Liver ala Wonderful
by: Gary Sorenson
Since Tom has approached this subject I really need to clarify my stance. Yes it was true that Dad was one of the few that loved liver in camp and I happened to be one of the others. There was probably three of us that loved it, four or five that could eat it and the rest despised it. I learned a long time ago not to bring that stuff home anymore, so I was often the guilty party that would come dragging this delicacy back to Chef Dad. By the time he got done frying it up in butter and drowning it in fried onions, just the smell of it could lift me out of the deepest darkest hole in the mountains and make me feel almost human again. That is when its best anyway, when its fresh. Since dad is gone now, it didn’t bother me too bad when the Dr. informed me liver is something to stay away from because of cholesterol, because no one could fry it like Dad anyway. Still miss it though.
I Should tell you a little happening though with one of our supposed liver haters. Ed was new in our camp this year and he informed us early on that he could eat about anything, but not liver. I don’t know if he was just informing us or threatening us or what, but he made it quite clear that his pallet was not inclined towards liver. Ed wasn’t real familiar with our hunting area so it was no surprise one night when we got to counting noses that Ed turned up missing. Dad had fixed liver and onions that night which meant I was successful and it also meant three of us were very happy and also there was plenty left over. We sat around that evening making small talk and maybe stretching a story or two but there comes a time when you better hit the hay if you plan on embracing the mountain again in the morning. None of us were too worried about Ed as we figured if he didn’t show up before morning then there would be plenty of time to worry about him then. Well, sure enough, around 1:00 in the morning in staggers Ed, and one thing we all became very aware of was that Ed was starved. If you really need something I guess there is no benefit to stay still about it. Anyway Dad got out of the sack and stoked the fire and warmed up the liver and onions and fried tators and heaped them up all together on Eds plate. The four of us that where sleeping in the cook tent sat there in amazement as that heap of food including the despised liver, just plain disappeared. Between bites Ed was telling us of his adventures of the day, but that never seemed to slow him down much. When he got done he wiped the last drippings up with some bread and says, “man, that was the best meal I’ve ever had and that meat was so tender and good, who brought the meat in any way?” So Dad informed him that I had brought the meat in from the elk I’d killed and that it indeed was very good liver.  Its pretty easy to get a blank look from an awake person at 1:00 in the morning, but just a second before Ed’s look was one of total contentment and gratitude. Evidently at this point there wasn’t much more to say as he shuffled off to find his tent, but I’ve decided since then that a lot of our taste buds are connected to our thought process, and if we think about something too long we could find a reason to not like it. But if hunger is the ruling power, we learn to like things pretty fast as our stomach seeks satisfaction faster then our minds can work sometimes. Later we may even find out we like it.
Please don’t test this theory on me with brains and kidneys though as I may fail this test. I know I would with frog legs!!
7 Responses to “Liver ala Wonderful”
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Once while guiding a hunter on a backcountry Idaho mule deer hunt, he suggested that I bring the liver from a deer he had killed back to camp. I am NOT a liver fan, but told him I’d try it as he said he had a special recipe. Once at camp, he cut the liver into strips and soaked it in cold water for most of the evening, then, around the campfire, pulled it out along with some tortillas and proceeded to eat it raw! Well, I wasn’t too excited but I had told him I would try it. Wow, was it good! Nobody else would try it so he and I sat around the campfire and ate the whole thing. Probably not a great idea in these times of CWD, but I’m glad I tried it. MMMMM.
Whoa Cory! Thats a little much but I believe it reinforces the theory that if the mind is tired enough it will let things slip to the taste buds that it normally protects. You must have been thouroughly exhausted friend!
My wife was raised thinking she hated venison. Her mother got really sick after a meal of venison when she was pregnant, and she raised her kids thinking it was awful. Of course this would not fly in our family, since I grew up eating venison for every Sunday dinner. One Sunday we were over at my parents and my mom had fixed up a venison roast. My wife had no idea it was venison and she ate her entire serving. After dinner she commented that it was the best roast she had ever tasted. She asked my mom where she had bought the meat, and my dad told her “this meat is from our favorite hunting spot”. Brandi was shocked that she loved venison so much, and she has been hooked ever since.
My sisters used to despise venison when we were growing up. So then we started sneaking it into certain dishes, and they would clean their plates and never say a word. Then, once we finally broke it to them what it was they decided they didn’t mind it after all.
Liver though? Yuck. I’ve tried it, and I’m not a fan. But if I was starving, like Ed, I’d eat it.
Hey Gary my dad loved liver also, and it was one of my favorite meals while at camp. We usually would have two or three deer down opening day, and that evening would be our liver/heart feast. My dad would “bread” them both, and fry em in a cast iron skillet smothered in onions. I can smell them tasty morsels now. The heart was always a little chewy, but there was never any leftovers. We always had a good sized hunting crew, and I honestly can’t remember anyone not liking the liver. A few guys had an issue with the heart, but I enjoyed them both. I’d give a million bucks to have my dad fry me some up again, and I bet you would too. Course I’d have to get a million dollars first!
Gary,
I grew up eating liver the night we were successful on our coastal blacktails. However I never went out of my way to eat it. If we wanted dinner that night, we ate liver.
Now I am more inclined to not eat it unless there is someone in camp who is specifically requesting liver and more importantly is willing to do the preparation.
I don’t think my kids will inherit a love of liver. (although I have slipped ‘em som heart fajitas..) I doubt I will push the issue either.
I don’t love liver – gives me flashbacks from the overcooked fare my mother offered up when we were kids. Even the bacon wrapping couldn’t save it – we’d strip off the bacon and toss bites of liver into napkins when the parents weren’t looking.
But I keep trying it, hoping to love it some day. Disguise it and I’ll love it. Duck liver ravioli? All over it!