Offal

Question 1

Definition of offal?

Answer 1

Offal (‘off fall’ parts of animal at the abattoir); ‘those internal parts of an animal which are used
as food, but which are not skeletal muscle.’
- However, a more modern definition of offal now extends to include certain extremities
e.g. pigs’ ears, calves’ feet etc.

Question 2

Difference between red and white offal?

Answer 2

Red: heart, lung, kidneys, spleen
White: bone marrow, testicles, brain, feet, sweetbreads, stomach, head

Question 3

What is offals shelf life? How quick should it be used?

Answer 3

Offal deteriorates more quickly than other types of meat and must be cooked fairly soon after
slaughter or turned into a product which does keep.
Most offal can be frozen though there may be some subtle textural deterioration in cooked offal
that has been frozen, thawed and then cooked.

Question 4

How should you store offal?

Answer 4

Store in the coolest part of the fridge and keep well covered. Providing it is very fresh, use within 24-48 hours of purchase.

Question 5

What makes liver (and liver based products) grainy in texture.

Answer 5

If overdone it goes grey and grainy.

Question 6

What to look for when buying offal and liver and kidneys?

Answer 6

When buying offal, buy from a reputable supplier, know (or ask) where the offal has come from,
how old it is, whether it is fresh or has been frozen (fresh is always best) and check that there is
no discolouration, malodour or damage.

When buying avoid any strong smelling livers. It will likely have been cut into ~11⁄2 cm slices by the
butcher. It should be deep red and shiny and ideally have few tubes running through the slices.

When buying, look for kidneys that are deep red in colour (rather than brown or grey) with no
malodour or severe damage

Question 7

What is “ to sieze” when applied to kidneys and why is it done?

Answer 7

Browning lambs’ kidneys before sitting in a sieve over a bowl to encourage bitter juices to run out