Calf’s Liver with Bacon and Onions 

  Posted on October 19, 2011  by Leslie Blythe  No comments

This is love!

Last night I decided I would make my mother-in-law and husband their all time favorite dinner – liver and onions.  I won’t go into the fact that I detest the whole idea of this meal….  Even the girl at the check out at the market was wondering why I would make it.  I cooked it up to the point of adding the liver and told my husband to take over.  Apparently, it was delicious.  I wouldn’t know!  This is one of those things you either hate or love.

Soaking the liver in milk, a method typically used for pork liver, helps soften and mellow its flavor.

Calf’s Liver with Bacon and Onions  

Serves 4

1 lb calf’s liver (½”thick), cut into 4 pieces
1 cup whole milk
8 bacon slices, halved crosswise
3 medium onions, halved lengthwise, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

Soak liver in milk in a bowl 20 minutes.

While liver is soaking, cook bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, turning over occasionally, until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain and reserve 2½ tablespoons fat in skillet, transferring remaining fat to a small bowl.

Cook onions with salt and pepper to taste in fat in skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer onions to a bowl and add bacon. Keep warm, covered.

Pat liver dry and discard milk. Stir together flour, salt, and pepper on a sheet of wax paper and dredge liver in flour mixture, shaking off excess.

Add 1½ tablespoons reserved bacon fat to skillet and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté liver, turning over once, until browned but still pink inside, about 4 minutes total. Serve liver topped with onions and bacon.