Frizzled Onions, Roundhouse Kicks, and Liver Tragedies

I Made (and ate) Liver and Onions with video reactions

I made and ate liver and onions. By choice. This all started with my bold declaration that I wanted to eat more organs in 2026!! These endeavors have been—dare I say—fun. And genuinely interesting thus far.

Back in the summer, I bought a package of liver at the farmers’ market, fully convinced I’d eat a little every week to give myself a roundhouse kick of nutrients and finally free myself from a countertop overrun with supplements. Well, I didn’t. I got cold feet. I forgot. Life happened. And that liver sat in my freezer, quietly taunting me for months! So, finding myself deep in this self-imposed eat more organs pickle, I decided it was time. I decided that I would try to make the classic liver and onions.

The Onions

They are not caramelized and not fried; frizzled is the correct term. Crispy charred edges and a tender center. I cut the onions into rings because I thought it made this whole operation a little more…fun🥴?

Heat up some butter and oil in a pan and toss the onions in. Add a pinch of salt and let them frizzle, stir occasionally so they don’t turn completely into charcoal. (Although, this wouldn’t be the worst thing.)

When the onions are done cooking, add a splash of vinegar to the pan and deglaze.

How to deglaze: Add liquid (wine, vinegar, stock) to the pan and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown caramelized bits AKA fond and stir them into the onions. The fond is flavor residue, and we MUST not waste it.

If the fond is starting to turn black, it is burning. Leave the black bits alone and focus on scraping up the brown.

Add half a cup of beef broth to the pan and let the onions and fond simmer for a few minutes. The sauce will be on the runny side, think au jus, not gravy.

After you have au jus-ed, remove the onions from the pan. We will keep these on deck and generously spoon them over our liver. Are you so excited that you can’t contain yourself?! Good.

The Liver

I sourced my liver from a local farm; it was dirt cheap. The chosen method to cook this liver was to dredge it in a little flour with some spices and then fry it in lots of butter and serve it with our to-die-for onions. We did the onions first because they need a lot more time to cook than the liver. I have to assume that overcooking the liver would be nothing short of a tragedy.

Why we dredge: Dredging is a technique used to lightly coat moist foods with flour, breadcrumbs, or cornmeal before frying or pan-frying (what we are doing). The coating helps keep the moisture inside, and the outside gets nice and crispy. Nobody wants soggy liver🤓.

Make sure your pan is HOT, then add a blob (official term of measurement) of butter and sear your liver on both sides. Mine was cut extremely thin, so it only took about two minutes on each side.

The Plating

First, the liver, then a heaping pile of onions on top, a little extra touch of sauce because why not, and that’s all folks, we are ready to eat. When I say we, I mean me. I will eat the liver and onions. You will sit with your popcorn in hand, enjoy the show.

Should you perhaps make some boiled potatoes or some roasted carrots to enjoy with your meal? Yes, I think that would be nice. But mentally, I was not in the mindset to sit down and have a meal with a glass of wine and a cloth napkin. I stood up at the kitchen counter and ate my liver and onions.

For the video reaction, go here!

Aren’t you dying to know what the verdict is?

What did I think of the liver and onions?

Well, I ate it. I didn’t like it per say but I definitely didn’t hate it either. The texture was more pleasurable than I expected, soft and tender on the inside and a little crisp on the outside (thank you, flour dredge). The flavor was earthy and beefy with a heavy dose of onion. BUT there was a hint of something off-putting. A touch of metallic taste, not like sucking on a penny, more of a deep-rooted tang of metal, with a hint of bitterness.

I am JUST remembering now🤦‍♀️ that I was supposed to soak the liver in milk to help tenderize it (although it was pretty tender), the milk also helps remove the bitterness.

Hmmmmm, do I make liver and onions again just to try it?

I think I won’t do that. I may, however, taste it again if it ever crosses my path. Maybe it’s the special at a restaurant or someones Nanna is cooking it for Sunday dinner… I promise to be a willing participant. I will not be cooking it in my own home; once was enough.

For the full video reaction, go here!

Overall, the flavor and texture were not bad. I think whilst I was chewing, I got in my head a little bit and started to psych myself out about the fact that I was eating liver and liver is supposed to be gross and weird. I knew I was doing it when it was happening, but I could not wrangle my brain enough to bring myself back to the present moment and focus on the eating experience at hand, and not what I thought it should be.

Today was a lot, and I thank you for coming along for the ride. Please share with anyone who has eaten liver and onions and wants a touch of nostalgia. I know you are out there! DON’T sleep on those onions, they would be the perfect addition to a steak, some sausage, or thrown in your scrambled eggs with gruyere cheese for something extra tasty!

Cheers,

Nicole | Butter Cult