5 Offal Recipes That Aren't Awful

Let’s start off slow with a liver recipe. Liver and onions is a classic dish and is still served in many restaurants across the country, so a liver recipe may not be as scary as other forms of offal. This is why The Curious Coconut’s recipe for beef liver latkes could be an introduction to offal if you’ve never cooked with it before. They include a lot of flavour, are reasonably easy to make and are sure to fool anyone who isn’t keen on offal.

The main ingredient in this dish might put you off at first, but it is definitely worth overcoming your squeamishness. Ox heart isn’t expensive at all and a single heart will feed several people as they are fairly large. This recipe from Hot and Chilli gives you great tips on what to ask your butcher for and is easy to follow, although there are a couple of specialist ingredients you’ll need to grab.

If you’re a pate fan, you may find that the best introduction to offal is to whip up a batch of your own. Pate is one of the easiest things to make and is a delicious option if you want a light bite. On top of this, making it yourself will ensure it is good quality and doesn’t contain any fillers that pre-packed options often do. Holistic Squid has a great recipe for pate that is quick, easy and incredibly flavourful.

One cut of meat that is usually classed as offal but maybe isn’t as off-putting as other options is beef cheek. This cut tends to be quite tough so braising is the best option to help soften it up, resulting in a meal that will melt in the mouth. For added flavour and a simple recipe, use Paleo Mom’s tips, which will create a delicious meal that won’t break the bank.

If, after the first four recipes, you’re feeling braver about cooking offal, you may want to give South Beach Primal’s recipe for Asian chicken hearts a try. The key to this dish is marinating the chicken hearts for a couple of hours, which will add a lot of flavour to your meal. After this, the rest is easy and you can enjoy a dinner with a difference in minutes.