Patty Mae's Smothered Beef Liver
By Addie
"If you like liver, you will LOVE this way of cooking it. Easy and delicious. If you don't like liver, try this and you might learn to LIKE it." - PATTY MAE
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 pound beef liver
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Preparation
Step 1
1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until soft, but not browned. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon, and set aside. Slice the liver into serving size pieces, and remove any membrane.
2. In a shallow dish, mix together the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the liver in the flour mixture, and place into the hot skillet. Brown the liver quickly on each side. Place reserved onions on top of liver pieces. Pour the tomato sauce and water over everything in the pan, lifting the liver pieces to let the tomato sauce coat the bottom of the pan.
3. Sprinkle the oregano over everything, and simmer over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Be careful not to overcook, or liver will be tough. I serve this with mashed potatoes and green beans.
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REVIEWS:
I made this recipe up after eating everyone else's dried out liver. This is a great way to make liver, but DON'T OVERCOOK. The recipe doesn't state to simmer with a cover on, but please do this so the sauce will not reduce very much. Also, keep the flame on low while simmering. Good luck and I hope you like this recipe.
This is soooo yummy! Not to mention easy! Instead of using regular tomato sauce, I used garlic tomato sauce! I've never had such soft liver. Mmmm...
If you don't like beef liver, you probably have always had the moisture pan fried out of it and then topped with greasy onions. This method is the ONLY way to eat liver: dredged in flour, browned quickly, then braised low heat briefly in liquid. Try it with tomato soup if you don't have sauce, or season it like swiss steak.
I love beef liver and nothing is better then beef liver smothered. I make this once a week for breakfast or dinner. I change it a bit by using the oil in the pan after frying then add a little more flour with water to make a brown gray mix with the liver. great with rice and peas or dinner or grits and eggs for breakfast. family favorite and its a healthy meal as well.
I try to be liberal in my reviews of recipes that turn out badly, but this recipe simply has no redeeming qualities. And before you jump to conclusions, yes, I like liver. This recipe simply did nothing for it.
I have never bothered to rate recipes I use. But this one deserves my opinion. I and my family are use to the old time recipe of lots of onion and bury it in gravy. This was a great change and excellent taste.
An excellent alternative to traditional liver and onions. Family loved it.
This is one GREAT recipe. Thanks for sharing it.
An excellent alternative to traditional liver and onions. Family loved it.
We love the traditional Liver and Onions buried in brown gravy, but I decided to try this recipe. DELICIOUS AND SO TENDER. I may make the traditional type of dish as a change, but this is definitely going to be my favorite way to prepare liver and onions. I did make a few changes due to using what I had on hand: Used can of tomato soup and 1/4 cup water (misread the recipe). I mince/freeze 2 onions to a quart bag, so I used a bag of minced onions. Didn't have oregano, but substituted Italian seasoning and added 1/2 tsp of garlic powder. I told my husband that we were having ITALIAN BEEF LIVER. He also loved the flavor and tenderness of the liver.
Absolutely great! Served it to people that said they did not like beef liver and they loved it. Instead of tomato sauce I just used a jarred artichoke pesto spaghetti sauce and served over spaghetti.
Such great flavor and so very tender. My daughter and I enjoyed it very much.
As a first time liver eater/cooker I was rather scared of screwing up and wanted to find a way to cook it so I might actually enjoy it. This suited me quite well. I have become a firm believer in cooking low and slow and it worked well for this as well. The meat was not dry and the tomato sauce helped with the strong taste (until I got a rather thick chunk and then I was just done). My boyfriend, who has always enjoyed liver, thought this turned out well as well. In my opinion, this is a great way to try liver for the first time if you're nervous of the strong taste.
This was pretty good. The tomato flavor threw me off though.
Good, but too much oregano.
This was my first time attempting eating or cooking liver. The flavor was fantastic but the texture was awful. Is this an inescapable feature of liver? Each bite started wonderfully and ended horribly.
We had it over spaghetti. Husband liked it and 9 year old ate it without a problem (though I still personally can't stand liver, though this was better than other times I've tried it)
First time I do this recipe and it came out pretty good and tender! I simmered it for exactly 10 minutes. Great idea for people needing protein, like geriatrics who are anemic and also cannot chew that well.
This was excellent but as always I made a few changes. Like Patty Mae, I instinctively covered the pan while letting the liver simmer & added a few spices to the flour mixture: 1/4 tsp powdered thyme, a pinch of paprika and a pinch of rubbed sage. Also used canned, crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. I have never had such soft, tender liver. Thank you.
I like liver, but this is the first time I've cooked it, and, the first time I've eaten it without gravy. Cooked as written. Very easy and very good.
Delicious! I was amazed how yummy this was. I tweaked the recipe a bit. I used 2 onions, the liver was broiled (kosher style), so I tried to minimize the frying and simmering. As soon as it was fried. I added the onions and the sauce (10.5 oz) which had mushrooms in it (ground up)and heated everything through. Then I just simmered for about 2-3 mins. Served whith fresh french fries and ... Surprise!!!
This was really good, but for liver to be really tender and lose the strong flavor it needs to be marinated in plain or nonfat MILK for at least 15 or up to 60 minutes. This takes all the nasty strong flavor out, makes it fork tender and will be delicious any way you cook it. I used to hate the taste of liver, but once I discovered this secret, I can now eat it just seasoned with a little garlic salt & pepper & quickly pan fried in oil oil & butter (and put into a sandwich). Do this before any type of preparation and it will be DELISH!! As a side note; I have even left it sitting in milk overnight because after I started to prepare it I got a last minute invite to go out, and it was still wonderful the next day!! I just put plastic over the bowl & popped into the fridge... It was So tender & Yummy!!
This was great. I have always been afraid to make liver though I do enjoy it in restaurants. I decided to give this a try. The liver came out great and on par with anything I would get out. Thank you for sharing.
Excellent way to cook beef liver, I just made it for the first time this way and it is very tasty and tender.
Never was one for liver, but decided to give the kids a taste and see how they like their first introduction to Liver and Onions. Great recipe! Amazed at how much the Oregano gives the Liver a nice taste.
WOW!!! Delicious and easy to make, love it.