Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

2

I always get grass-fed lamb liver from the same natural foods store and the last two times I've received something where I don't even know what animal it is. Both times it was frozen and looked liver-ish enough, but I end up actually disappointed when I thaw it and open up the package and am not greeted with that telltale liver stench.

The first time it was some non-descript meat in a bag that said "Australia Approved" so it could have been kangaroo for all I know.

The second time it was in a container, clearly marked as lamb liver but I have no idea what it was, but it wasn't liver and it wasn't whatever the first thing was.

Naturally, I ate whatever it was both times and I suppose that it was a good deal, given that liver is so much cheaper than any other cut, but what the heck?

flag	asked Jul 27 2011 at 22:07 Travis Culp♦ 39.7k●1●32●132

1

you are a brave man!! – Kelly Jul 27 2011 at 22:15

As long as it doesn't have hair on/in it, I'd eat it :) Uh - did'ja ask the store/butcher? – baconbitch Jul 27 2011 at 22:23

lol baconbitch - I think I just threw up a little in my mouth! – HeatherC Jul 27 2011 at 22:52

Nah, I was already cooking by the time I discovered this and as far as they knew, it was liver. – Travis Culp♦ Jul 27 2011 at 23:34

liver is prob one of the most expensive cuts of meat - are you sure we are talking liver here? – Louisa Jul 28 2011 at 4:48

UncleLongHair · Answer 1 · 2011-07-27 22:20:33Z UTC

I sometimes order from a relatively nearby farm through a buying group. I do definitely sometimes not get the cut that I ordered, and the cuts are generally not trimmed very well (i.e. a fair amount of gristle or other junk attached to the cut).

For example once I ordered hangar steak and got what was called a "flatiron" steak, which is a cut off of the shoulder that I don't like and is probably worth half as much. I ordered beef tongue, and got the tongue plus a big part of the "root" of the tongue which is not nearly as appealing, it is basically stew meat.

This kind of irks me, since they're charging me supermarket retail prices but including a bunch of junk, which is a mild rip-off, but it isn't a huge deal, maybe a few bucks here and there. I'd certainly prefer to have grass-fed beef along with quality butchering, but I haven't been able to find that (I'm in the Washington DC area, anyone got any suggestions?).

I have never ordered anything and thought "WTF is that". Grass-fed and free-range beef definitely tastes more gamey and sometimes livery, which I do like, but it is different than the grain-fed meat at the supermarket.

If you put beef liver, calf liver, and lamb's liver side by side, you could definitely tell the difference. I can spot the difference between beef and calf liver in a display case. But if you order liver and get something that is not even liver, that is not acceptable... did you eat it? There is no mistaking liver when you eat it IMHO.

If you are wondering, I would just call them and ask them. If you really think that you're being given mystery entrails, I think you need to order from somewhere else.

Ever Get Mystery Meat from a Butcher?

1 Answer