Offal poll

[Brian Ellis]

Having just finished a delicious luncheon snack of grilled kidney and mushrooms on toast, I was reminded of a BBC radio announcement that the sale of offal (tripe, liver, kidneys and heart) has fallen in the UK by 80% over the last 25 years. For me, this seems a wasteful pity, as well-prepared offal can be extremely tasty. It is still highly valued on the Continent (calf's liver is almost as costly as beef fillet, when you can get it).

Apparently, in the UK, it is mainly the older people that buy it.

In this country, the butchers give it away, free of charge (except for lamb's liver), to their regular customers. For this reason, I give it to the dog as well as ourselves.

I know that in the USA offal (I think it is called fancy meats, there) is looked on almost with disgust by some of my friends.

Which would you eat (assuming it is well prepared)?

[LvR]

Thinly sliced liver, fried with small bits of bacon and a lot of coarsely chopped onions - course sea-salt and whole peppercorns - slap that on a dollop or 2 of real buttery mashed potatoes............hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm nice!

Kidneys do just as well with the same treatment.

As you said - toast is also very nice.

People tend to overcook the meat and that makes both of them go seriously rubbery and dry.

Liver makes a seriously tasty pate .......

Boy - just finished lunch here and I already know what is on the menu for mid-afternoon snack

These delicious items all cost an arm and a leg here in South Africa and is often only available on order from the butcher at about the same cost as a decent fillet.

[GNEP]

Got to agree with the ENTIRETY of LvR's post

[Admiral]

Liver and heart is as far as I go

[Wulfman]

none.

liver/kidneys because of their contamination with various substances I don't want to find in my food, brain just seems wrong (my grandma sometimes put it (iirc calf) on toast. *shudder*) & given the recent troubles with bse... nope, not for me.

heart - maybe, as long as it doesn't look like one anymore.

tongue - no dead, alien tongues in my mouth, thx.

if tripe is what I think it is - no. our dog loves it, but the smell is too much to bear for me.

mfg
wulfman

[LvR]

Ever tried a nice fresh dark rey-bread with salty farm butter (not the plastic junk from Woolies etc) with thinly sliced tongue and a bit of mustard......................... aaaaaaaaaahhhh!

[GNEP]

Mmmm yup tongue is v. nice too.

[Admiral]

Wasn't in the poll

[Brian Ellis]

Well, they do say the only part of a pig you cannot eat is the squeal when it is slaughtered, although I would seriously draw the line at the gall bladder! I did have pig's ears once at a superb restaurant in the Champagne country near Epernay. They were a little chewy but quite delicious.

Don't know whether tongue is considered as offal: it is certainly on sale here and not given away: in fact, it is offally expensive I like it, especially lamb's tongues.

As LvR pointed out, the real pukker pâté de foie gras is goose liver from birds which have been gavé-d with corn. I love it but never eat it now because a) it is too expensive b) I don't really like the gavage and c) it is too expensive. Oh! It is too expensive, too. OTOH, a quite reasonable substitute can be made from supermarket duck livers or even (less good) chicken livers, but I put in cèpes (bolets) or, better, morels rather than real black truffles which cost more than gold. I've never had the opportunity to try the real foie gras as a lump, as opposed to in a pâté. Some terrines made from pig's liver are excellent, as well.

Hope I haven't upset our Jewish friends with this!

[ayoub_ibrahim]

I'd rather be vegetarian!

[TransformX]

Offal has one little problen - Colesterol, and lot's of it.
Since I don't suffer from Colesterol and I train regularly, I don't care about it
I eat all of the above with one exception: I very very rarely touch pork (once in a few years when it's something really special).

[Brian R.]

Braunschweiger liver sausage with raw onions makes a great sandwich.

My mother used to serve us fried beef liver and onions - never developed a taste for it. I think she fried it to a crisp.

Had fried and breaded chicken hearts once - very tasty

For Thanksgiving dinner, roasted turkey with liver and gizzard bread stuffing is a staple here in the US.

Now that Wombat mentioned it (below), I had a Mexican girl cook me some menudo (tripe) once. Made me sick as a dog later than night. Never again.

[Fat Tone]

None of the above at the moment. Why spoil a perfectly good steak pie by adding kidney?

My tastes have widened over the years (along with my waist ) so perhaps I will try some of the suggestions above, subject to proper cooking.

T.

[Wombat]

I've had chicken hearts, BBQed Brazillian-style, and tripe in Viet Namese soups. That's about it.

[GuchiGuh]

Eaten all before... I am in Taiwan for that
Its all very nice.
Check out Asian style Sauerkraut and pig's Intestines..sounds sickening, but its the BOMB!