pieces, over high heat, until rare. Thinly slice and serve with a zesty sauce like chimichurri and enjoy the delicious results!

Brains:

Primary Animal(s): Sheep brains will be the most widely available. 

Cooking Method: Pan fried

Preparation: Poach for 6 mins in court bouillon (water with herbs and spices); when cool enough to handle, separate lobes and remove outer membrane. Pan fry until golden brown on the outside, resulting in a delicate, warm, custard center. 

Problem: Stigma. People freak out about cooking brains. When cooked properly, they are a textural and flavorful delight. 

Solution: Cook as described above, and you could serve on Boston lettuce with a creamy herbed aioli and a squeeze of lemon. Or if carb loading, serve on top of toast. 

Tripe:

Primary Animal(s): Cow, *use the HoneyComb tripe

Cooking Method: Braised or Stewed

Preparation: Clean, then Braise or Stew

Problem: Flavor and Smell. Tripe has a distinct aroma and needs to be cleaned properly. This puts off most people, however the effort is well worth the rewards. Also, if not sufficiently cooked the tripe will retain a rubbery texture that’s not optimal

Solution: Rinse the tripe, then use large grain kosher salt to “scrub” tripe on all sides. Rinse the salt off with white vinegar, then blanch the tripe for 15 mins in boiling water. The tripe is now properly cleaned and ready to be cooked. (You can do this outside if you’r worried about the aroma).

I can remember the first time I ever ate Trippa alla Romana (tripe braised in white wine and tomatoes, and garnished with sh!t tons of fresh grated pecorino cheese) and I have been addicted since. Menudo is also a very famous tripe stew in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisines. 

Tongue:

Primary Animal(s): Cow, Pig, Sheep, Goat

Cooking Method: Braising (there are others but this is the easiest way to start)

Preparation: Rinse the tongue, then braise (or pressure cook). Allow to cool, then peel the outside membrane off of the tongue. From here you can cut into slabs and grill or sear, or reheat in a sauce to serve. 

Problem: Again, stigma. Tongue has a rather mild flavor compared to most Offal, which makes it a great start for beginners and a blank canvas for flavors. 

Solution: Prepare as described above. I did a smoke-braised tongue years ago that was served with a raisin-caper puree, watermelon radish and parsley. Was delicious. You can also make tongue pastrami. The beef and sheep versions are delicious.

Kidneys:

Primary Animals(s): Lamb

Cooking Method: Pan seared, basted

Preparation: Remove the outer membrane and fat; slice in half laterally (retaining primary shape). Cut out any fatty/sinew visible on the interior. 

Problem: Stigma and Overcooking (are you seeing a trend, Fren?). Lamb kidneys are straight up delicious. 

Solution: For the beginner, the best experience is to prepare Deviled Lamb Kidneys. Season the kidney and dust with flour that has cayenne and mustard powder incorporated. In a very hot pan add clarified butter, and add the kidneys, searing on each side (2 mins per side). Once flipped add a knob of butter to brown in the pan. Then add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and chicken stock… allow to emulsify then serve over a root vegetable mash. <chef’s kiss>

Sweetbreads: 

Primary Animal(s): Cow

Cooking Method: Poach, Press, Sear/baste

Preparation: Poach in a court bouillon for 5-10 mins to set the outside. Then shock in ice bath, and press over night between two baking sheets with some weight on top. Next day, peel off out membrane and pan sear with a baste, or dust in seasoned flour and deep fry 

Problem: Sweetbreads have a wonderful texture if prepared as stated above. Most people don’t peel the membrane or weight the sweetbreads which results in an unpleasant springy texture. 

Solution: Cook as described above and you will fall in love. If you pan sear and baste, serve with a truffled jus over the top with some wilted greens. If deep frying, toss in a General Tso style sauce and have the best version of the Chinese Takeout classic ever. Seriously. 

Fren, this went a little long and there are definitely granular issues to be discussed. My hope is that this will get you on the right track to making Offal Cookery a staple in your lifestyle. 

There’s too much delicious and nutritious eating in this category to not be giving Organ Meats the love they deserve… and that’s the Offal Truth! 🙌

Until Next Time! 

Equal Opportunity, Unequal Results