I made this recipe to share with you after many experiments in the kitchen. Several folks who have identified with not liking liver, have enjoyed this recipe.  If you have tried liver before and are convinced that you don’t like it, give yourself the gift of trying again with top quality ingredients you trust and some of your favorite flavor combinations listed under the optional ingredients list.

I list so many optional ingredients because I really want to encourage you to play with the flavors that work for you and your family.  It is very easy to substitute or adjust the spices or fat, and come up with your own favorite variation.  With enough of these robust, delicious flavors (bacon, anchovies, dried herbs, wine, etc.), you’re sure to find your favorite way to savor this life giving, nutrient dense food!

Ingredients:

• ½ - 1 lb. organic, pastured pork bacon
• 1 - 1 ½ lb. organic, pastured beef, chicken, or other favorite liver*, sliced ¼ - 3/8 “ thick
• 2-3 organic, pastured eggs, boiled
• 1 large organic onion, chopped
• ¼ tsp organic cracked black pepper
• sea salt (to taste – use less if adding salty optional ingredients below)

Optional Ingredients:

• Organic, wild capers (to taste). Capers are also a delightful topping to serve on the finished pate.
• Anchovies (to taste – start with one – you can always add more!  I usually use 2-3 depending on how much salt and/or capers I have added).  Hint for Those Who May Have Some Resistance to Anchovies: If you love Cesar Salad Dressing, it’s because of the delicious, salty anchovies – try some here and see how beautifully they compliment this dish.
• ¼-½ cup real grass fed, organic cream or cream cheese (preferably raw). You could also use sour cream for a more tangy addition. Or you could substitute some full fat, organic coconut or nut milk if you're dairy free.
• 1 – 3 Tbsp virgin coconut oil (VCO); organic, pastured lard; ghee or butter (sourced from quality, grass fed animals, preferably organic and raw).  If using a full pound of bacon, less additional fat will be needed, though these healthy, delicious fats are all excellent choices.
• Herbal Additions: ¼ tsp powdered rosemary; ¼ tsp powdered dill, ½ tsp powdered mustard or 1 tsp dijon mustard, ¼ - ½ tsp powdered coriander, ¼ tsp powdered cumin, 1 Tbsp dried cilantro, cayenne pepper to taste.  Add more of these dried herbs in any combination, as desired.
• 1 Tbsp lemon or orange juice.
• 2/3 cup dry white wine, red wine, vermouth, port, or sherry.
• ½ lb mushrooms, cleaned and chopped.
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced/crushed.

Instructions:

Cook the bacon in a pan until it turns translucent – avoid cooking bacon until it is well cooked or crispy. Remove bacon from skillet and place on a plate to cool. Keep the bacon fat in your pan. Add chopped onions and optional mushrooms, if using. Cook the onions in the bacon fat until they begin to brown (slightly caramelize) and then add the liver. This will only take a few minutes to cook.  Over cooked liver is one of the top reasons people have negative experiences consuming liver.  Avoid over cooking the liver – cook until just barely cooked through.  I aim for slightly pink on the inside, since it continues to cook after you take it off the heat and as you process the hot contents from the pan in the next step.  The texture of the pate can get too crumbly or dry or even bitter tasting if the liver is over cooked. Pay attention and be sure to avoid overcooking (or cooking all the way through) the liver.  Remove the cooked liver from the pan and cool on the plate with the bacon.  Add optional ingredients, such as wine, garlic, lemon juice and herbs. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, until most of the liquid is gone.  Allow to cool.

Add cooked bacon, liver, and the onion mixture (with all the fat!) to the food processor. Add pepper and sea salt, or add some combination of the other salty foods suggested above (anchovies or capers) and pulse until combined. At this point if you want a creamier texture you can add the optional grass fed real cream or cream cheese, as desired.  If the pate seems dry and crumbly rather than smooth and creamy, add more fat. Adjust seasoning to taste and place in a covered crock, mold, or glass bowl and chill well (1 – 2 hours).

Serving Suggestions:

• Place a dollop on top of endive, celery, carrots, cucumbers, or any other cut up veggies – lightly blanched carrot slices are my favorite.
• Serve as a sandwich spread, on toast, or with crackers.
• Spread it on crackers or bread that has lots of butter on it and top with a thin layer of the Raisin and Coriander Chutney in Sally Fallon-Morell's cookbook “Nourishing Traditions,” page 108.
• Top with sour cream or capers.
• Press cracked pepper onto the top of it or garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme or rosemary.

*Important Notes on Liver:

The smaller the animal the less "livery" (strong) the liver will taste. For example chicken livers are considered less intense than beef livers. Trim any remaining white fibers or filaments off of liver to prepare.  It is commonly recommended to soak liver in lemon juice for several hours or overnight to draw off any impurities and give a better texture. This is less important for this recipe since I really want to direct you towards the best quality livers you can obtain and we blend the liver up to make the pate. Sourcing livers from your favorite local butcher or farmer who can ensure that the animals were raised humanely, sustainably, and organically, on pasture as nature intended is always preferred.  There are places to order quality livers online as well, if you find it challenging to find a local source you trust.

Liver from land mammals is high in vitamin A but low in vitamin D, and should therefore be consumed with other vitamin D-rich foods such as lard or bacon from pasture-raised pigs, egg yolks, and oily fish, or during months in which UV-B light is sufficient to provide one with adequate vitamin D.  This is why eggs and bacon are main ingredients in this delicious pate.

"Chicken (and all poultry) liver is lower in vitamin A than beef or veal liver (about half as much) but it contains quite a bit of vitamin D and also vitamin K2, so actually chicken liver has a better balance than beef liver and probably more fat-soluble vitamins overall."  – Sally Fallon-Morell

According to Chris Masterjohn, an expert in fat soluble vitamins,

"Liver and cod liver oil are nutrient-packed super-food supplements that can help boost energy, libido, muscle growth, brain power, and general health. They are abundant sources of nutrients difficult to obtain elsewhere, such as vitamin A, arachidonic acid, DHA, and the B vitamins.

Liver contains an unidentified ”anti-fatigue factor” that was found to greatly boost swimming endurance in rats. It is probably extremely rich in carnitine, lipoic acid, and other energy-related nutrients whose food sources have not been sufficiently researched.”

Liver: A True Super-food

• An excellent source of high-quality protein
• Natures most concentrated source of vitamin A. 
• ALL the B vitamins in abundance, particularly Vitamin B12.
• One of our best sources of folic acid.
• A highly usable form of iron. 
• An unidentified anti-fatigue factor. 
• CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function. 
• A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA. 

Resources:

• The Benefits of Liver, Cod Liver Oil and Desiccated Liver
• The Liver Files
• Liver: Nature’s Most Potent Super-Food 
• 10 Health Benefits of Chicken Liver

I want to thank all of the folks who have encouraged, instructed, and modeled consuming and appreciating liver.  Thanks Mom for feeding me liver as my first food, an excellent choice!  I am so grateful to you all and to the animals that provide this most nutrient rich food for our benefit.

Please let me know what optional ingredients you added and what your response was.  I hope you enjoy!