Offal provokes strong love it or hate it reactions among most people. Some are haunted by pieces of chewy liver for school dinner or the smell of their grandmother boiling tripe. Meanwhile, others relish the thought of a rich steak and kidney pudding, the melting delicacy of stewed tongue, or a freshly-prepared haggis.
Offal History
The British palate’s relationship with offal has been equally up and down over the centuries. The Anglo-Saxons were careful to use every part of the animal, including the organs. By the Middle Ages, these organs were cooked with all sorts of spices and dried fruits for the wealthier classes or cooked as “humble pie” and eaten by the poor. It was a handy way to get around church rules prohiting the consumption of meat on certain days. Fast forward to the 18th century, and offal was far less fashionable. An increasing number of people saw it as waste, the inedible leftovers.
This attitude changed again within another two hundred years. The “waste not, want not” attitude towards food during the Second World War made sure that, once again, cooks were carefuly to use whatever parts of the animal they were fortunate to find. Kidneys, liver, and so on were available quite cheaply and were quite nutritious.
Once the war was over and rationing had eventually ended, these pieces of the animal fell out of favour again. Many who grew up in the 70s have memories of grey liver, laden with gristle and cooked until it resembled shoe leather. Sadly, that coloured many people’s opinions. In recent years, however, kidneys, liver, tongue, and other parts of an animal’s innards can be found on menus again and a new generation is learning to appreciate them.
Nutritional Value
Contrary to its reputation as waste, offal is rich in nutrients. Liver is full of vitamins, iron, zinc, and copper, while tongue is a good source of protein. The kidneys in today’s recipe are low in fat, high in protein, and rich in B vitamins, as well as zinc and iron. So enjoy.
Devilled Beef Kidneys
This recipe for devilled beef kidneys makes a tasty and budget-friendly supper. It serves 3-4 people and is a complete meal when accompanied by a salad. The addition of bacon and mushrooms is optional, but I recommend it. Any leftovers are delicious the next day.
- 1 lb beef kidney
- 2 tbs flour
- cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper
- 4 rashers streaky bacon (optional)
- half cup of chopped onion
- half tsp English mustard powder
- 2 tbs tomato puree
- 3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 8 oz water
- 4 oz button mushrooms, chopped finely (optional)
- fresh parsley
- crusty bread
Carefully trim the kidney, removing all white parts, and cutting into bite-sized chunks. Add a small amount of cayenne pepper (more depending on your desired level of kick), salt, and pepper to the flour. Sprinkle the flour mix over the kidney pieces and stir to coat.
Cut the bacon into small pieces and heat in a frying pan until starting to brown. Add the chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until the onion has softened.
Add the flour-coated kidneys to the pan, along with the mustard powder, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, water, and mushrooms. Bring the mix to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes. The sauce will thicken during this time.
Serve the kidneys spooned on top of thick slices of buttered toast, with a sprinkling of parsley and a side salad.
