In the recipes of each mistress in one form or another appear offal. What is it, we will talk in more detail today. Why are we interested in this topic? Because these products are very useful in vitamins and minerals, as well as nutrients. However, in the literature on healthy eating, so little attention is paid to them that I want to rectify the situation.
Attitude to the offal of our ancestors
Grandfathers and great-grandfathers knew and appreciated offal. Nobody told them what it was, but they intuitively understood that internal organs, protected from external influences by bones, muscles and skin, carry important functions in themselves, which means they cannot be useless. For heart health, healers advised eating stewed hearts, chicken or beef. If a person was worried about the liver, then liver dishes were recommended. These views are not without logic. Indeed, organs and systems of different living organisms are similar in composition and functional significance. So, beef liver contains a lot of useful things for the human liver.
Offal - what is it?
Let's move directly to the topic of our article and reveal to the reader what is meant by this term. First of all, these are all internal organs of animals or birds. In addition, the udder and heads, lower limbs and tail must be included in the list of offal. They are usually divided by type of cattle: lamb, beef, pork offal. What this is - it is clear, now we will move on to a more detailed study.
Nutritional separation
It is on this basis that the categories of offal are distinguished. The higher it is, the more nutrients your body receives. If we talk about the first category, then these products are practically no different from meat, that is, you get the same set of trace elements, proteins and fats. Meat by-products are also called trimmings. They are often taken to feed pets, as the cost is much lower than that of meat. Further in this category is the liver. A unique product that has no equal. This also includes the kidneys and brains, the heart and tongues, the udder and tails. Taste preferences are different for everyone, but still these products can diversify the diet and take their rightful place on our table.
Second category
Types of offal include only two categories, inside each of which you can make your choice. We have already talked a little about the first, the second is characterized by lower nutritional value. In the composition of these products are defective proteins, and therefore they cannot be used as the main food. This category includes beef and pork legs, ears and heads, necks and pork scar, abomasum and lips, spleen and lung. All of these offal meats are great for making liveries. They are cheap and affordable, but you need to choose them very carefully. A prerequisite is a uniform color, the absence of damage and an unpleasant odor. All offal of dubious freshness should be immediately excluded. The protein content in these products is about 10-18%, the fat content is from 8 to 18%. Energy value from 80 to 180 kcal per 100 g of product.
Preliminary processing
Many foods do not require this. Having bought a beef tenderloin, you can rinse it under the tap and immediately start cooking. Offal processing is often longer.If you bought them frozen, you must first defrost them, evenly spreading them on a baking sheet. If you buy them on the market, then most likely they have already passed the primary processing, that is, the hair from the heads and legs is scorched, the hooves are chopped off.
Internal organs must be carefully checked. Beef liver is especially demanding on this. It is necessary to remove the bile ducts and large blood vessels. After that, it is washed, the film is cut. The kidneys need to be cleaned of excess fat. Usually it is removed along with the film. They are cut in half and soaked for three to four hours to remove a specific smell.
The tongue must be freed from contamination and cut off the neck. The tails are simply chopped and filled with water for several hours to remove the smell. The scar requires the most thorough treatment. To do this, it must be turned out with its inside, washed thoroughly in cold water, then immersed in boiling water, then scrubbed out its mucous membrane, rinsed again and rolled up. It is in this form that the scar is boiled in salt water with the addition of aromatic herbs. It remains to consider recipes so that you can prepare delicious and healthy dishes for your family.
Chicken stomachs
Dishes from offal are notable for their low cost, excellent taste and high nutritional value. This is especially true in times of crisis, when food prices begin to rise. Please your relatives with chicken stomachs in spicy sauce. Surely everyone will like them. First of all, you need to prepare the stomachs, rinse them and remove the film. If they are large, then cut into pieces. Now chop the onions and chili separately, grate the ginger root and a few cloves of garlic. All this must be fried in warm sunflower oil, add stomachs and tomato paste, pour water and simmer for at least one and a half hours on low heat. You can serve rice on the side dish.
Delicious cakes
Beef liver is a favorite product of most people. However, if today it is too expensive a pleasure for you, then take chicken instead. Cooking amazing pies is very simple, and your family will be satisfied. You will need to knead unsweetened yeast dough. For the filling, boil the chicken liver, and then fry in a pan with onions and carrots. After that, you can crank it in a meat grinder. Separately, fry the cabbage, mix everything together and the filling is ready.
The most delicate zrazy
Offal dishes are a huge number of options, each of which will make your stay in the kitchen easier. Try making delicious zrazy. In order to get a whole dish of fragrant cutlets, only 250 g of liver will be enough. You will need to boil large potatoes in their uniforms, peel it and pass through a meat grinder. Add dill, salt, pepper. Separately release the liver from the film, boil and pass through the meat grinder. Add onions and carrots fried in oil to the liver. Now you need to form cakes from potatoes, put the filling inside and pinch. It remains to roll each cutlet in flour and fry in sunflower oil until golden brown.
Baked tongue
If guests are coming to visit you, please them with an amazing dish that they will surely notice and appreciate. The language needs to be boiled in advance, since this process can take several hours. Put the finished product to cool. When the tongue becomes cold, peel it and cut into slices. You will need beautiful portioned forms in which you need to lay out the language. Fry the onion in oil in half rings and lay it on top of the tongue. Now mix the horseradish chopped in a meat grinder and sour cream, add a pinch of salt and lay on top of the onion. It remains to fill with cheese and put in the oven for 20 minutes.
Light sausages
An ideal snack for a fairly modest amount.Lung should be soaked and then boiled until tender. Cool preferably under pressure. Separately, fry the onions and carrots in a pan. Free the cooled lung from blood vessels and grind, add onions with carrots. In the mince, put greens and cilantro, spices, salt and pepper. Now take the sticks on which to form the sausages with a wet hand. Send them to the refrigerator. At the same time, we warm the oven to 250 degrees and bake our sausages.
You can choose other recipes, because offal gives you an almost unlimited field for imagination. First and second courses, appetizers and salads, inexpensive, bright and original. You will definitely become the best mistress!
