When I was a kid, my parents would occasionally get pig’s liver and cook it with onions. Those were the nights I ate a peanut butter sandwich for dinner. My mother wasn’t one of those, “you’ll eat what I cook” type parents, if you didn’t want what she made, you were welcome to fix something else, but she wasn’t doing it for you. I graduated from peanut butter – I miss the days when that didn’t make me stop breathing – to canned soup to scrambled eggs and toast, etc. If you made a mess, you were expected to clean that shit up, too, she wasn’t gonna wash dishes that you didn’t need to dirty because you were a fussy pants.
Liver has always been on my “gag me” list.
I buy it for the Bear once in a blue moon – hey, we just had one! because he loves it. He hates Chinese food, so he has liver and I have Chinese and we both try not to gag at what’s on the other person’s plate. (Are you eating it? Then shutty your mowfee about it)
Enter Maverick. He is the epitome of Mr. Fussy Eater. What is caviar today is anathema tomorrow. I wish I could capture a picture of the look of disdain he gives me as he sniffs the bowl, and walks away as if I’ve tried to poison him with the very food he gobbled down yesterday,
When I was in NY, my niece in law was observed cutting up liver for her dog’s “leave it” treats. Hmm, I said to myself, because talking to myself is somethin I often do, and sometimes I argue with myself and lose but that’s a topic for another day.
I was given a dehydrator a couple of months ago. I did some pineapple, which I keep forgetting to eat. 🙂 I planned on doing more and then stuff happened, school and Maverick and just no time. But I thought I’d give liver a whirl because my favorite trainer, (Ian Dunbar, look him up, he’s not bad to look at and his voice is smooth as Irish Mist) always talks about liver treats for dogs. I bought a package of presliced, frozen, liver at the grocery store, cut it up and put it in the dehydrator last weekend.
I’ve handled some gross things in my life – I have a dog, picking up poop is up there on the list of “things I never thought I’d do on a regular basis.” Let me tell you. Cutting up raw liver has shot to the top of the list of “the grossest things I’ve ever done.” It’s slimy, and wet and it moves around, and it’s just seriously nasty.
Once it’s dehydrated, it’s like beef jerky, with no seasoning. (I didn’t taste it but Bear did and said it was delicious) (Bear eats some weird shit) Maverick about lost his mind when I gave him a piece.
It’s our go-to treat for the park because apparently it’s even better than squirrels. So, yeah, nasty, slimy, gross stuff that it is – I bought more last week and proceeded to cut it up and load up the dehydrator once again.
And should the country be forced into another shut down, and supplies become hard to find (this is a very real fear, I clearly remember not being able to find toilet paper because, you know, Americans don’t panic) we can always eat the yucky liver!
*I’m going to cut it while still frozen next time.
**I’m also trying to dehydrate apples tomorrow (for snacks, not because of the election)
Suziecreamcheese Sings the Blues 
NO! If Max wants liver he’s gonna have to get it directly from my cold, dead body because I am NOT letting that organ meat into my house. I have been all over the world and have eaten stuff that would gag a maggot but I draw the line at liver whether hot, cold, dry, pulsating, with onions or pulled fresh from the side of an unhappy Aztec warrior on top of a Mexican pyramid. Ain’t gonna happen. As my sainted Grandmother who moonlighted as a Drill Instructor would say, “That stuff would back a buzzard off a gut wagon.” The AJF thinks I get a little overwrought about the subject.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Settle down, Beavis!!!!!!!!!! Methinks the AJF is correct, however, I do love your Grandmother!
LikeLike
In our family, it was “Knock a buzzard off a poop wagon”. (The sophistication just oozes off of us, doesn’t it?)
Toby and Geordie went absolutely nuts for freeze dried liver. I had a miserable time finding a place to store it that they couldn’t get into.
I share your reluctance to indulge in liver, but Toby says he completely understands Maverick’s enthusiasm for it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m giving all the dogs in our little circle a jar of it for Christmas. I’m keeping it in the fridge for now, although it probably doesn’t need it, because it’s safe – Maverick hasn’t figured out how to open that door yet!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ugh! I still remember my first (and last) taste of liver as a child. Luckily, we kids got to have scrambled eggs with hot dog pieces whenever my mom would make liver and onions for her and dad. I don’t know which is worse – the taste or the texture – but the thought of putting a bite of liver in my mouth makes me nauseous! I’ve been told I make good liver when I’ve made it for significant others and I make it as I watched my mom make it, but the joy of living alone is that I, too, will never have to experience that nasty organ meat cross my threshold again! Kudos to you for making Maverick (and the Bear) liver jerky! You’re a stronger woman than I!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Same here – it’s just nasty!
LikeLike
Liver oil has good flavor, my aunt used to make my cousin and I some liver adobo (basically sautéed meat in oil and soy sauce) with potatoes and my cousin and I loved the flavor from the oil (it tastes super delicious vs just plain adobo with pork) and we just ate the sauce with rice and the potatoes 😋
LikeLiked by 1 person
do you want me to bring you some liver snaps next week? 🙂
LikeLike
I love liver and onions, especially with bacon. None for the dog.
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh, he’d stand on his head for bacon, but not good for puppies!
LikeLiked by 1 person