SCD Recipe: Lemon Pepper Liver Steak

For the past couple months, I’ve been getting more interested in organ meats. I would like over time to be able to rely on the quality of foods I’m eating to obtain all the vitamins and minerals I need. Then, I’m hoping that I won’t need to take a multi-vitamin.

Lately I’ve been making a concentrated effort to eat grass-fed beef liver at least once a week. My main motivation behind this is the shear quality and quantity of vitamins and minerals that are found in liver. If you are not familiar with how much of a superfood beef liver is, check out this chart:

As you can see, beef liver is loaded with vitamin Bs, vitamin A, Selenium, zinc and iron which are all very critical to digestive health. I’m not going to lie the first time I thought about trying to eat liver I was grossed out – mostly because I had heard stories of how bad it tasted. Well, after eating it for several weeks and cooking it differently each time I will admit that the texture is a bit different than what I’m used to. Other than that I don’t think it tastes bad at all and I’m actually starting to develop a taste for it. I’ve found that I like it prepared best when it is diced up into small stir-fry style strips or cubes.

If you are interested in trying the recipe below, I suggest you try and find either calf’s liver or grass-fed liver, as toxins can build up in the liver if the cow was not properly cared for. I originally found some calf’s liver at my local big box supermarket but later I was able to find a seller at a local farmer’s market near me that has limited but nearly year round supply.

SCD Lemon Pepper Liver Steak

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb of Grass-Fed Beef Liver (or Calf’s liver), sliced or cubed into bite-sized pieces
• 3 Green Peppers, cubed into bite-sized pieces
• 2 White Onions, sliced
• 3 Sweet Peppers, diced
• 4 Serrano Peppers, diced
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
• Sea Salt to Taste (2 tablespoons for me)
• Black Pepper to Taste (2 tablespoons for me)
• 2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• Juice of One Lemon
• 1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil to cook with

Directions:

Wash and cut up all the peppers and onions per the descriptions above. Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat with some coconut oil. When the skillet is properly heated, add the vegetables and garlic. Saute until desired firmness is reached (about 10 minutes for me). Note: This will also depend on the size of the pan (I was using a 12 inch skillet). Now, open up the liver, wash and slice into bite-sized pieces. When the vegetables are done to your liking, empty them into a dish and then add your chopped liver pieces to the skillet. Keep a close eye on the liver, it can overcook fast and will end up tasting rubbery. Saute the liver for about 5 minutes; if it’s a bit pink in the middle, don’t worry it will actually taste better. Now, dump the vegetables back into the skillet. Add the spices above to taste and then squeeze the juice of one lemon into the skillet. Mix around and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes and serve.

This dish will taste amazing by itself, but if you are looking to take it to the next level cook up some grated cauliflower and serve the stir-fry over it. I think it has a wonderful lemon pepper taste with a nice touch of heat to balance out the sweetness from the lemon, but try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

-Steve