Life's busy, especially during the week, and finding time for a satisfying dinner can be a challenge. But who says quick can't be delicious and healthy? My fried pork liver recipe, paired with a vibrant garlic sauce and fluffy mashed potatoes, is the perfect solution for a tasty and effortless meal the whole family will enjoy.
Due to the high content of nutrients, vitamins (especially vitamin A and vitamin D) and iron, the liver is often considered a "superfood". So I try not to miss it from the family menu. For this recipe, the most indicated and suitable is to use pork liver because it is bigger than chicken or turkey, and we can work with it easier.
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If you have chicken or turkey liver, I recommend you try my sautéed chicken liver with onion or the turkey liver pate, and you will see that are so delicious.
Let's See What Ingredients We Need?
To create this flavorful liver dish, you'll need the following ingredients:
- Fresh Pork Liver: The star of the show! When buying, look for liver that is a rich reddish-brown colour and feels firm to the touch.
- Milk: Milk plays a crucial role in this recipe by soaking the liver. This process helps to tenderize the liver and remove any lingering bitterness, resulting in a more delicate flavour and texture.
- Sunflower Oil: Sunflower oil is used for frying the liver. It has a neutral flavour and a high smoke point, making it an excellent choice for achieving a crispy exterior without imparting any unwanted taste.
- Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper: These are the essential seasoning agents. Sea salt enhances the natural flavors of the liver and garlic sauce, while freshly ground pepper adds a touch of warmth and complexity. The amount used can be adjusted to personal preference.
For the garlic sauce I will need:
- Garlic: Garlic is a powerhouse of flavour, adding a pungent and aromatic element to both the liver and the sauce. It complements the richness of the liver beautifully, creating a well-balanced taste.
- Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt contributes creaminess and a slight tang to the garlic sauce. Its thick texture helps to create a luscious coating for the fried liver.
- Sweet Paprika: Sweet paprika adds a subtle sweetness and a hint of smoky flavour to the sauce. It also contributes a vibrant reddish hue, making the sauce more visually appealing.
- Warm Water: Warm water is used to thin the garlic sauce to the desired consistency. It helps to combine the other ingredients smoothly, creating a harmonious blend of flavours.
See recipe card for quantities.
Preparing the Livers
First, let's prepare the liver. Slice it into pieces of roughly 1 cm (0.4 inches) thickness to ensure they cook evenly. If you cut them too thin, they'll become tough. Also, trim off any unwanted bits, like parts of the digestive tract, so you're left with just the clean liver.
Place the liver slices in a bowl and pour one cup of milk over them. Refrigerate and allow them to soak for 1-2 hours. While this step is optional and many cooks omit it, I find that soaking the liver in milk significantly improves its flavour and texture. It reduces the pungent taste, minimizes bitterness, and results in a much softer texture.
You must try this method; the difference is remarkable. I guarantee you'll be delighted with the results.
Preparing the Garlic Sauce
While the liver is soaking, let's get started on the garlic sauce. It's super simple. Just peel the garlic cloves and crush them in a bowl or cup.
Season the crushed garlic with half a teaspoon of sea salt and a quarter teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
Slowly pour a tablespoon of sunflower oil into the crushed garlic, mixing as you go, kind of like making mayonnaise. Mix it until it forms a smooth paste, then add a big spoonful of Greek yogurt.
To give it a nice colour and extra flavour, I mix in half a teaspoon of sweet paprika. Then, I add 2-3 tablespoons of warm water to thin it out, so the garlic isn't too strong and you can still taste the liver.
How to Make the Fried Pork Liver Recipe?
Watch the video below to see how I perfectly fried these pork livers.
Drying the Livers
After soaking, take the liver slices out and dry them really well with a kitchen towel. It's important to get them very dry, or the oil will splatter all over the kitchen when you fry them.
To maintain a tender texture, season the liver exclusively with freshly ground black pepper. Salt it after frying. Pre-salting will cause the liver to release moisture and become tough.
How to Fry the Pork Livers?
Heat about 75 ml of sunflower oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat, and then add the liver slices. Because liver can splatter oil quite a bit, I score the slices with a few shallow cuts beforehand.
It's crucial not to over-fry the liver; otherwise, it will become tough. Cook each side for just a minute or two, until it reaches a rich, browned colour.
When the slices are cooked through, I transfer them to a bowl. I season them with sea salt and proceed to fry the rest of the liver. Add additional oil to the pan as necessary.
And there you have it, my fried pork liver recipe! Timea's Kitchen style. Make sure to serve it right away while it's nice and hot.
Variations
There are plenty of variations you can make to your fried pork liver recipe to customize it to your taste or try something new. Here are a few ideas how to spices it up::
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the garlic sauce for a kick.
- Incorporate a dash of smoked paprika into the liver seasoning for a smoky flavour.
- Add some chili oil to the finished dish.
Serving This Great Dish
Serving fried pork livers can be as simple or elaborate as you like. Here are some ideas for how to present and pair your dish:
- Mashed Potatoes and Garlic Sauce: This is a traditional and comforting combination. Serve the fried liver slices over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and generously drizzle with your homemade garlic sauce.
- Bread and a Side Salad: A simple, rustic approach. Serve the liver with crusty bread for dipping in the sauce and a light, fresh side salad for balance.
- Rice: Plain white rice, or a more flavourful rice pilaf, is a good way to soak up any extra sauce.
- Roasted Vegetables: Pair the liver with roasted vegetables like carrots, potatoes, onions, and bell peppers. The sweetness of the roasted vegetables complements the savoury liver.
- Sautéed Greens: Sautéed spinach (or Creamed Spinach), kale, or Swiss chard with garlic and olive oil adds a healthy and flavourful side dish.
- Polenta: Creamy polenta is a great alternative to mashed potatoes. It provides a smooth, comforting base for the fried liver and sauce.
How to Store the Leftover Fried Livers?
Storing leftover fried pork liver properly is important for food safety and maintaining its quality. For this, let the cooked liver cool to room temperature before storing it. This usually takes about 20-30 minutes.
Use airtight containers or resealable plastic bags to store the leftover liver, but glass or BPA-free plastic containers are ideal. If using plastic bags, squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing.
Store the cooled liver in the refrigerator at a temperature of 40°F (4°C) or below and it should be consumed within 3-4 days.
FAQ
Whether or not to boil liver before frying depends on your preference and the specific recipe you're following. Boiling is more common when dealing with beef liver, and less common when dealing with pork or chicken liver.
In the case of pork liver, like in my recipe, I prefer to soak it in milk and then directly fry it. This method helps to tenderize the liver, and remove any unwanted strong tastes, without the risk of overcooking that boiling can cause.
Pork liver cooks very quickly. The ideal frying time is typically 1 to 2 minutes per side. This timeframe usually results in a tender and juicy liver.
The liver should be cooked until it's browned on the outside, but still slightly pink in the center (if desired: For food safety it needs to reach 165F internal temperature).
It's crucial not to overcook pork liver, as it can quickly become tough and rubbery. Look for a browned exterior and a slight firmness to the touch.
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Related
If you like my fried pork liver recipe, I also recommend you try other quick recipes made in the pan from our blog, such as:
Fried Pork Liver Recipe
Equipment
- 1 bowl
- 1 Frying Pan
Ingredients
For Livers
- 660 g pork liver fresh
- 1 teaspoon sea salt kosher
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper freshly ground
- 1 cup milk
- 100 ml sunflower oil
Garlic Sauce
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon Greek yoghurt full fat
- ½ teaspoon sea salt kosher
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- 3 tablespoon warm water
Instructions
- Slice the livers into the same thickness pieces at least 1 cm / 0.4 inch thick and remove if certain pieces of the digestive tract or other organs are attached.
- Put the slices of liver in a bowl, pour a cup of milk on them and let them soak for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.
- Take out the liver slices from the milk and dry them well on a kitchen towel.
- Season the liver only with freshly ground black pepper without adding sea salt.
- In a non-stick pan, heat the sunflower oil at medium temperature and then fry the liver slices only a minute or two on each side until it acquires a copper colour.
- Take them out in a bowl and now season them with sea salt.
- Crush the garlic cloves in a bowl, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix it with a tablespoon of oil, poured little by little like from mayonnaise, until you get a softer paste
- Add the Greek yoghurt, the sweet paprika and mix further. Thin it with 2-3 tablespoons of water.
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