Pork liver is one of the cheapest proteins that you could purchase in the market today. Compared to lamb, beef, or calf liver, it has a stronger taste, least tender, and most coarse liver.
So many people choose not to use it in various dishes. But in the Philippines, many dishes use pork liver as the main ingredient or added component to the dish.
If you are wondering why Filipinos love to cook with this particular protein, keep reading this article. It would help you find out the wonderful taste and flavor of pork liver and the perfect dishes to pair up with it.
We would present all the amazing ways to cook, the definitive versions, and perfect along with the featured dish.
What is Best Grilled Pork Liver
This dish is a very popular dish served on different occasions. It is easy to make the dish since you have to grill it in the grilling pan.
You could grill it with a plain or bland taste and add a pinch of salt to have some taste. But if you want the dish to be outstanding, you could do some marination to it.
Marinate it in a soy sauce or oyster sauce, even in barbeque sauce, to add more flavors. Let it rest for an hour to let the pork liver absorb the marinade.
Preheat the grilling to perfect heat temperature, so it may cook to perfection when you cook the liver. You could also roast, bake, or even pan-fry it.
Ways to Cook
There are so many techniques to cook a particular dish like the Best Grilled Pork Liver. ANd to help you out, we provided some ways to cook your pork liver in what cook you desire.
Baked
Baking a pork liver is another perfect way to cook the protein aside from grilling. You have to preheat the oven until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then place the pork liver in the baking pan with other components and put it inside the oven for about 30 minutes. It also makes the pork liver to be more tender and juicy.
Roasted
Roasting your pork liver is a perfect way to maintain the protein tenderness and juiciness after cooking it. Before putting it in the oven:
Put some oil in a large skillet. Sear the pork liver for about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Afterward, put a foil in the roasting pan. Then, you could place it in the oven.
Roast the dish for 25 minutes in the oven with the heat temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Stovetop
Another way of cooking the featured dish is the stove. If you are not fond of grilling, you could use a stove method. It is a lot easier and faster than other ways of cooking the pork liver. You have to put a pan above the burner and start searing the pork liver until it becomes tender and juicy.
Other Delicious Variants and Recipes
Pork liver is a wonderful protein to work within your kitchen. You could experiment and discover many dishes to create to elevate a simple and humble dish.
Liver With Onions and Bacon Gravy
It is one of the great versions of the dish- the liver with onion and bacon. This version is not the ordinary one because it includes gravy or sauce in the dish.
Saute the onion and bacon, then add this dish and the stock. After simmering it for a few minutes, you could add the tomato sauce or ketchup and other seasonings. Simmer it again for a few minutes until the sauce becomes thick and flavorful.
Bacon is a slice of salt-cured pork made from different cuts, particularly in the belly. It is a very popular meat in the US and Canada. It has a great texture and flavor, which you would love to add to your dish.
Adobong Atay and Balunan
It is a different variation of the dish because you could add another component to the dish.
Adodo is a Philippine cuisine that uses vinegar as a souring agent instead of lemon or lime. It is a very popular dish served almost every day as a main dish. It involves seafood, meat, or vegetables marinated in soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves, garlic, onion, and black peppercorns.
Liver Steak (Bistek)
If you are not happy about grilling the pork liver alone, you could make it a liver steak. Wherein, you may saute the onion, garlic, and this dish for a few minutes since you cooked the pork liver into the grill. Then, add the mixture of soy sauce and lime or lemon to it. Afterward, simmer it for a few minutes until the sauce becomes thick.
Grilled pork liver with mushroom
It is a version where after grilling the pork liver, you could add the mushroom as a side dish. You could either saute the mushroom or grill it along with the pork liver.
Mushroom is an ingredient used in many cuisines and has many varieties to offer, notably in Korean, Chinese, European, and Japanese. It has a meaty and dense texture. It has a savory flavor known as umami, which is a unique kind of taste.
Pork Liver Barbecue
It is one of the very common versions of this dish, the pork liver barbecue. It is usually and commonly served during fiestas, birthdays, or even during Christmas and New Year.
In this version of the dish, you could put it in a stick, put it in a grill pan, and then cook it just how you grilled the whole pork liver. Don’t forget to marinate the liver before you put it in a stick and grill.
Trivia
Pork liver is a traditional dish eaten by Okinawan immigrants in Hawaii and served during New Year's Eve.
Etymologically speaking, "Liver" is an anatomical word in the Romance languages, derives from the culinary term "ficatum," which means "stuffed with figs," referring to the geese's livers fattened on figs.
Aside from its delicious taste and smell when cooked, it belongs to the protein dish group. Based on the dietary guidelines of the United States Department of Agriculture, you have to come at least 5 to 6 ounces of it daily.
It provides a great source of macronutrients you need for tissue and energy maintenance, including fat and protein. Pork liver also contains vitamins and minerals like iron, selenium, vitamin B-12, vitamin A and many more, which boost your health and fight nutrient deficiencies.
Did you know that liver is not good to eat by pregnant women? You read it right! It is because the liver contains a large number of vitamins, which might result in congenital disabilities.
Tips for cooking these recipes
Here are some useful tips for recreating the incredible featured dish.
- Choose the fresh pork liver when you purchase it in the market.
- When cooking the liver, make sure that you don’t overcook it because it would be rubbery and sandy.
- You could serve the pork liver as a side dish or beer food with your friends during night outs or picnics.
- Serve it when it's hot.
- If you want spiciness to the dish, you could add chili to it.
Troubleshooting
When you accidentally make mistakes when cooking the humble pork liver, saving it is your only option. So, we sought some saving tips to avoid ruining your dish so much.
- One great way to save your pork liver when you overcook it is to cook it in the liquid.
- Shred the pork liver and toss it in a flavorful sauce.
- Simmer the pork liver into a soup or stew.
Best Serve With
Our menu is not fun to eat alone, so we look for more dishes that complement the featured dish for a more exciting test to dwell your taste buds.
- Rice- is a dish complimenting this dish.
- Sausage gravy- is a gravy or sauce perfect for serving along with this dish.
- Braised Vegetables- is a vegetable dish perfect with the pork liver dish featured here.
- Vegetable Omelette is a dish that perfectly fits this dish because of its taste and flavor that complement the featured dish's delicate taste.
- Creamy Mixed vegetables- is another dish incorporating the smoky yet flavorful taste of the featured dish. Its creaminess complements the dish’s bland and salty flavor.
- Ginataang Bitsuelas- is a creamy vegetable dish that fits perfectly with the taste of the grilled liver.
- Broccoli Slaw- is another dish, surprisingly complimenting the featured dish’s flavor and taste.
- Eggplant Parmesan- is a dish with a great source of creamy, cheesy, and delightful taste, complimenting the dish’s smoky taste and flavor.
- Creamy Pasta Salad- is a pasta dish perfect for serving along with the pork liver dish.
- Fettuccine Alfredo- is another pasta dish that gives a highlight to the taste and delightful flavor of the dish.
- Pancit Cabagan- is a dish that makes this dish perfect for serving as a side dish to it. It complements the savory flavor of the featured dish.
- Odong- is a soup dish perfect for the featured recipes.
- Pancit Sotanghon- is a dish that makes the dish stand out among other dishes because of its delicate taste.
- Sotanghon Soup- is another soup fish perfect for serving along with the pork liver featured dish.
- Pancit Guisado- is another dish that could make the pork liver as a side dish or added component to the featured dish.
- Soda- is a perfect beverage to drink with this dish.
- Red wine- is the perfect drink to serve with the featured dish.
- Beer- is another alcoholic beverage that fits perfectly with the dish. It eliminates the dish gamey taste.
- Pineapple juice- is one of the most consumed drinks to serve with the featured dish.
- Mango Graham Cake- is a dessert perfect for eating along with this dish.
Custard Cake- is another sweet delicacy that is perfect with the savory dish featured here.
Conclusion
Pork liver is a rich and beautiful protein to cook, eat, and serve. It has a great texture and taste when you cook it right.
If you are not fond of innards like pork liver, yet you want to explore different flavors and tastes, you must try these featured recipes. It would allow you to recreate the dish in any way you want as long as you honor the protein, the pork liver.
You don’t have to stress yourself if you don’t know how to cook it because we provided all the data you need to make this dish better and outstanding.
If you are interested in different Filipino dishes, go through our websites www.eatlikepinoy.com for more recipes and information to recreate traditional and amazing Filipino recipes like our menu.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pig's liver cut into 1-inch thick
- ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Calamansi extract
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- ½ tablespoon Cooking oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine pig's liver, soy sauce, calamansi extract, salt and pepper.
- Then marinate on a fridge for 20 minutes. Set aside.
- Rub oil in a pan then apply heat.
- Once the pan is hot, grill the liver for 2 minutes per side over low heat.
- Slice into serving pieces then serve with your desired dipping sauce.
