Herbed Bacon and Beef Liver Pâté

As children, Josh and I both grew up on farms in western NSW with beef and dairy cattle.

Being farm kids, we helped muster and draft the cattle, watched the home butchering process with great interest, and helped our mothers clean out our gigantic chest freezers and bag up the meat.

Fresh meat from the farm was the best. It’s a taste we’ve been spoilt with, and haven’t forgotten.

Along with the large amount of fresh beef, there were also the organ meats.

Times were fairly lean after years of drought. Money was scarce, and we lived on what we could produce ourselves.

Our mothers had inherited frugal natures from their own mothers, and the lessons they’d learned during the War Years had stuck fast. They relied on old, tried-and-true recipes to make sure nothing was wasted. And so, every part of the animal (or plant) was used.

Liver was fried with onions and served in a rich gravy, brains crumbed, kidneys put into pies and tongue cooked, peeled and pressed.

And rather reluctantly we children ate the liver that had been so lovingly cooked for us. We’d been told it was nourishing, and we dutifully ate it, albeit a little slowly.

But truthfully, I’ve never really enjoyed liver.

It’s not so much the taste that has bothered me – it’s the texture. There’s no resistance when you bite into it … It’s not a muscle meat, so I guess that’s why!

But I’m convinced of the health benefits it provides, and so I haven’t given up. That’s why I’ve continually searched for ways to make liver appealing for our children (and myself).

This pâté is honestly the best way to eat and enjoy liver that I’ve tried. The pairing of the bacon, garlic and herbs truly makes it a pleasure to eat. (Thanks Nicole for putting us onto the recipe!).

And the texture? No problems! After all, it’s supposed to be a spread, and so I don’t really need to chew it 🙂

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you struggle to eat organ meats? If so, how do you overcome your dislike?

Herbed Bacon and Beef Liver Pâté (AIP and Paleo friendly)

• 500g beef liver, patted dry and very thinly sliced
• 6 rashers nitrate-free bacon, finely diced
• 1 onion, very finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
• ½ cup coconut oil, softened
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

To serve:

• Vegie sticks (carrot, celery, cucumber, sweet potato etc)
• Homemade crackers (these ones are fantastic)

Instructions:

1. Heat a large cast iron frypan over medium-high heat. If desired, add a small knob of tallow or coconut oil.
2. Cook the bacon until well cooked and crispy. Set aside to cool in a medium sized bowl.
3. Reserve the grease in the pan to cook the liver.
4. Add the onion and cook for several minutes on medium-high til translucent and golden. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in blender or thermomix.
5. Add the liver to the frypan, sprinkling with the herbs. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until no longer pink in the centre.
6. Turn off heat, and place the liver and herbs into the blender along with the onion mixture.
7. Add coconut oil and sea salt.
8. Process until it forms a thick paste, adding more coconut oil if too thick.
9. Place pâté in the bowl with bacon, and carefully mix together. *
10. Garnish with some fresh herbs and serve with vegie sticks, on crackers or toast topped with a fried egg.

Serves: 2 cups

Recipe Notes:

* We left our pâté a little chunky, but if you’d prefer it smooth, simply put the bacon in the blender with the other ingredients and process till it’s a smooth paste.

Gratefully sourced from AutoImmune Wellness