In many regions of the world, offal is considered a delicacy appreciated by the best chefs. In Poland, their consumption has significantly decreased over the last decades and they are often considered to be of lower quality. Which is not entirely true. In some respects, they surpass even the highest quality meat.
Offal includes, in principle, all edible parts of slaughter animals, e.g. liver, kidneys, brains, hearts, tongues or legs. In addition to a variety of dishes, they prepare offal cold cuts, such as black pudding, head cheese, pates, and liver sausages.
Advantages
Offal is a real vitamin bomb and an excellent source of minerals. It’s hard to find any other food that supplies them in such quantities. You should reach for offal, among others, because of:
- Iron, vitamin B12 and Folic acid – the whole package necessary for the proper production of erythrocytes. Therefore, offal is especially indicated in anemia caused by deficiency of these compounds.
- Protein – in this respect, they are not inferior to meat, a 100-gram portion provides about 20 grams of wholesome protein.
- Zinc, Copper – These elements are necessary for the proper course of many processes in the body. Thanks to them, the skin, hair and nails also stay in good condition.
- Vitamins– offal supplies a significant amount vitamin A. and vitamins z group B (especially B2), and to a lesser extent also vitamins: C i D
- Omega-3 fatty acids – in offal we can find relatively large amounts of these valuable ink acids.
Their price can certainly be considered an advantage, we will pay just a few zlotys per kilogram.
Disadvantages
Although offal provides many valuable nutrients, it also has its drawbacks. For this reason, we should eat them in moderation. One or 2 servings a week is a reasonable amount that will provide valuable compounds for the body, and on the other hand will not have negative effects.
Daily consumption cholesterol should not exceed 300 mg, while a hundred gram portion of liver or kidneys provides nearly 400 mg of it. Brains, which contain more than 2500 mg of cholesterol, are a kind of record holder in this field.
Offal should be kept to a minimum by people suffering from gout, due to its high content bitethat lead to exacerbation of the symptoms of this disease. The high content is also a problem vitamin A. in the liver. Deficiencies of this vitamin are very rare, it is much easier to get an excess of it, which can be harmful. Pregnant women should be especially careful, because too much vitamin A intake may damage the fetus.
Liver
It is the most frequently chosen offal, probably mainly due to the fact that most people have less resistance to eating it than in the case of the kidneys or the brain. In addition, its taste goes well with many products. We can choose from poultry, veal, beef and pork livers. All of them have a relatively similar calorific value (about 120-140 kcal), but they differ in the content of vitamins and minerals. Veal liver contains the most zinc and copper, beef has the most folate and vitamins B2 and B12. Pork liver, on the other hand, has the highest iron content.
The most popular dish of offal is the liver, fried with onions. But the number of ways to prepare it is basically unlimited. It can be stewed, fried, baked, boiled and grilled. It is used to prepare both dry and sweet dishes. Its preparation is not very problematic, but remember to add salt only at the end of preparation, otherwise it will become quite hard. Before preparing it, it is worth soaking it in milk, which will eliminate the characteristic smell and make it more delicate.