Okay, stay with us on this one, especially if you have childhood trauma of suffering through liver and onions…

But we’ve gotta finally talk about the whole “organ” thing.

Every few months a “forgotten” protein starts trending out of nowhere. And the push from the organ meat folks has been coming for a while.

But now, a registered dietitian is making the case for the one most of us hard-pass at the meat counter: organ meat.

Lucky for us, the pitch is more complex than “eat more liver” (because, let’s face it, liver is terrible).

But now, meat makers are blending organs straight into your ground beef… so, in theory, it cooks, looks, and tastes like the beef you were already going to grill.

Gross… liver… except it looks kind of good this way…

WHY LIVER MAY NOT BE SO HORRIBLE…

Turns out, organ meat is the most nutrient-dense stuff on the animal. By a long shot.

  • In terms of protein, it laps regular beef. Liver runs about 26 grams of protein per 100 grams, edging out ground beef while also giving your daily dose of iron, B12, folate, copper, and vitamin A.

  • The nutrients are “bioavailable.” Iron and B12 build red blood cells and move oxygen to muscle, which let’s face it, most of us could always use a little more muscle…

  • A little goes a long way. When it’s blended with ground beef, liver is a supporting cut instead of being the star. Meaning you can enjoy eating it without… tasting it.

HOW TO TRY OUT ORGANS LIKE LIVER

You may have started to notice blended ground meat (plus organs) available in your local grocery store.

That may be the best place to start…

  • Start small. A modest amount of finely chopped liver folded into ground beef disappears into burgers, tacos, meatballs, chili, or Bolognese.

  • Lean on your spice drawer. Your usual rub, garlic, and onion can mask any weirdness from adding in healthy organ meat.

  • Grind your own when you can. You control the ratio, the texture, and the fallout when your kids realize there were organs in there (if you choose to tell).

So, Dead Meat Society, where do we land on organ meat?

Friend or foe? Meal maker or meal ruiner?

Either way, it’s getting hard to ignore the evidence that organs may be a healthy upgrade to your meat…

Let us know if you dare to try out the organ-blends…