Joined
·
3,083 Posts
Original post made by Darrel Miller(Cornhusker) on September 9, 2002
The chicken liver/garlic salt recipe.
I line 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil. The aluminum foil makes clean up and throw away of a somewhat disgusting blood/salt paste less disgusting. Using either frozen chicken livers from the super market or fresh livers from a poultry house, cut the livers into bait size pieces. The liver will shrink probably 25 to 30% as it cures so the cut pieces want to be a little on the large side. Let as much juice run off as practical. More juice will generate as the salt pulls moisture out of the liver. Spread the liver on the cookie sheets so they dont overlap. Using Garlic Salt, sprinkle quite a lot over the liver. I coat it until there is no liver showing through. Sun curing is a preferred method, but it will also work inside the garage if you cant put it out. It will take longer inside. Set the cookie sheet with salted liver in full sunlight. If you can, tip the cookie sheet to allow the juice to run to one end or better yet to a corner and out. Depending upon temperature, humidity, frozen or fresh liver the curing time will vary. It should take at least 2 hours per side, but until you get a feel for it, look at it every so often. When the side of the liver exposed to the sun (top of liver) is dark brown and no longer moist, dry to the touch turn the pieces of liver over. Now cover this side of the liver with a good heavy coating of Garlic Salt just like you did at the start. Follow the same procedure you did before and cure this side. Keep curing and turning the liver until it gets like very moist jerky. Dont be afraid to sprinkle more Garlic Salt on if you see a spot that isnt curing like the rest. I dont think you will probably put too much Garlic Salt on unless you literally bury the liver in it. However, once the side is cured it is too dry for additional salt to stick and dissolve. When it gets to a moist jerky stage, bag it.
Once I have bagged the cured liver in zip lock bags I dont worry about the liver rotting or smelling up the place. I just leave it in the garage with my fishing tackle. After 2 to 3 weeks the liver may start to get dry and mealy.
A couple of side comments. I have found fresh liver seems to cure slower than frozen liver. I think the freezing ruptures the cells in the liver making it mushy and allowing the water to escape. When you fish it you will be amazed how quickly the liver absorbs water and begin to return to its original texture. The advantage is that although the outside softens, the inside is still firm.