before you gag, let me tell you that my taste buds have changed.

yours can too. your brain, and your preferences, are plastic. it's worthwhile to check in every once in a while and ask if how you're eating aligns with who you want to be. it's not about shame or judgment. it's about checking in: with where you are right now, who you are right now, what you need, and who you're becoming.

how you eat communicates your values. i choose to eat local, real food that takes time to prepare (when i have the bandwidth) because this is in alignment with the world i want to be a part of - a world that values real people and their valuable labor to produce food that actually nourishes. majority of the time, i don't spend my time or money on processed, empty garbage that rots me from the inside out - because i see what happens to bodies who have been poisoned like that for decades on a daily basis. those companies create, and then profit from, our sickness. does this sound dramatic? it is. what's happening is dramatic. (this doesn't mean i don't ever eat processed foods; and i'm gentle on me when i do. but it is important to acknowledge that having an "it doesn't matter" attitude is how you get prediabetes, dyslipidemia, heart disease, and myriad other debilities.)

cooking for yourself is the first step to claiming your right to health and wellness. exploring ancient foods that used to be staples is one of the next ones, when you're ready for it. celebrate any small win.

liver is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. figuring out how to eat more of it, and more organ meat in general, has been a goal of mine since my nutritional awareness shifted with Weston Price's work and my culinary medicine training in 2022. i finally started this year (yay!).

see: Lily Nichols' post here

here's my favorite recipe for liver pate. it's DELICIOUS. if you aren't an alcohol person, or you're making this for your family - note that most of the alcohol is cooked off in the process and is only present in trace amounts in the final product, so i would gander to say this is very safe for children and pregnant folks to consume. i did indeed feed it to my gorgeous niece, raised almost entirely on ancestral foods, just before her 1st birthday (100 foods before 1 - liver, check!). she LOVED it. if you'd prefer NOT to use alcohol, see my notes at the bottom.

my favorite liver pate

🧅 ~1.5 cups allium - yellow sweet onion, shallots (favorite), and/or green onion

🧈 1 stick of grass fed unsalted organic butter, preferably Kerrygold or local

🐄 16 oz beef or chicken liver, well trimmed and cut into strips or cubes

🍷 6 oz dry red wine (your choice; love this with a french pinot or a fruity cab)

🥛 1/2 cup full fat milk or heavy cream (organic or local preferred)

🧂 1 TB Redmond's Real salt – (on salt 🧂)

🌶️ spices to taste (see notes)

cooking directions

  1. warm a dutch oven or saucepan with decently high edges over medium heat. add 1/2 the stick of butter and allow it to melt and glisten.
  2. slice the allium thinly but no need to cube - you'll be pureeing after. place it in the pan and stir gently for about 5 minutes until your kitchen smells like a heavenly place. option to add in spices or garlic here.
  3. add the cubed liver to the pan and cook until gently browned on all sides - do NOT overcook. i recommend only 3 minutes here. it'll continue to cook in the next step.
  4. turn up the heat to medium-high. add the wine and milk, and let it simmer down to about half the original volume.
  5. remove from heat immediately, place contents of pan into a blender with the SALT, the rest of the milk and the other half of the stick of butter. blend into a gorgeous paste.
  6. store in jars in the fridge and/or freezer. to keep longer, melt an additional few TB of butter and pour overtop your pate in jars. this creates a natural seal that will help preserve it longer in the fridge or freezer. consume within 1-2 weeks of refrigeration or defrosting.

substitutions and notes

  • instead of alcohol, you can use alcohol free wine (don't recommend) or a white wine vinegar, chicken or beef broth + some lemon squeezed in to give it some acidity
  • play with the allium and flavors! I like to add 1 TB of sage, rosemary, or thyme, or a mix of all 3 to the cooking onions and butter. you can also add garlic if that's your thing.
  • salted vs unsalted butter does not matter much here
  • you can use oat milk in place of heavy cream (I have this on hand for my morning lattes, and used it my last batch, and could not tell). if you use another nut milk, make sure it's high in fat otherwise it won't mix well or taste good
  • real salt makes all the difference. if you haven't tried Redmond's, i highly recommend.

ok, but how do i eat it?

i love pate spread onto toast with a touch of local honey, as a topping on thin slices of cheese or flax crackers, or as a little paste to eat with roasted veggies for lunch. it's delicious for brekkie, lunch, or dinner. you can sneak pate into almost any meal, similarly to fermented foods like kimchi or sauerkraut, as a side to eat with whatever your main protein/veggie are that day.

the best part is the next day and the rest of the day where you feel AMAZING. maybe it's placebo, but i get so much good energy from eating liver. i hope you do, too.