The Absolute Best Way To Soak Liver Before Using It In Your Dishes

Not everyone is used to cooking or eating liver, however, this highly nutritional cut of lean organ meat is delicious when prepared correctly. It's also one of the more affordable beef products out there. To get the inside scoop on how to get liver ready for the cooking, we spoke to Ryan Ratino, critically acclaimed chef and restaurateur. Ratino is the force behind Hive Hospitality's two-Michelin-starred Jônt and one-Michelin-starred Bresca, Maass at Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale, and Ômo by Jônt, so he knows his liver.

According to Ratino, you need to "always brine to remove [the] iron and blood flavor." By soaking it in a salt, milk, water mixture, you'll be able to purge the meat of any intensely carnal flavors. He recommends making your soak with 50% water and 50% milk, along with 1.5% of salt. So if you're soaking your liver in 2 cups of liquid, you would add ½ tablespoon of salt.

It's crucial to brine your meat to remove those strong iron-blood flavors. No one wants the taste of metal in their mouth when eating. Brining is also important because it tenderizes the meat and improves its overall texture. When brining, let the liver soak for 30 to 60 minutes in a covered container or zip-top bag in your fridge. But none of this matters, if you don't start with good meat. "In general," Ratino says, "liver needs to be very, very fresh and the temperature of it [should be] controlled to ensure quality."

Although liver has fallen out of popularity over the past few decades, it's a classic cooking ingredient that is slowly making a comeback. Liver and onion is a fairly simple dish that's especially good for people who are not used to eating the organ since it's masked under the beef stock and gravy. Adding liver to your diet has a lot of benefits: It's packed with protein and vitamins, and with a little bit of patience and creative cooking, you'll be sure to find an iteration of flavors you and your family will love.