Liver with Onions, Garlic, and Parsley – Kibdeh

This recipe, Liver with Onions, Garlic, Parsley, and lots of spices (Kibdeh), is for those who appreciate the rich goodness that is liver when it is prepared right.

Now, I know there are some who say that liver must be cooked rare to retain its health benefits, but those nutrients do not benefit me if I will not swallow it unless it is fully cooked and fully seasoned. I don’t consider liver to be medicine, I consider it to be another cut of tasty meat around which to build a meal, like chicken thighs or lamb chops.

This Mediterranean recipe works for beef or lamb liver and for other organ meat like kidney, heart, etc. The only adjustments you might have to make is to taste it toward the end of the specified cooking time, to make sure that it is completely cooked, but not overcooked. When we bought the lamb liver, it also contained a couple of other organ meats, and we used them all together. I just made sure that the pieces were all of a uniform size.

The smaller you chop it all up, the more you allow the onions and seasonings to really flavor it, and it cooks faster before getting dried out.

Forget spinach – I feel like Popeye when I’ve had a helping of *this*.

Liver with Onions, Garlic, and Parsley – Kibdeh

1 teaspoon cooking oil
1½ lb lamb liver and/or offal, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 mini sweet peppers, or 1 bell pepper – color(s) of your choice
½ cup parsley, chopped
1 scallion, chopped (optional – I added it because I had it to use up)
3 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon curry
salt and pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon ground coriander
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (optional)

Place 1 teaspoon cooking oil in a bowl, and the next 12 ingredients.

Mix completely, to coat liver with the oil and the other ingredients.

Heat oil over high heat. Add all the ingredients from the bowl.

Cook on high heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add half a cup of water and 1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, lower heat to medium and cover.

Cook for a further 15-25 minutes, until completely cooked, stirring occasionally.

Tip – if you find that liver usually has too strong a scent or flavor for you, I suggest that you locate a Halal source. I like that all blood is drained from the animal prior to being cut and portioned. I find that when you get fresh lamb or beef liver that is halal, it has much less milder in scent and flavor. Also, it helps if you let it soak a short while in a salt/vinegar and cold water solution, then rinse before seasoning.