Following a deadly listeria outbreak traced to one of their factories, Boar's Head deli meats has announced the discontinuation of their Liverwurst. It has been slowly falling out of popularity in the US, but you'd never know that if you lived in the Midwest. The liverwurst wasn't the cause of the listeria-conditions in the factory were, but given the financial hit they're taking, discontinuing the least popular product made sense.
Liverwurst, or Liver Sausage is made from calf or pork liver and can be soft and spreadable like potted meat, or firmer and sliced. It can be fresh, or smoked, and if you were my parents, served on a slice of rye bread with pickled onions. When my mother wasn't around to say no, it was slapped between a couple slices of (cheap) squidgy, white bread with mayonnaise (not the real stuff, it was Miracle Whip) and Brick cheese. Shhh, don't tell mother. I've been a vegetarian since 1983, but it wasn't my beloved Usingers Fresh Liver Sausage that drove me into the arms of tofu. Anyway, if you live in the US and are desperate for liverwurst, you won't be disappointed with Usingers-and they ship refrigerated!
Liver, generally is a less popular food than it was when I was young. My husband will politely have a bit of pate on a cracker, but eating something like liver and fried onions is asking too much. Dan enjoyed it the one time I prepared it, but I never bothered making it again. I want to prepare food my family will enjoy, and liver isn't it. My current bout of severe anemia unfortunately can't be resolved with a serving of liver so no fear of being tempted by Usinger's offerings.
When people moan about having been forced to eat liver as children, it does make me wonder how it was being prepared. If overcooked, you can be looking at a chewy, paste-like texture with tough tissue thrown in as a bonus. The recipes that suggest broiling it as a healthier option? Unless you are skilled enough to remove it from the burner at the precise optimal moment, it is the easiest way to ruin liver. Pan frying really is the easiest way to go, and you can do the onions in the same pan.
I'm not sorry a filthy facility was shut down, but I am interested to see how much consumer tastes have changed in a generation. I guess if someone figures out a way to make liverwurst instagramable there might be a revival, but for the moment, it does appear the wurst is behind us.
If any of you decide to place an order of liverwurst from Usinger's, you can legitimately tell your friends that "the wurst is yet to come."
ReplyDeleteEmily
i LOVE liver!
ReplyDeleteand that since childhood - when my parents were divorced, i had to do the liver preparing because mom hated it. i was 15. but the bloody job was worth it - the soft, fat free meat fryed in a pan together with a big onion and an apple(!) and a bit of grounded pepper - heaven :-D
never salt liver until its out of the pan - otherwise it will get shoe sole like.....
and liver wurst was always around - the firm variation is known here as "leberkäse" althought there is no cheese in it.
as i dont eat pork anymore and most sausages here are made from or with pork meat i dumped the liver wurst - but sometimes we buy raw liver from a happy cow for pan frying.
fun post!
xxxxx
I enjoyed my mother’s liver and onions, and didn’t realize it was a “bad” thing till I went to an upper class school. And I still occasionally enjoy liverwurst. Tried finding fresh liver to cook for dinner here in the PNW, and could only find frozen at one supermarket. Liver and salmon steaks seem to have gone away. And grilled salmon steaks can be wonderful! Enough with the fillets. Olivia
ReplyDeleteI always liked liverwurst when i was young. We would have it on rye bread with mustard, mayonnaise and raw onion. I am a vegetarian and aspiring vegan now so no liverwurst any more for me . I would love a vegan option . The closest I come to it now , I know this sounds awful ( I am a bit embarrassed to even say it ) is a cold can of doctored up vegetarian refried beans.
ReplyDeleteBest Wishes to All , Gail from the great state of Pennsylvania