Beef Liver Pate
K I’m going to lay out the cold, hard truth on this one. Liver grosses me out. There, I said it. I know it’s among the most nutrient dense foods on the planet and I just can’t handle it. Or rather, I can handle in in tiny amounts, mixed in with other things and well, well hidden. My daughter on the other hand, can’t get enough. Lucky for me, my friends at Acabonac Farms keep us supplied with their grass-fed and finished beef liver.
This is how I freeze the portions of liver for Ellie.
Around 6 months old, babies’ iron stores begin to deplete, and a lot of parents start to give fortified cereals to their babies to boost iron. While the fortified cereal contains iron, it’s not a natural source of the nutrient. Beef, however, is probably the best source of iron, as well as other important nutrients such as zinc and selenium. Studies show that the juice from beef alone is enough for a baby to absorb these nutrients. If you can get your baby to actually eat and swallow some, as in a paste or pate, they can benefit from the full nutrient profile. But remember, be careful with your sourcing. If it’s a toxic animal, the liver will also be toxic. If it’s an animal that has been well-fed and treated to their natural diet, their liver will be densely nutritious and natural.
I’ve been making a beef liver pate for Ellie since she started eating solid foods two months ago and she lives for it. I typically make a batch of it every few weeks, freeze most, and pull out a piece every week to defrost. The beauty of liver is that you really don’t need much to get the health benefits. Use this recipe for your baby, or use it to mix in to beef or turkey meatballs as a nutrition booster. Or, if you’re brave, smear it on toast and down the hatch!
What You’ll Need:
1 onion
1 lb grass-fed beef liver
1 cup coconut oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP diced fresh rosemary
1 TBSP fresh thyme
What I Did:
Fry liver and onions in 2 TBSP coconut oil until onions are caramelized and liver is cooked through.
Add garlic, herbs and vinegar.
Cook for a few more minutes until the vinegar is reduced.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a food processor, and add about 1/4 cup of oil. Slowly add the remaining oil as you go until pate becomes creamy.
Portion in to containers for freezing, eating, and storing!
