Beef liver pate is a simple, healthy spread full of nutrients and bursting with flavor. Pate is a spread or dip made from herbs, spices, and beef liver. Everything is cooked together and blended in a food processor to make one delicious, creamy dip.
Beef liver pate is smooth and decadent, not grainy or chunky. The texture should be similar to that of a hummus – creamy and indulgent just the same. Don’t let the beef liver scare you away. Pate is not only nutritional, but it’s incredibly tasty, too!
How to Make Beef Liver Pate
Making this pate is incredibly straightforward, so anyone could do it. It’s as simple as sauteing the ingredients until the liver is cooked. Then, you put everything in a food processor and blend it together!
If your pate is not giving you the desired texture, you can incorporate more butter or olive oil to make it silkier. Also, feel free to add your favorite veggies and spices! Some of my favorites are roasted red pepper, sundried tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and rosemary.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beef liver: This is the heart of our pate. You can find beef liver at pretty much any grocery store, most likely in the frozen isles. It might also be in the fresh meat section. I prefer to use grass-fed beef liver whenever possible. It is said that this liver has the cleanest and freshest taste.
- Olive oil: We’re using olive oil to smooth out the pate. Olive oil has a rich flavor to it. You can substitute olive oil for additional butter if you need to. As always, I recommend using extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) if you can.
- Garlic: Garlic is a staple ingredient that provides flavor for any dish. Though you could use garlic powder in place of garlic, the effect is nothing close to that if you had used true, minced garlic. Sauteeing it alongside the onions and beef liver allows the flavors to combine more completely.
- Butter: Like I always say, butter is just plain good. It makes dishes rich and decadent. I recommend using unsalted butter so that you can control the saltiness of your pate. If you are looking to keep it dairy-free or just don’t have any butter, you could add additional olive oil.
- Yellow Onion: This recipe calls for yellow onions, but you can use Vidalia onions, sweet onions, or shallots, too. Of course, you can try to use onion powder instead, but you’ll be able to taste the difference and lack of flavor, unfortunately.
- Spices: My favorite spices for pate are salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano, but don’t limit yourself there. Pate tastes lovely with other ingredients, like capers, heavy cream, wine, cognac, sage, rosemary, and many more.
What You’ll Need
- Food processor: You will use this to blend everything together. The food processor can’t be left out here because your pate won’t be a creamy spread without it. Remember, pate should be smooth and decadent, not chunky.
- Frying pan: You will use a frying pan to cook the beef liver, onions, and garlic.
- Measuring spoons: Of course, we want to make sure our measurements are accurate. However, this isn’t a cake – don’t stress too much about measuring the spices. Feel free to add more to suit your flavor profile and play around with different flavors!
Beef Liver Pate Recipe
Course: AppetizersCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy5
servings10
minutes10
minutes96
kcalBeef liver pate is a healthy and delicious spread that is super easy to make at home. Check out our step by step recipe below!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons 2 olive oil
½ cup yellow onion, chopped
8 oz 8 beef liver
3 3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup butter, soft
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon thyme
⅓ teaspoon oregano
Salt to taste
Directions
- In a medium-sized saucepan, heat olive oil until melted. Add onion and saute for a few minutes, until soft.
- Add beef liver, cooking for 3-4 minutes. Then, add the garlic and continue cooking.
- When the liver is cooked through, transfer to a food processor and add butter, black pepper, thyme, oregano, and salt.
- Blend until smooth, adding additional olive oil if necessary.
- Serve over crackers or sliced bell peppers.
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Tips & Tricks
- Serve your pate with toast, crackers, or a baguette. I typically put the pate in a small serving bowl and keep the crackers next to it with a knife for spreading.
- Staying away from carbs? No problem! Pate pairs well with veggies like cucumber, carrots, sweet peppers, and even celery.
- Pate can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. To preserve it even longer, pour some melted, clarified butter or aspic on top to seal it. This is the white, jelly-looking layer you’ll see on top of some pates.
FAQs
Is beef liver healthy?
Despite the rumors that beef liver is toxic and unhealthy, it is very nutritious. It is super high in vitamins and minerals like B12, copper, iron, folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin D, and many, many more.
Can beef liver be eaten raw?
No, it is not recommended to eat beef liver raw. Raw meats, in general, can contain dangerous bacterias and germs that can make you very sick if consumed.
Is pate only made with liver?
Pate is traditionally made with liver, but it does not have to be that of a cow! You can make pate with the liver of chicken, duck, and even venison liver. Pate can also contain wine, cognac, and whatever spices you fancy.
Is pate eaten hot or cold?
Pate can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature. If you want to heat it up, that’s fine, but if you want to eat it straight out of the fridge, that’s cool too!
Conclusion
Over the years, I grew tired of eating the same dips like hummus, french onion, and queso. Adding pate to my repertoire has spiced up my parties, and it has grown to be one of my favorite snacks. Not only is beef liver pate healthy, but it’s tasty and so easy to make at home.
Let me know what you think about this recipe in the comments section!
