What to cook from pork liver. Pork liver dishes - tasty and healthy

Liver is considered one of the most useful products on our tables, because it beneficial features have a positive effect on human health; besides, tasty cooked liver will serve as a kind of delicacy on any table. How to deliciously cook pork liver so that it is soft and appetizing appearance and was it a healthy dish that every member of the household or even guests in the house would happily eat? It turns out that there are several secrets to preparing this type of offal that will allow every housewife to turn into a chef for her family or guests for a while.

So that the liver does not become bitter

Not every cook, especially a beginner, will decide to cook pork liver. And the reason for this is the fact that pork is bitter due to the bile ducts that are present in it. It is these ducts that must be removed very carefully when cleaning the offal and each piece must be washed during the cooking process. It is also very good to soak the liver before frying or stewing it in milk or water with vinegar in the proportion of 150 g of 9 percent vinegar per 1 liter of water. Soaking time is approximately 1-1.5 hours.

Also, in order to remove the bitter taste of the liver, a little sugar or a few teaspoons of honey are often added to it during the cooking process. Well, to hide the sweetish taste, the liver is salted during the cooking process at the end.

These are the simple and uncomplicated secrets of cooking pork liver. As for the recipe itself for stewing or frying the liver, it is also quite simple and includes a minimal set of ingredients.

Pork liver in sour cream sauce

So, before preparing the liver this recipe, it is best to soak its pieces in. This will give the product a softer and delicate taste, and during the cooking process it will increase in volume.

Ingredients:

400 g liver
100 ml milk
2 pcs onions
200 ml sour cream
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp. flour
1 tsp mustard
vegetable oil for frying
salt, pepper and herbs to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Clean the liver from the bile ducts, cut into pieces and soak in milk.

2. Peel the onion and cut into half rings, fry on vegetable oil until the onion becomes soft. Add the liver to it and fry everything together for about 10 minutes.

3. In a separate container, mix all other ingredients - sour cream, flour, mustard, finely chopped garlic, spices. Pour this sauce over the liver and cook everything together until done. The readiness of the liver is determined by whether blood flows from it when pressed or cut. Too much for a long time It is not recommended to fry this dish so that it does not turn out too hard and the liver itself does not dry out.

4. At the end of cooking, salt the liver and sprinkle with herbs. Cover the dish with a lid and let it brew for some more time.
The dish prepared according to this recipe turns out very soft, juicy and tasty.

Serve stewed liver preferably hot for salads or any side dish, although pork liver is often eaten chilled.

Other pork liver recipes

Most quick way The preparation of this offal, of course, involves frying it in vegetable oil. The recipe itself is very simple, because chopped pieces of liver just need to be fried in vegetable oil on both sides for about 10 minutes.

At the end of cooking, add salt and pepper to the dish, although true chefs It is not recommended to get too carried away with spices when preparing pork liver, because it has pleasant taste and aroma from nature.

Very unusual and delicious cooking pork liver in Japanese. This recipe is not from Japanese cuisine, but it got its name because of the ingredients included in the recipe, popular in this country - rice, soy sauce, paprika.

The liver pieces must be cut into long strips and each one fried in flour and vegetable oil. Separately, tangerine slices are fried in butter and placed on pieces of liver. Rice is boiled separately. When serving, the rice splashes soy sauce, and pieces of liver are laid out next to pieces of tangerine on them. You can also add peas, paprika or red pepper to the rice to taste. The dish turns out to be unusual, but very tasty.

These simple and tasty recipes for preparing pork liver can please all family members with delicious and healthy dishes on dining tables.

An interesting video on the topic: “How to cook pork liver deliciously without bitterness and simply”:

And minerals, and is also well absorbed by the body. However, many people do not like liver because of its peculiar taste or because it is tough and dry. Lifehacker's advice will help eliminate all these shortcomings and turn any picky person into a liver fan.

Secrets of selection, processing and preparation

How to choose the right liver

To make the dish tasty and healthy, you need to choose high-quality and fresh liver. This is quite easy to do.

Pay attention to the appearance of the product. The liver should be elastic, soft, moist and shiny, without scratches or damage. The presence of stains and blood clots is unacceptable. They may indicate a rupture of the animal's gallbladder, which automatically gives the liver a bitter taste.
The color of the liver should be neither too light nor too dark. Remember: good beef liver has a tint ripe cherries, pork is reddish brown, chicken liver color varies from light brown to brown-red, and turkey liver is dark red.
Fresh liver has a sweetish metallic aroma. Sour smell indicates that the product is spoiled.
There should be no excess ice on the surface of the frozen liver, and it should not have an orange tint. All this suggests that the product was either frozen several times or overfrozen.

How to cook soft liver

First you need to remove all vessels, veins and films. In the case of beef liver, this is quite simple. But to make the procedure easier, you can hold it in warm water for a few minutes. The film of pork liver is thinner and more difficult to separate. Try leaving the offal in boiling water for 20 seconds, and then remove the film by picking it up by the edge with a knife.
Will give additional softness to the liver sour marinade. To prepare it, either lime juice or a couple of tablespoons of vinegar are suitable. Mix one of these ingredients with water and soak the liver in it a few hours before cooking.
Baking soda can also soften the liver. It is enough to sprinkle each piece with it and wait about an hour.
The last method is for those who like to use physical force. To make the product softer, you can simply beat it with a hammer. Just remember to place the liver in cellophane, otherwise it will spread.

How to cook delicious liver

To prevent the liver, especially pork liver, from becoming bitter, you can soak it in milk, after cutting it into pieces. The recommended soaking time is from 30 minutes to several hours. By the way, milk will not only eliminate bitterness, but also make the liver very soft.
Instead of soaking, you can quickly boil the liver in lightly salted water. This trick should also rid the dish of bitterness.
But to disguise the specific liver taste Products with strong, distinct aromas will help. Good choice will include onions, garlic, chili peppers and aromatic herbs such as thyme or sage.

How to cook juicy liver

The main thing is not to overcook. To keep the liver juicy, just fry each side in a well-heated frying pan for 5 minutes (or less).
If you dip pieces of liver in flour or batter before frying, the juice will definitely remain inside.
Sour cream or cream are true friends of juicy and soft liver. It is recommended to simmer it in them for no more than 20 minutes.
The last item both on the list and during cooking will be salt. It takes away moisture, so it’s better to add it at the end.

Liver dishes

yummly.com

Ingredients:

900 g chopped beef liver;
1 ½ cups milk;
60 g butter, divided into pieces;
2 large sweet onions;
2 cups of flour;
salt;
pepper.

Preparation

Rinse the liver carefully under cold water, place in a bowl and cover with milk. It should completely cover the offal: if the volume of milk specified in the recipe is not enough, increase the dosage.

The liver can only be soaked while preparing the onions, but it is best to complete this step ahead of time and let it sit for 1-2 hours.

Put half in large frying pan and melt over medium heat. Add the onion sliced into rings, cook until soft and set aside on a plate.

Place the remaining butter in the same pan. Remove the liver from the milk, pat dry with paper towels and coat in the flour, salt and pepper mixture. When the butter has melted, increase the heat and add the liver pieces to the pan.

Fry the liver on both sides until golden brown crust. Return the onion to the pan, reduce the temperature to medium and keep the dish on the fire for a while.

The remaining cooking time depends on your preferences, but you still shouldn’t fry the liver too much. Enough for it to brown nicely on the outside and remain a little pink on the inside.

yummly.com

Ingredients:

400 g chicken liver;
300 g softened butter;
olive oil;
2 shallots;
2 cloves of garlic;
a few sage leaves;
1 pinch of ground mace (nutmeg);
1 small glass of brandy;
sea salt;
freshly ground black pepper.

Preparation

Place half the butter in a heatproof saucepan and place over low heat. Wait for the butter to melt: this should take about 10 minutes. Then strain the ghee into a separate bowl and set aside to cool. For the pate you only need clarified yellow butter; the light remains can be discarded.

Peel both finely and garlic. Heat in a frying pan a large number of olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic over low heat until soft (about 10 minutes) and transfer to a plate.

Wipe the surface of the pan with paper towels, increase the heat and add the livers with most of the sage leaves. Fry the liver on each side for two minutes so that it is browned on the outside and remains pink on the inside. If you overcook it, it will lose its delicate texture and the pate will turn out grainy.

Add brandy. Be careful: alcohol may catch fire. Salt and pepper the liver and simmer for about a minute.

Remove the liver from the heat and transfer it, along with the onion and garlic, to food processor. Grind the ingredients until pureed, then add the mace and most of the ghee. Continue grinding until smooth.

Transfer the pate to a prepared container, sprinkle the sage leaves on top and cover with the remaining melted butter using a spoon. Place the dish in the refrigerator for an hour. After this period, the pate can be eaten. Although, if the integrity of the top layer of oil is not compromised, the liver delicacy can be stored for up to two weeks.

commons.wikimedia.org

Ingredients:

500–600 g pork liver;
3 tablespoons pork fat;
1 shallot;
500 g of fresh wild mushrooms;
3 tablespoons olive or butter;
1 large onion;
1 clove of garlic;
1 sprig of thyme;
2 sage leaves;
2 tablespoons dry sherry;
50 ml dry white wine;
250 ml chicken broth;
100 ml heavy cream.

Preparation

Heat a large frying pan over high heat, add pork fat and when melted, add the liver. Fry it on all sides until brown.

Place the browned liver together with the chopped shallots in a saucepan and simmer for 20–25 minutes. When the liver is firm (or when a food thermometer reads 55°C at the thickest part), remove from the heat and leave in a warm place, covered.

While the liver is cooling, begin cooking. mushroom stew. Put large saucepan on medium heat, heat the oil in it and add. When they turn a little browner and excess liquid When it evaporates, add chopped onion and garlic to the pan. Continue cooking until the mushrooms soften. Then add the thyme and chopped sage leaves. Mix well and pour the sherry and white wine into the pan.

Increase the heat to high and wait until half the liquid has evaporated from the pan. Add broth and repeat the previous step. When the stew has thickened, pour the cream into the pan and stir. Taste the dish, add salt and add more seasonings if necessary.

Cut the rested and slightly cooled liver into thin pieces. Transfer them to a warm plate and top with mushroom ragu.

Bon appetit!

Do you know how beneficial eating pork liver is for the body? So, pork liver contains a lot of B vitamins, as well as microelements such as copper, phosphorus, iron, potassium, etc.

In a sense, you and I underestimate this offal, and I’ll tell you, not deservedly, according to some indicators, the liver can outperform any very good cut of meat.

You can learn more about the liver from short video below.

But nevertheless, today dishes made from pork liver are very relevant and popular, and not only from pork, but from many other offal. Let's look at some interesting recipes.

The first is called glands, liver cutlets.

SEALS.

To prepare it, we will need:

A kilogram of fresh pork liver,
600 grams of pork lard,
2 onions,
1 potato,
vegetable oil,
salt, pepper to taste.

Cooking process:

First, the liver must be washed and cut into pieces.

You should do the same with lard.

Now the lard and liver need to be ground in a meat grinder.

Add salt and pepper to taste, stir.

Now the onions and potatoes need to be peeled and also ground in a meat grinder.

Then mix minced vegetables with hepatic

We make cutlets from the resulting mass and fry in vegetable oil.

Serve with mustard or sour cream.

The next recipe is called pork liver with mushrooms, stewed in sour cream.

PORK LIVER WITH MUSHROOMS, STEWED IN SOUR CREAM.

For this we need:

Kilo gram of liver,
kilogram of champignons,
300-400 milliliters of sour cream,
2 onions,
2 carrots,
greenery,
vegetable oil,
salt, pepper, spices to taste.

Cooking process:

Pork liver should be washed well and cut into small pieces, and also can be made into small cubes.

Now fry the chopped liver in vegetable oil. We bring it to half readiness.

Now add sliced champignons, onions and carrots. Fry for about 10 minutes.

Now fill this whole mixture with sour cream and add seasonings according to your taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

This dish is served with a side dish - rice, buckwheat, potatoes, or whatever independent dish At the same time, decorate the top with finely chopped herbs to your taste.

Everyone also knows the dish - pork liver pate. Let's look at the recipe for this dish.

PORK LIVER PATE.

To prepare we will need:

600 grams of liver,
200 grams of butter,
one medium carrot
one onion medium size,
vegetable oil,
salt, pepper to taste,
foil.

Cooking process:

Cut the liver into pieces and fry in vegetable oil until tender.

Peel the onions and carrots, chop finely, and sauté in a frying pan in vegetable oil.

We pass all the fried ingredients together through a meat grinder, preferably several times, add salt and pepper to taste.

While the mixture is cooling, lay out the foil on the table. We put a layer of liver mass on it, put a layer of butter on top, see photo.

Then roll it up and put it in the refrigerator. So in 2 hours liver paste ready!

Housewives also often experiment with pork liver. This happens due to the specific taste. You can try liver in kvass, solyanka with liver, soup with pork liver. So those who like to experiment in the kitchen have an idea!

You can see a few more recipes that are already on the blog below.

LIVER PANCAKES.

A SIMPLE METHOD OF PREPARING PATE.

FRIED LIVER AND COOKING SECRETS.

Experiment and share the most delicious recipes with us! Have a good start! Bon appetit!

Goodbye everyone.

Pork liver, the recipes for which are popular due to the favorable combination of benefits and low price, is a frequent guest in everyday life. home menu. The only disadvantage of offal is that it must be handled correctly: it is cleared of films, washed, and then further culinary manipulations begin.

Everyone's favorite offal is pork liver, recipes for which have found a place in the cuisines of many nations. Valued for its high content of microelements, ease of preparation and versatility, it becomes part of the diet of the whole family and is prepared time after time in a new way. An offal fried with vegetables is considered a classic.

Ingredients:

flour - 55 g;
liver - 490 g;
vegetable oil - 35 ml;
champignons - 115 g;
chicken broth - 230 ml;
celery stalk - 1 pc.;
a handful of parsley.

Preparation

Before making pork liver tasty and soft, it is cleaned of films and soaked in water for at least 4 hours.
The slices are dredged in seasoned flour, browned in hot oil, and then mixed with chopped vegetables and mushrooms.
After five minutes, when the celery has softened, pour in the broth and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Fans of original combinations will love the duet of liver and apples. The not-too-sweet fruit contrasts well with the giblets, and the crispy bacon adds texture to the dish. For adherents of the classics - a thick creamy sauce with Dijon mustard at the base.

Ingredients:

pancetta - 155 g;
apples - 2 pcs.;
liver - 440 g;
apple juice - 190 ml;
onion - 115 g;
Dijon mustard - 5 g;
heavy cream - 145 ml;
a pinch of dried sage.

Preparation

After browning the pancetta, transfer the pieces to a napkin, and use the rendered fat to fry the giblets and onion rings.
Fried pork liver with onions is placed in a separate plate, and in its place, pour in the juice and evaporate it to half the original volume.
Return the iron, pancetta and add the rest of the ingredients from the list.
Continue frying for another 5-7 minutes.

If you are wondering what can be prepared from pork liver, then cutlets can be an alternative to boring dishes. Since the by-product in the form of minced meat does not hold its shape well, it makes sense to mix it with chopped beef.

Ingredients:

minced beef - 980 g;
liver - 460 g;
sprig of rosemary;
oregano - 2 teaspoons;
a pinch of chili flakes.

Preparation

Cooking pork liver begins with stripping and washing it.
Next, the first couple of components are passed through a meat grinder, flavored with spices and a pinch of salt.
Form the resulting mixture into cutlets of the desired size and grill.

This recipe will help you prepare pork liver quickly and tasty. In its framework, the offal whipped with spices can simply be supplemented with flour/semolina, and you can start cooking over fire. Ready-made pancakes served hot, accompanied by a choice of sauces, both as an appetizer and as an addition to the main course.

Ingredients:

liver - 620 g;
semolina- 55 g;
eggs - 3 pcs.;
onions - 35 g.

Preparation

Pork liver, the recipes for which are distinguished by their simplicity, is only difficult to prepare. Remove any films from it, rinse thoroughly and soak in water/milk.
Pass the slices through a meat grinder along with the rest of the ingredients from the list.
Brown the resulting mass in portions for a couple of minutes on each side.

Pork liver chops

Given their tenderness and fragility, offal holds its shape well even after beating. You can check this by making pork or breading, like a schnitzel. This meat addition will be relevant for any vegetable or cereal side dish; it is in harmony with many sauces and gravies.

Ingredients:

eggs - 2 pcs.;
garlic clove - 1 pc.;
bread crumb- 1 tbsp.;
grated parmesan - 25 g;
liver - 440 g.

Preparation

Cover the giblets with film and beat them to a uniform thickness of half a centimeter. Rub it with pureed garlic and salt.
Dip the chops in the egg and sprinkle the outside of the cheese and crumb mixture.
Keep the schnitzels on the fire for 3-4 minutes on each side.

From the offal you can make not only hot food, but also classic snacks, like cakes. Pork liver cake is a recipe loved by many fans of hearty and inexpensive dishes, and therefore it has a lot of variations. Below is basic version, which can be varied with herbs, hard/processed cheeses and vegetables.

Ingredients:

liver - 540 g;
eggs - 3 pcs.;
flour - 185 g;
sour cream - 95 g;
mayonnaise - 115 g;
a handful of greens of your choice for decoration.

Preparation

Beat the raw liver into minced meat and combine it with a couple of the following items from the list. Don't forget the seasonings.
Pour out a ladle of batter at a time and prepare thin pancakes from it.
Spread each pancake with sour cream and mayonnaise sauce and sprinkle with herbs on top.

Any housewife knows the answer to how to deliciously fry pork liver: let the pieces brown with vegetables, then pour in sour cream sauce and simmer until fully cooked. A thick, satisfying and full of flavor addition to any cereal side dishes is ready. If desired, the sauce base is supplemented with tomatoes, mustard, and spices.

Ingredients:

liver - 740 g;
onions - 135 g;
sour cream - 370 g;
water - 115 ml;
flour - 35 g.

Preparation

Sprinkle the prepared slices with salt and roll in flour. Keep each one on the fire until golden brown.
Place the onion in the pan and let it soften.
Fill the contents of the dish with a sauce made from water and sour cream.
Simmer the pork with gravy until the sauce thickens and the ingredients are ready.

Do not think that pork liver recipes are similar to each other and it is impossible to use the product in a new way. You can even use an affordable and widespread product in dishes. restaurant class, the main thing is to correctly select all the original additions. After such an appetizer, the question: what can be prepared from pork liver will disappear forever.

Ingredients:

spinach - 145 g;
oranges - 2 pcs.;
a handful of walnuts;
butter - 45 g;
liver - 430 g;
bacon - 35 g;
lemon juice- 25 ml;
balsamic glaze, pomegranate seeds - for serving.

Preparation

Divide the main product into small slices and fry each in butter until cooked.
Place the livers on a plate on top of the spinach leaves sprinkled with lemon juice. Place citrus slices nearby, sprinkle with nuts, pomegranate and crispy bacon, and drizzle with balsamic glaze before serving.

Pork liver – low calorie product, which contains a lot of calcium, phosphorus, iron and iodine, a whole group of vitamins. This once again confirms the benefits for the human body.

Classic recipe

INGREDIENTS:

Pork liver – 500 g.
Onion – 1 pc.
Mayonnaise – 4 tbsp. spoons.
Carrots – 1 pc.
Sunflower oil, salt, water.

STEP-BY-STEP PREPARATION:

Soak the liver in cold water. Two hours is plenty. After this, remove the veins and cut into cubes.
Wash the carrots thoroughly, peel and grate. Cut the onion into half rings.
Place a deep frying pan on the stove, pour a little oil and fry the chopped vegetables until half cooked.
Add pork liver to the fried vegetables, mix and fry. Stir the contents of the pan periodically.
Two to three minutes will pass and the color will change. This means it’s time to add mayonnaise to the frying pan and add hot water. The water should cover the ingredients in the pan.
All that remains is to cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for a third of an hour. At the end of cooking, add a little salt. That's all.

Before you cook delicious pork liver, know that you should not fry the product too much. Otherwise, you will end up with a dry and tough dish. If you don't like mayonnaise, use fresh sour cream.

Video recipe

Delicious pork liver in a slow cooker

INGREDIENTS:

Liver – 1 kg.
Onion – 200 g.
Oregano.
Vegetable oil.
Pepper, salt, bay.

STEP-BY-STEP PREPARATION:

The liver is prepared by cleaning. The film is cut off, the veins and ducts are removed. Remember, a hard film along with large ducts indicates that the ingredient is old.
After cleaning, soak in milk. In two hours, the bitterness will go away and the fibers will soften.
Cut the healthy product into equal pieces for uniform frying.
Peel and chop a medium onion. Cut into cubes or half rings.
Pour some oil into the multicooker bowl and heat it up, activating the baking mode. After this, add the chopped onion and sauté for about three minutes.
After this time, place the liver in the slow cooker, sprinkle with bay leaf and oregano. Mix everything well, close the lid, activate the simmer, and cook for a quarter of an hour.
When the timer beeps, add salt, mix gently again and leave for 10 minutes with the lid closed. There is no need to turn on the device; the offal will arrive on its own.

Video cooking

Now you know how to cook delicious pork liver in a slow cooker. I recommend serving with sour cream and herbs.

How to cook pork liver in the oven

Pork liver cooks very quickly in the oven, and the recipe I’m sharing is not complicated. Potatoes, baked along with the main ingredient, are suitable as a side dish. The finished dish is served to the table along with fresh vegetables.

The amount of ingredients provided in the recipe is designed to prepare four servings. If you have a desire or want variety, expand the side dish. To do this, take one carrot, several tomatoes and two bell peppers.

INGREDIENTS:

Liver – 600 g.
Potatoes – 4 pcs.
Onion – 1 head.
Garlic – 4 cloves.
Pepper and salt.

STEP-BY-STEP PREPARATION:

Before cooking, soak the liver in water for half an hour. After this, dry the pulp thoroughly and remove the film.
Slice large pieces, salt and pepper. I don't use spices. If desired, use some oregano and black pepper. Just don't overdo it, otherwise you'll spoil the taste.
Peel and cut the potatoes into thin slices. Salt the side dish in advance. You can add some spices and herbs that are used to make baked potatoes.
Use extra sauce there is no point, the dish will turn out juicy anyway. At the end of cooking, you can add a little sour cream.
For the dish, I recommend cutting the vegetables into large pieces. To add flavor, soak them in vinegar. Garlic is used only to add a delicious aroma, so it is not necessary to chop it.
Place potatoes, vegetables, onions and garlic and liver on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes at 200 degrees. A few minutes before ready, sprinkle with grated cheese.

When you recreate this flavorful treat at home, be sure to garnish it with fresh herbs. Baking according to the considered recipe pork liver Pairs with red wine or light beer. If you are driving healthy image life, enjoy the taste without alcohol.

Soft and juicy liver in a frying pan

Each housewife has her own approach to cooking fresh pork liver in a frying pan. Therefore, there are many recipes. The liver fried using my method is tasty, tender, juicy and very soft. You will definitely love this treat.

INGREDIENTS:

Liver – 1 kg.
Egg – 5 pcs.
Flour – 100 g.
Chicken broth – 1.5 cups.
Garlic – 6 cloves.
Sesame oil – 25 g.
Green onions – 80 g.
Salt pepper.

PREPARATION:

Rinse and dry the liver. Remove the veins from the pulp and cut into squares the size of a walnut.
Finely chop the green onions. I recommend chopping the garlic using a garlic grinder.
Mix garlic and green onions in a deep bowl. Pour in chicken bouillon and sesame oil, add salt and pepper, mix thoroughly.
Pour the resulting mixture over the liver pieces. Mix everything thoroughly and leave to marinate for ten minutes.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. I use a whisk. If not, beat with a fork.
Sift flour into a separate bowl. I use premium flour.
First, roll the offal in flour, then dip it in eggs and place it in a frying pan. I recommend frying on both sides for a few minutes.

Now it’s no secret how to cook pork liver in a frying pan. This wonderful dish It prepares very quickly, which means that even an unexpected guest will not be taken by surprise.

Pork liver stewed in sour cream

Liver is a valuable by-product that should be present in the diet of every person. If you cook it with sour cream at home, you will get a treasure trove useful substances, including microelements and vitamins.

Liver is healthy, but not everyone likes it, because it often turns out dry and bitter. It will make the dryish consistency tender and soft. fresh sour cream. And to make the treat aromatic and specific, wine, spices and seasonings are used.

INGREDIENTS:

Pork liver – 500 g.
Sour cream – 250 g.
Onion – 3 heads.
Flour, salt, pepper.

PREPARATION:

Cut off the film and remove the ducts. After this, soak for two hours in clean water to prevent it from becoming bitter.
Cut into pieces and beat lightly. Dredge thoroughly in flour and fry the pork liver until a crust appears.
In a second frying pan, fry the chopped onion. After this, place the fried liver on top, add sour cream, pepper and salt. If the sour cream is thick, add a little water.
When the contents of the pan boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. After the time has passed, the dish is ready.

Video cooking

I looked at how to cook pork liver in sour cream. Serve as a main dish along with buckwheat, pasta or potatoes. If there is any in the refrigerator fresh herbs, be sure to use it for decoration.

In conclusion of the story, I will pay attention to the benefits of pork liver and consider useful tips. Fresh offal contains a decent amount of vitamins and microelements that the human body needs.

The weight of one pork liver is approximately 1.5 kg. At the same time, the surface of the light brown product is smooth and glossy. It’s not without reason that I paid attention to appearance. The fact is that buying a low-quality product in best case scenario will turn out to be a spoiled dish. In the worst case, your health will suffer.

When purchasing, pay attention to the smell and color. A sour smell or changed color is a signal of danger and a spoiled product. The liver of a young pig is considered the healthiest, most tender and tasty.

The low calorie content along with the vitamin and mineral composition makes pork liver a dietary and healthy product. So you can head to the kitchen and prepare this healthy delicacy for dinner.

Meat by-products contain many useful substances, so nutritionists advise including them in the diet. Pork is not recommended for people suffering from cholecystitis, but for others it will significantly benefit more benefit than harm. In addition, it cooks quickly and turns out satisfying. However, I also want it to be tasty. Experienced housewives know how to cook pork liver so that it is soft and juicy, and they willingly share their secrets. The main thing is to choose successful recipes and get acquainted with the intricacies of technology.

Features of selection and preparation

You can cook delicious pork liver either fresh or frozen, but it is important to choose quality product, properly prepare it for heat treatment, and then fry or stew it in strict accordance with the technology.

If you see a piece of fresh liver lying in a bloody puddle, it is too dark color or covered with spots, a hard crust, oozes bad smell, then you should refrain from purchasing. This liver is by no means as fresh as the seller claims, and it will not make a tasty dish, even if you find the best recipe.
You cannot defrost the liver in the microwave - its appearance and quality will deteriorate, it will become dry and covered with spots. It is better to give it the opportunity to thaw in the refrigerator or, in extreme cases, at room temperature.
The liver will be soft and juicy if you soak it in milk before cooking. You can also boil and stew it in milk, some people do this. This is not very economical, but it allows you to give the finished dish a tender creamy taste, protect the product from overdrying.
Pork liver can be marinated in water slightly acidified with vinegar. It is good to add onions, celery greens, white ground pepper. Marinating for an hour will get rid of the bitterness inherent in pork liver.
If you want pork liver to be soft and juicy, you should not subject it to prolonged heat treatment, as this creates a risk of drying it out. The total cooking time for the liver in a frying pan is usually 10-20 minutes.
It is better to fry the liver over fairly high heat, immersing it in already boiling oil. This allows a crust to quickly form, which will help retain moisture inside the piece of meat by-product.
To prevent oil splashes from scattering too much, it is advisable to bread the pieces of liver in flour before placing them in the frying pan.
To keep pork liver soft and juicy, you can salt it only for last stage preparations.

The specifics of preparing pork liver may depend on the specific recipe, but the general principles will not change.

How to deliciously fry pork liver

pork liver – 1 kg;
wheat flour – 100 g;
salt - to taste;
dried rosemary – 5 g;
wine vinegar (3 percent) – 20 ml;

Cooking method:

Wash and dry the pork liver, remove film and vessels. Cut small in portioned pieces 1–1.5 cm wide.
Dredge the pieces well in flour.
Heat oil in a frying pan, add pieces of liver. Fry them on both sides, 3 minutes on each side, over high heat.
Reduce the heat, sprinkle the liver with rosemary, pour in a tablespoon of water. Cover the pan with a lid and leave on low heat for 10 minutes.
Add some salt. Sprinkle with rosemary. Pour in vinegar. When the sizzling stops, remove the pan from the heat and place the liver on plates.

Pork liver prepared according to this recipe requires a side dish. You can serve boiled or baked potatoes or mashed potatoes in this quality. It would be nice if you fry onions cut into thin half rings in a clean frying pan and place them on the finished dish.

Pork liver in sour cream

pork liver – 0.5 kg;
onions – 0.25 kg;
wheat flour – 30–40 g;
sour cream – 0.5 l;
salt, ground black pepper - to taste;
Bay leaf- 1 PC.;
vegetable oil - how much will be needed.

Cooking method:

Prepare the liver by washing it, removing any films, rinsing it again and drying it with paper towels.
Cut into cubes about 1.5 cm in size or into bars 1 cm wide and 2–3 cm long.
Pour the flour into a plastic bag and place the liver pieces in it. Shake the bag well several times until all the pieces are completely coated with flour.
Peel and cut the onion into small pieces.
Heat the vegetable oil. Put onions in it. Fry it over low heat until soft.
Turn up the heat and place the liver in the pan. Fry it, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Add some salt and pepper. Add bay leaf, pour sour cream. Stir.
Turn down the heat. Cover the pan with a lid. Simmer the liver in sour cream for 15 minutes.

This pork liver recipe is the most popular. And all because this way the liver always turns out exceptionally tasty, soft and juicy.

Pork liver Stroganoff style

pork liver – 0.5 kg;
wheat flour – 20 g;
cream – 100 ml;
onions – 100 g;
hot pepper – 1 pod;
lard – 40–50 ml (can be replaced with vegetable oil).

Cooking method:

Clean the liver from films, rinse well, cut into thin slices, like meat for beef stroganoff.
Dip the liver in flour, placing it in a plastic bag.
Cut the onions into half rings.
Heat lard in a frying pan and fry the liver in it. Fry without a lid over high heat for 5 minutes.
Add the onion and continue frying the liver with it for another 2-3 minutes.
Place the pepper pod in the frying pan and add salt to the liver to taste. Pour in the cream.
Reduce heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes. 7-8 minutes before cooking, remove the pepper, otherwise the dish will turn out too spicy.

The Stroganoff-style liver has spicy taste. On the one hand, it turns out soft and tender, with a creamy aftertaste, on the other hand, it is quite spicy. This recipe has many fans, and this is no coincidence. The unique harmonious taste and juiciness of the liver easily explain this phenomenon.

Pork liver stewed with vegetables

pork liver – 0.8 kg;
onions – 100 g;
carrots – 100 g;
bell pepper – 0.6 kg;
parsley – 100 g;
salt, pepper - to taste;
olive oil - how much will be needed;
lemon – 0.5 pcs.

Cooking method:

Prepare the liver as in previous recipe. The only thing is that you don’t need to roll it in flour.
Cut the onion into thin half rings.
Cut the carrots into thin strips or grate them for Korean salads.
Wash the pepper and remove the seeds. Cut the peppers into not too small half rings.
Fry the liver for 4-5 minutes in boiling oil, add onions and carrots. Fry together for another 3-4 minutes.
Add pepper. Fry for a couple more minutes.
Add half a glass of warm water, chopped parsley and simmer the dish over low heat until the water has evaporated almost completely.
Pepper and add salt, stir.
Squeeze lemon juice, add to dish, stir.
Turn off the heat and leave in the pan, covered, for 10 minutes.

Liver with vegetables can be served with mashed potatoes or without a side dish at all. This recipe makes it tender and juicy.

Pork liver pate

pork liver – 1 kg;
onions – 150 g;
garlic – 3 cloves;
bay leaf – 2 pcs.;
melted butter– 100 ml;
sea salt – 10 g;
black peppercorns – 5 pcs.

Cooking method:

Wash your liver. Cut into large pieces.
Boil 2 liters of milk or water (you can mix them in half).
Lower the liver and cook it for 40–45 minutes. Try not to miss the moment when the liver is ready. At this time, when punctured, a clear liquid will pour out of it.
Boil clean water, adding bay leaf, onion, garlic, peppercorns. Cook for 10 minutes.
Place the liver into the broth and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the liver, cool, and remove the film. Scroll through a meat grinder several times.
Do the same with the vegetables from the broth.
Combine vegetables with liver, add salt, add melted butter and mix thoroughly.
Form into a bar and cool in the refrigerator.

Liver pate according to this recipe will be tender and aromatic.

You can cook pork liver soft and juicy without much difficulty. Even this can be done inexperienced housewife, if you follow the recipe instructions exactly.

The liver is respected not only by hunters, but also by cooks and housewives. This delicacy, classified as an instant product, deserves attention. There is no need to talk about the benefits of the liver; it is a storehouse of vitamin A, iron, copper and other useful substances. The liver contains phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, sodium, calcium. Vitamins B, D, E, K, ascorbic acid. Thus, liver - beef, pork, veal, chicken, duck - was and remains not only one of the most popular products from ancient times, but also very useful. Please note that for cooking you should use only liver from healthy and properly fed animals. In addition, it is important not to limit the consumption of liver dishes to people with increased content cholesterol in the blood.

The nutritional value of liver is approximately the same, be it beef liver, pork liver, chicken liver, and so on, but their taste and texture are somewhat different. It is important to know that:

To prevent the liver from becoming bitter, it must be cleaned of films and ducts;
so that the liver is soft and without a specific odor, it can be soaked in milk or water for 30 minutes - the liver of young healthy animals does not need to be soaked;
to prepare soft liver, you can roll it in flour before frying;
to avoid overcooking the liver, cut it into pieces about 1 cm thick and quickly fry in a well-heated frying pan on both sides;
You need to salt the liver at the very end.

There are many recipes for making liver. If you are a beginner and don’t know how to fry liver, what to cook from liver, how to cook soft liver, then these tips will come in handy. Today we will tell you how to properly fry the liver so that it is juicy, tasty and does not become tough.

The easiest way to fry the liver is this:

you just need to fry slices of veal, lamb or chicken liver over high heat for two to three minutes on each side, add salt and pepper to taste and the liver a la Nuturel is ready.

The best way to fry the liver is this:

The liver, soaked in milk or marinade in advance, must be fried until red meat juice appears on its surface, turned over, fried and again waiting for the juice. Everything is tender and soft liver ready.

The simplest liver dishes are the most aromatic and tasty, and they are prepared very quickly.

How to cook pork liver

Pork liver has a red-brown or dark brown color and has the most bright taste and a distinct aroma, which may not appeal to everyone.
Before cooking, pork liver is always soaked. Pates and fillings are prepared from pork liver; it can be fried and stewed, used to make liver pancakes and more.
Pork liver is just as healthy as other types of liver, but in terms of the content of nutrients it is still slightly inferior to beef liver.

How to cook beef liver

Beef liver has a dark red-brown color and has a rather pronounced liver flavor (which is why it is often soaked in milk before cooking).
Liver cake, liver chops, sauté, hot dishes are prepared from beef liver; fried or stewed beef liver is good. Beef liver should be thoroughly fried, first coated with mustard and served with spicy sauces.
The benefit of this type of by-product lies in the high content of vitamins A and group B, vital microelements; liver is recommended to be consumed when overworked and during the recovery period after illness.

How to cook veal liver

Veal liver has a light brown and red color, as well as a delicate and loose structure; it is much more tender than beef liver and does not need to be soaked.
Prepared from veal liver delicious dishes: fried veal liver a la naturel is incredibly tasty, you can cook veal liver in sour cream, fried veal liver with onions is good, it makes delicious kebabs, as well as dishes haute cuisine. The whole veal liver can be baked in the oven or deep frying pan, then the baking time is measured at the rate of 15 minutes per 0.5 kg of liver.
The benefits of veal liver are the vitamins A and B it contains; dishes prepared from veal liver are very useful - they promote the regeneration of hemoglobin and help improve immunity.

How to cook chicken liver

Chicken liver is an affordable delicacy product with an excellent taste.
Chicken liver can be fried with onions, used as a component for kebabs with bacon and vegetables, as an ingredient in minced meat and liver pates, and chicken liver is good in salads.
The benefits of chicken liver are the high content of vitamin B12, which is involved in the formation of red blood cells, selenium, which affects the functioning of the thyroid gland; chicken liver is a valuable nutritious product.

How to cook duck and goose liver

Duck and goose liver- found in the form of foie gras libor in markets from ordinary ducks and geese, the second option is less fatty and not so expensive, but still very tender and tasty.
Duck and goose chicken in the form of pate or roast will decorate the most festive table. You just need to know that the livers of ducks and geese are never cooked in sour cream, they are already fatty. Bird liver goes perfectly with fruits - sweet, sour, and sweet and sour - apples, raspberries, raw or lightly stewed in butter, will give the dish an exotic festive look and taste.
Gusinaya and duck liver very fatty, but extremely useful, especially for the female body, as it contains a large amount of iron, as well as all of the above vitamins and minerals.

How to choose a liver

Whatever liver you buy, the color of the liver should be even, without spots, the surface should be shiny, smooth, elastic, without dry spots.
When pressing on the liver, the fossa does not form at all or is quickly restored. Otherwise, the liver is stale.
The liver from young animals is lighter; the darker the liver, the older the animal.
Look at the blood: scarlet - the liver is fresh, brown - old and such a liver should not be taken.
The smell of liver is pleasant, sweetish, and in no way sour.
Fresh steamed liver is usually not purchased for future use, so they take it at the rate of 100-125 grams per serving and cook it within 24 hours.

How to store liver

The liver is perfectly stored frozen for up to six months. To do this, it is not necessary to buy an already frozen product. You can freeze steamed liver yourself. You can store the liver like this:

Having cut the liver into slices, dry it with a napkin, wrap each slice in cling film, put it in a separate bag and put it in the freezer, otherwise the smell of the liver will be transferred to other products.

The good thing about liver is that it can be cooked without defrosting, fried in a pan or grilled. But real gastronomes still advise defrosting it by placing it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for several hours.

Recipes - how to cook delicious liver

beef liver - 500 g
sour cream - 300 g
onion - 2 heads
salt, pepper - to taste
sunflower oil - for frying

To prepare liver Stroganoff style, you will need a minimum of ingredients.
First, prepare the liver - clean it, soak it in milk, pat it dry and cut it into cubes.
Pour some oil into a frying pan and fry finely chopped onion until light golden brown.
Place the liver cubes in the frying pan and fry them on all sides.
Add sour cream and simmer for 1520 minutes.
It is good to serve lungs with liver dishes. vegetable side dishes or soft mashed potatoes.

Recipe - Fried Chicken Liver

chicken liver - 1 kg
onion - 250 g
adjika - half a teaspoon (or a pinch of ground red pepper)
ground coriander - 1 teaspoon
garlic - 1 clove
parsley or cilantro - 1 bunch
vegetable oil
salt

Rinse the chicken liver and boil for 10 minutes. Fry on sunflower oil chopped onions. Place the cooked chicken liver add onion to the pan and fry together, stirring. Sprinkle with coriander and add adjika or ground red pepper. At the end, sprinkle with finely chopped garlic and herbs.

Recipe - Chicken liver pancakes

chicken liver 500 g
onion 1 head
carrots 1 pc.
sour cream 400 g
fresh dill 5-15 g
garlic (optional) 2-3 cloves
frying oil
salt
pepper

Peel and chop the onion, peel and chop the carrots. Stew onions and carrots with big amount oils, cool. Pass the prepared liver through a meat grinder along with stewed vegetables. Add salt, pepper and stir. Place in the form of pancakes in a well-heated frying pan with oil. Fry on both sides until cooked. The degree of readiness depends on your taste.
Chop the garlic and dill, combine with sour cream, mix well.
Place the finished pancakes on a plate, place 1 tablespoon of sour cream on the pancakes.

Recipe - Veal liver with oranges

veal liver - 0.5 kg
mustard
flour
vegetable oil
salt
ground black pepper
ground ginger

½ glass of water
2 tbsp. spoons of butter
2 oranges
½ glass of dry red wine

Wash the liver, peel and cut into about 1 cm thick. Grease each slice with mustard and roll in flour. Fry on all sides in heated vegetable oil for 8 minutes. Salt, pepper and add ginger to taste. Fry for another 3-5 minutes on low heat. Ready liver transfer to another bowl.
In the frying pan in which the liver was fried, add ½ cup of water and 2 tbsp. spoons of butter, let it boil, then strain. Peel and cut one orange thin slices, squeeze the juice out of the second one. Mix frying liquid with orange juice and ½ glass of dry red wine, heat over low heat, without bringing to a boil.
Place the fried liver on a plate and pour over orange sauce and garnish with orange slices

500 g pork liver
80 g pork fat
carrot
bulb
salt
ground black pepper
nutmeg
½ cup meat broth or milk
100 g butter

Cut the pork liver into small pieces. Finely chop the bacon and fry. Place grated carrots and finely chopped onions into the rendered fat. Fry until half cooked. Add liver pieces, salt, ground pepper and grated nutmeg to the vegetables to taste, fry until golden crust, and then bring to readiness over medium heat under the lid. Cool and pass through a meat grinder with a fine grid 3-4 times. Pour broth or milk into the prepared mass, bring to a boil and cool. Mix with softened butter and beat until smooth. Decorate the finished pate as desired.

A whole goose baked in the oven is a festive dish! And it doesn’t matter whether it was a successful goose hunt, or whether the goose is already Christmas. Who got it, who bought it, that’s how it happened. The main thing in baked goose is its uniform saltiness.

How to cook duck? This question arises especially acutely for housewives during the duck hunting season, as well as before the New Year and Christmas. What are the best duck recipes during the hunting season, or if the hunter is not very lucky, then for the New Year?

Strong jellied meat with the aroma of garlic and bright accents of carrots and herbs - a national Russian dish and an excellent winter snack. We will learn how to cook jellied meat correctly, how much to cook jellied meat, what meat to choose for it and how.

Hare hunting is one of the most popular in our country. A hare is an excellent trophy that can decorate any hunting table. The main thing is to know how to properly cook a hare. Domestic rabbits are easier to prepare, but with wild ones.

The long-awaited opening of the 2013 autumn hunting season is approaching. Any hunter will confirm that the opening of a hunt is always a holiday: the first dawn, the elastic whistle of duck wings, the first trophy captured. And then the smell of the fire and cooking.

Fragrant stewed rabbit, spicy baked duck, crispy roast goose. Poultry and animal meat important products in the diet of people. Meat contains many useful substances, vitamins, minerals, etc. necessary for a person squirrel.

What makes a wild boar valuable is the meat it produces. But it still needs to be prepared correctly. The meat of old cleavers during the rutting period has an unpleasant odor, so it requires pre-soaking in vinegar or whey.

Do you already know how to cook pork liver so that it is soft and juicy? If not, then this article is for you. In it we will offer you several recipes for preparing pork liver. It can be fried, stewed, or you can make pancakes, rolls and even pancakes from pork liver.

Pork liver with sour cream

Pork liver, stewed big pieces with milk and sour cream, it turns out very soft, tender and tasty.

Ingredients:

pork liver – 500 g;
milk – 100 g;
onion – 200 g;
sour cream – 100 g;
vegetable oil – 2 tbsp;
garlic – 1 clove;
flour – 1 tbsp;
parsley - 2 sprigs;
salt.

Cooking time for pork liver with sour cream: 30 minutes
Number of servings of pork liver with sour cream: 6

Preparation:

1. Chop the onion, fry in a frying pan, don’t forget about vegetable oil.
2. Cut the liver into medium pieces the size of a matchbox.
3. Add the pork liver to the onion and fry for 10 minutes. We have time to prepare tender sour cream sauce. Mix sour cream with milk, flour, add chopped garlic and parsley.
4. Salt the liver and pour the resulting sour cream mixture. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes.

Tender and tasty pork liver is ready. It goes well with vegetables and side dishes. Classic combination– mashed potatoes and pork liver.

Liver pate

Liver pate, of course, can be bought in the store. But it won't be as flavorful as it will melt in your mouth. Pork liver pate is not at all difficult to prepare, and sandwiches with it turn out incredibly tasty.

Ingredients:

pork liver – 200 g;
lard – 100 g;
onion – 100 g;
parsley – 20 g;
carrots – 100 g;
butter – 150 g;
salt, pepper, nutmeg.

Cooking time for pork liver pate: 40 minutes
Number of servings of pork liver pate: depends on the serving method

Preparation:

1. Cut the liver into large pieces, pork fat into small pieces. Place the liver and bacon in a non-stick frying pan, add water and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Add salt, pepper, chopped parsley, and nutmeg to the liver. Simmer for another 15 minutes.
3. Boil the carrots separately.
4. When the liver has cooled, pass it together with the carrots through a meat grinder, and then a second time, adding butter.

The finished liver pate can be put into jars and spread on sandwiches; it turns out tastier than store-bought. Excellent sandwiches are made from this combination: White bread, liver pate, cucumber and parsley. Cucumber can be substituted bell pepper and tomato. All sandwich options have different tastes.

Or you can serve liver pate with a side dish. In this case, your task will be to design it beautifully.

Pork liver beef stroganoff

Liver beef stroganoff according to our recipe will be tasty and soft. It can be cooked on the stove or using a slow cooker. We offer you the fastest and easiest way - cooking in a slow cooker, as well as the standard one - on the stove.

Ingredients:

pork liver – 500 g;
water – 100 ml;
onion – 150 g;
sour cream – 100 g;
tomato paste – 1 tbsp;
sunflower oil – 30 ml;
wheat flour – 1 tbsp;
black pepper, salt.

Cooking time for pork liver stroganoff: 20 minutes
Number of servings of pork liver stroganoff: 5

Preparation:

1. Cut the pork liver into thin strips, 4-5 cm long. Don’t forget to wash it in advance and cut off the film.
2. Peel the onion and cut into half rings.
3. In a separate container, mix sour cream, tomato paste, flour, pepper, salt and water.
4. Place the liver in a frying pan until it gets a crust, then add the onion and pour in the prepared mixture. Simmer the beef stroganoff for 5-7 minutes.

Option for a multicooker: pour oil into a bowl, fry the liver in the “Baking” mode, stirring it. Then add the onion and prepared sour cream mixture to the bowl. Close the multicooker, set it to “Steamer” mode and set the time for 10 minutes. When the time is up, do not open the lid for another 10 minutes.

These are the recipes for pork liver dishes that we offer you, now you know how to cook pork liver so that it is soft and juicy.

I don’t know about you, but I really love offal dishes. I like them amazing property- almost meat, but the taste is different. Of all offal products, I put liver first. I don’t think it’s worth talking about its benefits. But the taste is very interesting. I'll share a couple of recipes with you. I'll open it first little secret: I always cook pork liver dishes. I just don't like beef. Although in my recipes both can be easily swapped.

Pork liver dishes. Recipe one

I don't like boring dishes. It’s as easy as shelling pears to fry the liver with plenty of onions. But it's not as tasty or interesting as parfait. Don't know what it is? Then read on carefully. To prepare, I take one hundred to one hundred and forty grams of chilled butter and cut it into cubes. I knead shortbread dough from two hundred and fifty grams of flour, one tablespoon of milk, one yolk, half a tablespoon of thyme leaves. It needs to be cooled. So I roll the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling film and put it in the refrigerator. It will stay there for about an hour. After which I roll out the dough as thin as possible and place it in a greased baking dish. butter, and put it in the freezer again (for about twenty minutes). After that I cover the top baking paper, I fill it with regular peas. I bake the dough until done. Then paper and peas

I throw it away. Have you forgotten that I cook pork liver dishes? The time has come to remember her. I beat the liver (three hundred grams) in a blender along with cream (two-thirds of a glass), one egg, one chopped shallot, two cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of port wine, one of cognac. To everything I add a pinch of ground nutmeg, the same amount of salt and ground black pepper. I preheat the oven, but not too much (up to one hundred degrees Celsius). I bake a cake filled with liver mass in it for forty minutes.

Pork liver dishes. Recipe two

What I propose to cook for you now is more suitable for the table for every day. But this pork liver dish is easier to prepare and takes less time.

And the ingredients do not require special purchases. And I will suggest you to prepare pork liver pancakes. To do this, I first boil half a glass of rice. I grind two or three large onions in a meat grinder. The same amount is for two cloves of garlic and herbs (parsley, dill). Last I grind the liver itself. The result is a liquid liver mass. I put rice in it and mix everything well. Heat olive or corn oil in a frying pan until boiling. I scoop up the liver-rice mixture with a tablespoon and place it in the oil. I fry on both sides.

Little tips

To prevent both pork and beef liver from becoming bitter, it is necessary to soak it in milk for an hour.
If you want to fry the liver in pieces with onions and get a soft result juicy dish, then never cover the pan with a lid.
When buying such an offal, remember that its color should be uniform, not dark, but not light either. The surface should be damp, not dry. The smell is pleasant.