As you know, I like to take a more traditional, holistic, evolutionary approach to nutrition. One thing this means is that I like trying to get more organ meats in my diet. I know this seems "weird" to us today, but back in the day, organ meats were human's main protein source (for those tribes that hunted) while muscle meats were fed to the dogs. Organ meats from animals that eat a diet appropriate for them, results in some of the most nutritious food sources we can consume. Check out Chris Kresser's chart on the nutritional make up for grass fed beef liver compared to other foods here.
So, my favorite way to get liver into my diet? Meat balls. Here's what my attempt at meat balls turned into this morning: Breakfast Meat Loaf! I just didn't feel like rolling it into balls... And sorry there is no picture. Meatloaf isn't very photogenic, but it is delicious!
Ingredients
1 lb grass fed beef liver (I get mine from Harvest Moon)
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
2 strips of bacon
1/2 c chopped onions
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 eggs
2 T coconut oil
1 T Italian spices
1 T cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 T maple syrup
Preheat your oven to 350F. Cook up your bacon. Put bacon in a food processor or strong blender. Immediately cook up your liver in the bacon fat. Allow it to cook for 3-4 minutes per side. It just needs to be cooked enough that slicing it is a bit easier. Once done, remove from pan, cut into blend-able sized chunks and add it to your bacon in the food processor or blender. Add your garlic and onions and coconut oil to the hot pan and cook until translucent. Run the food processor or blender until the liver and bacon is chunky, but not too long! You don't want it liquefied. In a large bowl, add your ground meat, eggs, veggies, blended liver, bacon and spices. Mix it all together with your freshly washed hands. Spread it evenly into a 13x9 inch baking dish and back for 30-40 minutes or until it is fully cooked.
As usual, play with the spices to your liking. You could also use different ground meats such as bison. It's yours to enjoy!