[Growster...]

Mrs Growster and I will always go a huge bundle on liver and bacon, and because she doesn't like to come up against a big chunk of kidney, she always liquidises it to add to stewing steak, for a snake and pygmy pie or pud!

But we really stop there, and apart from enjoying local sausages (immensely), and the local shops' processed meats, we don't ever take on offal in any other form.

I made a list of all the offal we never have tried, and now thinking about it again, I'm pretty certain that we never will! I just can't see chitterlings on our menu, or pig's trotters, although I remember my parents having them when I was a tot!

What's the view of the team here?

(I was put off by andouilettes etc in France, but that's another story..;0)

[Steveharford]

That's about my limit too. Although I would happily try trotters and they aren't really an offal anyway.  But hearts or brains? Yuk. But you know, I adore faggots! So maybe just a phychological thing. How about sweetbreads? 😜

[New shoot]

OH likes braised lamb hearts.  I'd eat them, but they were not my favourite.  I now use a spicy tomato based sauce as the braising liquid and that makes them a lot nicer 

It was a Jamie Oliver recipe for lamb shanks, but these are now so expensive, we rarely have them.  I subbed the lamb hearts and was surprised how good it was - same meaty flavour, a fraction of the price 

[sunshineband]

Would not have thought of that New Shoot . I have horrible memories of ox hear as a child ---but at least when I came to dissect these in biology when I was much older I was very familiar with their anatomy 

Quickly cooked lambs liver goes down well here, steak and kidney is just delicious and grilled kidneys are great with a cooked breakfast.

Dad used to enjoy brains or sweetbreads dipped in egg and fried, but I never really enjoyed them

[mumofstig]

I love stuffed hearts, but you don't seem to be able to get them easily any more.
I eat liver and bacon now and again, but I'm not a great fan.
I've eaten pigs trotters in a lime and parsley (I think) jelly with West Indians friends; they were good, but they took hours to cook so won't be making them myself.
and yes, I'll eat faggots but wouldn't touch brains.
The Greeks make lovely meatballs with allsorts in, wrapped up in cawl for roasting, they're heavily spiced so you wouldn't recognise anything in there.........I think that is the answer to using offal 

However - I really can't stand kidney YUK

[Growster...]

How interesting this all is!  I almost feel a confession coming on..;0)

I'd forgotten about faggots, as I could cope with those! And I suppose the same discussions could apply to fish, I.e. Like a fish stew, although I think even that has to have a de-gutted fish...

What a good idea too, to substitute - say - hearts for something else? Didn't a sheep's head come into one of the better Victorian Farm stories...?

But brains ---- naaaah, couldn't cope I'm afraid!

[8doubles]

Liver and bacon, chicken livers in many sauces , liver pate ,but i suppose my favourite is herring roes fried in butter on hot toast !

[Growster...]

Forgot about pate too, 8!

And roes...:0)

[8doubles]

I'm ok with brains but to be honest they do not have much flavour, many many years ago my mother would buy half a pigs head ,boil it then get me to remove the meat so she could chop it for brawn.
The only thing i did not like was the jelly !

[bravemurphy]

We had liver and bacon yesterday 

And l love Lambs kidneys.

[Trillium]

When I was touring France, someone insisted I try brains, and they actually weren't too bad, just not something I found very appealing since they remained in their original form inside a wad of gelatine and seasonings.

Tried tripe, which didn't appeal to me at all. Animal eyeballs were considered a delicacy but I couldn't bring myself to actually put one in my mouth, let alone chew it. Perhaps if I was starving I'd reconsider, but since I'm not.....

However, give me a lump of young beef liver fried in bacon dripping with lots of fried onions and I'm a regular glutton  Shift over, Growster   

Forgot to mention kidneys - can't eat them because I find the stench just too overpowering.

[8doubles]

Customer in butchers shop " a pound of kiddelys please"

butcher to customer " was that a pound of kidneys sir?"

customer to butcher " that's what i said diddle i !"




My favourite offal related  joke from junior school .

[Snoop]

Calf and lamb's liver - delicious. Calf and lamb's kidneys, also really good. If you don't like the smell, Trillium, you can soak kidneys in milk before cooking. Otherwise dust in flour, fry in butter then when just about done to your liking, swirl in some finely chopped garlic and a little lemon juice or white wine. No offputting smell, just delicious appetising garlicky sauce.

Have had pig's snout and ear here in Spain - absolutely ghastly texture. So bad I didn't even notice the taste! Pig's trotters are also too gelatinous for me.

Calf sweetbreads are absolutely delicious. So good you can almost taste the cholesterol... Apparently lamb's sweetbreads are good too.

OH once had calf's brains in a curry in Manchester just before all the news came out about mad cow's disease. Don't suppose he would have had them later! He said the texture and taste was a bit like scrambled egg.

[chrissie B]

one work comes to mind Kokkoretsi , when we first went to Greece we tried all sorts and ate the kokkoretsi on the souvla it looked so good and I was told that it had crispy fat around the outside so I had some and it was lovely , (I didn't eat offal at this time )after I had finished I was told the process and the crispy edges I thought were like bacon were infact the intestine of the animal and I have to say I loved it , it was soo tasty I wish we could get it here .
chrissie  b

[Growster...]

Blimes, the post has gone international now!

Marvellous replies here, thank you all so much!

Tonight therefore, I will be having home-corned brisket with dry toasted pain de campagne...

Well, it isn't offal, but I'm making the most of a big piece I slow-cooked in Guinness in December!