A letter recently sent along by Jack Kendrick of Edmonds went straight to the hearts of Forum readers.
He asked for our help, explaining, “My mother died when I was only 14, and my father was clueless in the kitchen. So, in order to survive, I taught myself to cook, which has resulted in a lifelong love affair with food.
“I am hoping that one of your readers can come up with a recipe for a liver loaf. My mother made this loaf frequently, and I have fond memories of liver loaf sandwiches in my school lunches. I know nothing of how it was prepared, except that it did contain onions.”
After reading this, Forum folks everywhere immediately started scrambling for their recipe boxes and various cookbooks. To date, a whopping, mind-boggling 22 readers have responded to Jack’s plea, sending not only liver loaf recipes but the how-to for other liver concoctions as well.
Those would include such mouth-watering dishes as liver puffs, liverwurst ball, liverburgers and, of course, pate.
But let’s be honest here. Liver is not something the majority of us apparently care for. To get right down to brass tacks on the subject, if something looks yucky, is icky to handle, smells bad when it’s cooking and tastes nasty besides, some – maybe most – of us really don’t want to have anything to do with it.
It should come as no surprise, then, to learn that only two of the 22 Forum folks answering this request actually have ever made or currently make and actually eat liver loaf.
Longtime Forum helper-outer Anna Y. Pritchard of Marysville writes, “Here is a recipe for liver loaf that might be what Jack Kendrick is looking for. I have also included the front page of the cookbook, ‘Victory Binding of the American Woman’s Cook Book’ (wartime edition with victory substitutes and economical recipes for delicious wartime meals), published in 1944.
“Some notes on this recipe are: I have never used pork liver and do not know if it would make a difference. The first step is VERY IMPORTANT. If, after sitting in the boiling water for the full 10 minutes, the liver has gray film on top of the water or smells rancid, the liver needs to be used for something else. You need to use fresh liver in this recipe. Make this liver loaf the same day you buy the liver.”
Winding up, Anna adds, “I personally like liver. As with many things, I think a lot of why we like a certain food is how we were introduced to it. I hope this recipe is what Mr. Kendrick is looking for, and that it will bring back happy memories.
“P.S. Susan Beranek’s recipe for pumpkin cream-cheese roll (in the Dec. 23, 2005 Forum column) was wonderful!”
Next, Snohomish cook Anne LeB. Voss tells us, “In the Jan. 2 Forum, you requested recipes for liver loaf. We have made liverpostej throughout our 43-year marriage. My husband’s grandmother and grandfather were from Denmark, where liverpostej is a standard item for open-face sandwiches.
“We make this yearly as part of our Christmas traditions. Our recipe is from Denmark and has not changed at all, as far as I know. It probably dates back to the 19th century. Although the recipe calls for 21/2 pounds of liver, we usually triple the recipe, so we can share it with family and friends.”
Victory Cook Book Wartime Edition liver loaf with pan gravy
1 1/2pounds beef liver
1 1/2cups boiling water
2slices salt pork, 1/4 inch thick
1medium-sized onion
1/4cup chopped parsley
2cups soft bread crumbs
2eggs, slightly beaten
1teaspoon salt
1/4teaspoon pepper
1 1/2cups cold water
2tablespoons flour
Wash liver quickly under running water, cover with boiling water and let stand 10 minutes; drain. Grind with salt pork and onion; add parsley, crumbs, eggs, salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Press into 3-by-4-by-8-inch baking pan and bake in oven at moderate temperature (350 degrees) for about 1 hour, or until browned. Remove loaf and place on hot platter. Stir flour into drippings and brown; add water gradually and cook five minutes, stirring until thickened; season and pour over loaf.
Serves 6.
Voss family’s Danish liverpostej (liver loaf)
21/2pounds pig liver
1pound mild sausage meat
2large onions
2tablespoons salt
1teaspoon pepper
1/2teaspoon ground cloves
1/2teaspoon ground allspice
3eggs
3large tablespoons flour
21/4cups evaporated milk
2/3cup beef broth
Thinly sliced pork fat or fat bacon strips
Run pig liver, sausage and onions through a meat grinder twice; set aside. In large bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, cloves, allspice, eggs, flour, evaporated milk and beef broth. Add the ground liver mixture and mix ingredients together thoroughly. Line bread pans (5 inches by 9 inches) with thinly sliced pork fat or fat bacon strips. Bake at 300 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool before removing the pork fat or bacon strips. If frozen for safekeeping, it is best to reheat the loaves before serving.
The next Forum will appear in Friday’s Time Out section.
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