I'm looking for tips on how to prepare beef kidneys and any good recipes for them. I know you guys will have the answers, as always! Thanks.--Laurie

-- Laurie (SUPERGS63@AOL.COM), April 06, 2000

Answers

Here are some recipes from Sally Fallon's book "Nourishing Traditions". I have not tried them yet. I tried getting kidneys at the local butcher and the only thing he produced were ones so old, they were dry. I put them in a Vitamix with a little water and fed them to the cats. If you try these recipes, please let me know how they turned out. PREPARATION OF KIDNEYS Both whole and sliced kidneys should be marinated in lemon juice for several hours before they are cooked. Remove from lemon juice and dry well with paper towels before browning. Whole kidneys should be cooked until they are just pink inside. Most kidneys are sold with their layer of fat, and the thin filament surrounding the kidneys peeled off. There may be a button or knob of fat on the underside of the kidneys; retain this if possible it is a very nourishing fat. Both lamb and veal kidneys can be used in the following recipes. They should be very fresh with no unpleasant odor check with your nose.

GRILLED KIDNEYS WITH HAZELNUT BUTTER SAUCE Serves 4

1 pound kidneys, cut into walnut-sized pieces and marinated in lemon juice 1 tablespoon melted butter 3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts 1/2 stick butter 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives Remove kidney pieces from lemon juice and dry well. Thread on buttered skewers and baste with melted butter. Grill under the broiler about 5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, saute the hazelnuts in butter until lightly browned. Stir in chives. Divide kidneys among individual plates and spoon sauce over.

KIDNEYS IN WINE SAUCE Serves 4 to 6

2 pounds kidneys, cut into lemon-sized pieces and marinated in lemon juice butter and extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped 2 cups homemade beef stock 1/2 cup red wine 2 tablespoons arrowroot mixed with 2 tablespoons water Remove kidney pieces from lemon juice and dry well. In a heavy skillet,saute in butter and olive oil over a medium flame, until browned all over. Transfer to a heated platter while making the sauce. Pour out browning fat and add a little butter to the pan. Saute shallots gently until soft. Add stock and wine, bring to a rapid boil and reduce to about half, or until stock begins to thicken. Add arrowroot mixture a spoonful at a time until desired thickness is obtained. Check seasoning and add sea salt and pepper as needed. You may serve kidneys whole, with the sauce poured over; or slice the kidneys and warm the slices very briefly in the sauce.

KIDNEYS IN MUSHROOM SAUCE Serves 4-6

2 pounds kidneys, cut into lemon-sized pieces and marinated in lemon juice butter and extra virgin olive oil /2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried and sliced 1/2 cup red wine 2 cups homemade beef stock 1 cup piima cream or creme fraiche [a type of cultured milk - try buttermilk or yogurt for substitute] 2 teaspoons Dijon style mustard 2 tablespoons softened buffer 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (non-MSG variety) Remove kidney pieces from lemon juice and dry well. In a heavy skillet, saute over medium high flame until browned all over. Do not overcookthey should be pink inside. Transfer to a heated platter and keep warm in the oven while making the sauce. Pour out browning fat. Add more butter and oil to the pan and saute the mushrooms over medium high heat until browned. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm in the oven. Pour out browning fat and pour wine and beef stock into the pan, bring to a boil and reduce to about half. Add the cream and reduce further. Meanwhile blend the mustard, softened butter and worcestershire sauce together with a fork. When sauce has reduced to desired thickness, reduce to simmer and whisk in mustard mixture. Slice kidneys. Stir in kidney slices with their juice and mushrooms. Let heat just briefly. Serve immediately.

KIDNEY RICE CASSEROLE Serves 12

3 pounds kidneys sea salt and fresh~ground pepper juice of 4 lemons 2 medium onions butter and extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup red wine 2 cups homemade beef stock 2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed 3 cups brown rice 2 medium onions butter and extra virgin olive oil 6 cups chicken stock or mixture of chicken stock and water 1/2 teaspoon sea salt freshly ground pepper 1 cup raisins 1 cup crispy pecans (page 485), chopped 2 bunches green onion, finely chopped Cut kidneys in small pieces and marinate for several hours in mixture of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Meanwhile prepare rice. Saute onion in butter and olive oil. Add rice and stir around until milky. Add liquid, salt, pepper, and raisins and bring to a rapid boil. Let liquid reduce to level of rice, then cover and place on lowest heat. Cook without removing top for at least 2 hours. Drain kidneys and pat dry. Saute onion in butter and olive oil until golden. Reserve. Saute kidneys in batches until well browned. Reserve. Pour out cooking fat, add wine, stock and garlic to pan and bring to a boil. Return onions and kidneys to pan. Boil, uncovered, until liquid has reduced and thickened. To serve, press rice into a mould and turn onto a large round platter. Place kidneys in the middle and garnish with pecans and chopped onions.

CRISPY PECANS Makes 4 cups 4 cups pecan halves 1 teaspoon sea salt filtered water The buttery flavor of pecans is enhanced by soaking and slow oven drying. Soak pecans in salt and filtered water for at I least 7 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander. Spread pecans on two stainless steel baking pans and place in a warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for 12 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally, until completely dry and crisp. Store in an air tight container.

Variation: Tamari Pecans In place of salt, add 1/4 cup tamari sauce to soaking water.

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), April 07, 2000.

I hope you can make sense of what I just posted. I wish there was a preview to this forum, so one could see that the paragraphs are not going to be seperated and the lines run together. If you have a question about what I just posted because the lines are together, let me know.

-- R (thor610@yahoo.com), April 07, 2000.

Let's try one more time:

PREPARATION OF KIDNEYS

Both whole and sliced kidneys should be marinated in lemon juice for several hours before they are cooked. Remove from lemon juice and dry well with paper towels before browning. Whole kidneys should be cooked until they are just pink inside.

Most kidneys are sold with their layer of fat, and the thin filament surrounding the kidneys peeled off. There may be a button or knob of fat on the underside of the kidneys; retain this if possible it is a very nourishing fat.

Both lamb and veal kidneys can be used in the following recipes. They should be very fresh with no unpleasant odor check with your nose.

GRILLED KIDNEYS WITH HAZELNUT BUTTER SAUCE Serves 4

1 pound kidneys, cut into walnut-sized pieces and marinated in lemon juice

1 tablespoon melted butter

3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts

1/2 stick butter

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

Remove kidney pieces from lemon juice and dry well. Thread on buttered skewers and baste with melted butter. Grill under the broiler about 5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, saute the hazelnuts in butter until lightly browned. Stir in chives. Divide kidneys among individual plates and spoon sauce over.

KIDNEYS IN WINE SAUCE Serves 4 to 6

2 pounds kidneys, cut into lemon-sized pieces and marinated in lemon juice

butter and extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped

2 cups homemade beef stock

1/2 cup red wine

2 tablespoons arrowroot mixed with

2 tablespoons water

Remove kidney pieces from lemon juice and dry well. In a heavy skillet,saute in butter and olive oil over a medium flame, until browned all over. Transfer to a heated platter while making the sauce. Pour out browning fat and add a little butter to the pan. Saute shallots gently until soft. Add stock and wine, bring to a rapid boil and reduce to about half, or until stock begins to thicken. Add arrowroot mixture a spoonful at a time until desired thickness is obtained. Check seasoning and add sea salt and pepper as needed.

You may serve kidneys whole, with the sauce poured over; or slice the kidneys and warm the slices very briefly in the sauce.

KIDNEYS IN MUSHROOM SAUCE Serves 4-6

2 pounds kidneys, cut into lemon-sized pieces and marinated in lemon juice

butter and extra virgin olive oil

/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried and sliced

1/2 cup red wine

2 cups homemade beef stock

1 cup piima cream or creme fraiche [a type of cultured milk - try buttermilk or yogurt for substitute]

2 teaspoons Dijon style mustard

2 tablespoons softened buffer

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (non-MSG variety)

Remove kidney pieces from lemon juice and dry well. In a heavy skillet, saute over medium high flame until browned all over. Do not overcookthey should be pink inside. Transfer to a heated platter and keep warm in the oven while making the sauce.

Pour out browning fat. Add more butter and oil to the pan and saute the mushrooms over medium high heat until browned. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm in the oven.

Pour out browning fat and pour wine and beef stock into the pan, bring to a boil and reduce to about half. Add the cream and reduce further. Meanwhile blend the mustard, softened butter and worcestershire sauce together with a fork.

When sauce has reduced to desired thickness, reduce to simmer and whisk in mustard mixture. Slice kidneys. Stir in kidney slices with their juice and mushrooms. Let heat just briefly. Serve immediately.

KIDNEY RICE CASSEROLE Serves 12

3 pounds kidneys

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

juice of 4 lemons

2 medium onions

butter and extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup red wine

2 cups homemade beef stock

2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed

3 cups brown rice

2 medium onions

butter and extra virgin olive oil

6 cups chicken stock or mixture of chicken stock and water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

freshly ground pepper

1 cup raisins

1 cup crispy pecans (page 485),

chopped 2 bunches green onion, finely chopped

Cut kidneys in small pieces and marinate for several hours in mixture of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Meanwhile prepare rice. Saute onion in butter and olive oil. Add rice and stir around until milky. Add liquid, salt, pepper, and raisins and bring to a rapid boil. Let liquid reduce to level of rice, then cover and place on lowest heat. Cook without removing top for at least 2 hours.

Drain kidneys and pat dry. Saute onion in butter and olive oil until golden. Reserve. Saute kidneys in batches until well browned. Reserve. Pour out cooking fat, add wine, stock and garlic to pan and bring to a boil. Return onions and kidneys to pan. Boil, uncovered, until liquid has reduced and thickened.

To serve, press rice into a mould and turn onto a large round platter. Place kidneys in the middle and garnish with pecans and chopped onions.

CRISPY PECANS Makes 4 cups

4 cups pecan halves

1 teaspoon sea salt

filtered water

The buttery flavor of pecans is enhanced by soaking and slow oven drying.

Soak pecans in salt and filtered water for at I least 7 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander. Spread pecans on two stainless steel baking pans and place in a warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for 12 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally, until completely dry and crisp. Store in an air tight container.

Variation: Tamari Pecans

In place of salt, add 1/4 cup tamari sauce to soaking water.

-- R (thor610@yahoo.com), April 07, 2000.

boil the piss out of them

-- denden (denden18@hotmail.com), April 09, 2000.