Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Would there be any nutritional benefit in adding beef liver to the crock pot when making beef bone broth? I don't plan on eating the liver, I just want to consume the broth. I'm wondering if the minerals from the liver will get into broth like the nutrients from the bones when cooked on low for 24 hours. Has anyone done this?

edited Feb 14 2012 at 3:39

asked Oct 29 2011 at 18:42

Wcc Kamal Stabby fan
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"everything but the kitchen sink" is my approach. I include bones--raw including marrow and leftover cooked ones. After the first 6-8 hours I scoop out the marrow and blend it into the broth. I like to chill it overnight and cook another 8 hours on day 2, which is when veggies go in. If I run out of meat (I really should call mine boiled dinners, but the broth qualifies as bone broth) before veggies and broth, I slice raw cheap cuts of fatty beef and cook another 6-8. – Nance Oct 29 2011 at 19:36

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Oh, and every helping I eat has a liberal portion of the rich broth but I still "frost" the plate with a little grass fed butter. – Nance Oct 29 2011 at 19:37

January · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-29 18:53:17Z UTC

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I don't have a nutrition recommendation, but Julia Child always said that liver will make broths and gravies bitter (just for information's sake).

answered Oct 29 2011 at 18:53

January
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I second this!! – henny Oct 29 2011 at 18:57

but doesn't the "bitter" taste stimulate digestion? – justin Oct 29 2011 at 21:16

I have heard that about bitter tastes, but haven't looked into it personally. I've always read that animals that don't feel well seek out bitter plants for their medicinal qualities; maybe they're seeking them out just because bitter tastes stimulate the digestive tract. – January Oct 30 2011 at 18:18

My dog does this when she's ill - snuffles around for bitter grasses. – MayaBee Dec 20 2011 at 21:05

Thanks TeaElf, I never did add liver to any of my bone stocks. I started eating pate and braunschweiger instead as a way to incorporate liver info my diet. – Wcc Kamal Stabby fan Jan 27 2012 at 2:51

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Huey · Answer 2 · 2011-10-29 19:27:13Z UTC

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SLow cooked liver just doesn't sound good to me. If it's seared and added at the last minute, that's better. I remember fixing a batch of tripe with chicken liver that way. Added texture, believe it or not. Tasted great.

answered Oct 29 2011 at 19:27

Huey
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	Don't knock it 'til you try it! I usually fry my liver in bacon fat, but a little water to steam it at the end helps to remove any strong flavor and liver in a slow-cooked dinner is very mild. – Nance Oct 29 2011 at 19:39
	Me too Huey- I just quickly sear it to medium rare and that way it stays tender and tasty. I didn't like it when I was young but apparently enought taste buds have died in m old age to make it taste quite good. My Mum used to use grated orange peel to make it smell better. – henny Oct 29 2011 at 21:19

PaleoDog · Answer 3 · 2011-12-21 07:03:30Z UTC

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Quite simply I think you'll get the most benefit from eating your liver, otherwise you'll be losing all the great fat soluble vitamins (unless of course you use the fat from your broth, admittingly I discard most of it).

answered Dec 21 2011 at 7:03

PaleoDog
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sage_ · Answer 4 · 2011-10-29 18:49:45Z UTC

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i sometime poach liver in the simmering broth with some greens and eat that as a separate meal.

answered Oct 29 2011 at 18:49

sage_
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Namby Pamby · Answer 5 · 2011-10-29 19:20:07Z UTC

I put diced liver into my bone broth. If you don't mind the taste of liver, it's quite all right. Well, what I call bone broth is actually soup made with bone broth. I also put: diced stir fry beef and liver (not grass-fed); yuca; carrots; broccoli; zucchini; and butternut squash.

For my bone broth, I get about 2 lbs. of marrow bones (not grass fed) which I boil for about 2-3 hours with a cup of vinegar. I stop when the marrows come out and throw away the bones then.

Then I mix the bone broth base with the soup (the ratio is 1:8 broth to soup). Spray some salt, black pepper, and turmeric. When I'm ready to have a bowl of soup, I also add some Nori, more turmeric, and a tablespoon of Gold's beet horseradish (ingredients: salt, vinegar and grated beets). Sometimes I also put some kale and a tablespoon of EVOO, which gives the soup more richness, as if you would need it!

http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=389534&storeId=10052&langId=-1

This has enabled me to bypass all nightshade spices like paprika, cayenne pepper, chili, and red pepper powder, all of which I would have thought I never could do away with. How fast our palette can change. (Also, I use yuca, not potatoes.) The resulting bone broth soup lasts for 1 to 1.5 weeks: by 2 weeks, you can smell something spoiling (but I used to still eat it anyway, hoping it was veggies not the meat).

The only thing I plan on changing is to get grass-fed marrow bones, diced meats and liver. Too hard to find now and I don't order enough for mail order. The Whole Foods in my area only sell grass-fed ground beef and some cuts. Too much work to dice them.

Joshua · Answer 6 · 2012-02-14 04:27:41Z UTC

Any time someone suggests overcooking liver, I'm reminded of the scene in LOTR when Samwise stews up the rabbit...

Gollum "What's it doing? You'll RUINS IT! STUPID FAT HOBBIT!"
(I am NOT suggesting you are stupid, fat, or a hobbit - or any combination thereof. If you are, it's purely coincidental :-) )

Followed by this gem (Was Gollum raw paleo?)

Gollum "Oh yes, we could! Spoiling nice fish! Give it to us raw, and wriggling! You keep nasty chips!"

Liver is best served with a pinkish center. Most of us who have bad childhood memories of gritty, rubbery, bitter liver and onions, was not due to eating bad liver, but having mothers that cooked it (and everything else, gymsock boiled cabbage anyone?), way too long. A better way to sneak liver into your food is to grind up about 4oz of liver into a pound of beef and make a heavily seasoned dish like chili with it. OR, to do as you said, eat liverwurst or pate.

Erik · Answer 7 · 2011-12-20 17:48:00Z UTC

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I know there is a huge difference between grass-fed and grain-fed muscle meats, but is there enough additional benefit to go out of my way for grass-fed marrow bones?

Thanks in advance!

answered Dec 20 2011 at 17:48

Erik
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I can't site any direct research for you - but my instincts have always told me that yes, grass fed bones would be best - surely a grain fed diet would affect more than just the muscle meat? I always ask my farmer to add marrow and soup bones in with my grass-fed order. – MayaBee Dec 20 2011 at 21:09

AndyM · Answer 8 · 2011-12-20 19:28:46Z UTC

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I'm reluctant about discarding the dessicated meat hanging off the carcass and mushy veg, I really don't think I could throw away liver.

answered Dec 20 2011 at 19:28

AndyM
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harry · Answer 9 · 2012-11-18 18:21:06Z UTC

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better cook like the mothers than risk food poisoning, me thinks the mothers were right

answered Nov 18 at 18:21

harry
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Adding liver in bone broth?

9 Answers