Variety Meats also known as Offals consist of organ meats such as beef liver, kidney, heart, tongue and tripe. Lot’s of people love beef Variety Meats – and these are common foods in many culinary traditions.
These variety meats should be very fresh when purchased at a store as the shelf-life is limited. You’ll find these cuts in grocery or butcher shops. Check out the list below on the different types of variety meats.
Beef heart is a lean and very tender muscle that benefits from quick cooking. It needs to be carefully cleaned of the veins and connective tissue to be enjoyed properly. Great tip, ask the store butcher to clean the heart.
Look for a heart that is deep ruby red and steak-like. The beef heart is quite tender and has a mild beefy flavour.
Try out this recipe created by ‘Peter Sanagan, owner of Sanagan’s Meat Locker‘ featured in his cookbook ‘Cooking Meat‘. Learn more about his cookbook at the bottom of this page.
Fresh beef liver should be dark maroon and glisten. To properly prepare the liver make sure to remove the thin membrane, arteries and veins. Great tip, ask the store butcher to clean the liver.
Cooking Method:
Pan-Fried Beef Liver
1. Dip 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick slices of beef liver in milk and coat with seasoned bread crumbs or flour.
2. Heat 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter or vegetable oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook slices 2 minutes per side, turning once with tongs, until crispy brown on both sides and pink inside. Liver is best cooked only to medium.
3. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Try out this recipe created by ‘Peter Sanagan, owner of Sanagan’s Meat Locker‘ featured in his cookbook ‘Cooking Meat‘. Learn more about his cookbook at the bottom of this page.
Beef tongue, while officially an organ meat, is actually a very tough muscle that becomes very tender after hours of gently simmering. It is a versatile meat, it can be thinly sliced and grilled, or slowly braised. Look for tongue that is brown with gray and black spots.
Cooking Method:
1. Rinse tongue. Place in large pot and cover with hot water. Add 2 carrots (sliced), 1 EACH onion (sliced) and celery stalk (chopped), 6 whole allspice berries OR 1 tbsp (15 mL) whole pickling spice, 3 bay leaves, 3 black peppercorns and 2 tsp (10 mL) salt.
2. Simmer, covered, on stove-top for 3 to 4 hours until fork-tender. Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes. Refrigerate in cooking liquid until cool.
3. Slit skin on underside. Loosen skin with paring knife and peel off from thick end to tip. Slice thinly. Serve in sandwiches or with salad.
Beef kidney should be reddish brown. They should be firm and shiny with no dry or discoloured spots and no smell. Buy kidneys whole, as they will be in better condition than those already chopped or sliced. Ask your butcher to prepare them. Keep kidneys refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Beef Steak and Kidney Stew/Pie
1. Cut 1 lb (500 g) beef kidney into bite-sized pieces; trim off fat and connective tissue. Cover with salted water and refrigerate 12 hours. Drain and pat dry.
2. Lightly coat kidney pieces and 1 lb (500 g) beef stew pieces with a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Brown pieces in batches in lightly oiled Dutch oven or stockpot using medium- high heat; set meat aside. Add 3 onions (chopped) and 3 cups (750 mL) sliced mushrooms to pot; cook 5 minutes until softened. Add 1-1/4 cups (300 mL) beef stock and 1 tsp (5 mL) EACH dried thyme and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Return meat to pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Uncover and simmer for 30 minutes until fork-tender; thicken sauce with flour or cornstarch, if desired. For Pie, transfer cooled meat mixture to shallow 10-cup (2.5 L) casserole. Cover with pie or puff pastry; cut hole in centre to vent. Brush pastry with cream or beaten egg and bake in 400°F (200°C) oven for 30 minutes until pastry is golden and filling is bubbly.
