Here in the States we use the term variety meats to describe anything other than muscle meat, including organs, feet, and even the tails of butchered animals. In Britain they are referred to as offal (yep, pronounced aw-ful), but I think I‟ll stick with “variety meats,” thank you! Every meat-eating culture around the world has an appreciation for variety meats—maybe you‟ve heard of menudo (a traditional Mexican soup made with beef stomach, or tripe); haggis (a Scottish savory pudding made with sheep‟s heart, liver, and lungs); or chitlins (pig intestines, popular in the Southern United States). And of course, we‟ve all heard of French foie gras and pâté.

Although today variety meats are often associated with rural and/or poverty stricken areas, not too long ago Americans regularly consumed these “other parts.” It wasn‟t until the mid-1950s, when we became phobic of any food containing cholesterol and fat, that variety meats fell out of favor. Today, many people find the stronger, more mineral-y taste of organ meats a bit much, simply because the Standard American Diet is so dependent on the tastes of sugar and salt that anything deriving its taste from vitamins and minerals tastes, well, strange to the untrained tongue. So there you have it, while the French feast on foie gras and the Peruvians enjoy anticuchos (heart kabobs), we‟re hiding out with a piece of bland chicken breast. But why are we so squeamish? Is it really that different to eat a kidney than a steak?

In vitamin and mineral content, organ meats outshine muscle meats every time. Compared to ground beef, liver has more vitamin C, B1, B2, B5, B6, folate, B12, choline, and more iron, phosphorus, copper, manganese, and selenium. Liver is also a good source for some of the harder to come by fat soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, and K.¹ The same goes for other organ meats such as sweetbreads, heart, and kidneys. For anyone trying to include more nutrients in their diets (which should be all of us), organ meats are an excellent way to go.

Another nutritious, but often overlooked part of the animal, are the bones, which are rich in the amino acids glycine and proline. These amino acids are essential to the structure of collagen, and therefore a critical part of bones, teeth, skin, tendons, ligaments, and artery walls. Glycine is also excellent for the digestive tract and helps to enhance digestive secretions. It can also function as a neurotransmitter and may help to raise levels of the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin and help improve sleep. ^2,3 In addition to glycine and proline, bones are a particularly valuable source of minerals, especially calcium and phosphorous, with smaller amounts of magnesium. Bones also contain components of cartilage such as chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, which can help to repair and strengthen the cartilage in the joints and reduce pain.⁴ In some cases, you can eat the actual bones, like those found in canned salmon or sardines, but broth made from bones is an easy and versatile way to reap the nutritional benefits.

It is easy to see how eating the organs and bones from animals can offer benefits when it comes to nutrient density, but as it turns out they are also the perfect counter to a diet high in muscle meats. You see, the muscle meats we commonly consume are rich in the amino acid methionine. The body uses methionine to build proteins, but also as part of a process called methylation. Methylation is used by nearly every body system every second of every day. It allows cells to communicate properly and tissues to be repaired and built. Without proper methylation DNA cannot be repaired, inflammation is not kept in check, detoxification is hampered, and mood imbalances can occur. Clearly methionine is an important nutrient. But for methionine to fulfill its important role in methylation there must be ample B-vitamins, especially B6, folate, and B12. When any of these nutrient co-factors are in short supply, methionine will instead contribute to the generation of homocysteine, a toxic by-product that can damage the arteries and has been associated with cardiovascular disease, stroke, depression, and Alzheimer‟s disease.^5,6,7,8 Organ meats are rich in nearly all of the B-vitamins and liver is an especially good source of folate.

In an optimally functioning body, once methylation needs are met, any additional methionine can be converted into the master antioxidant and detoxifier, glutathione. This conversion is also dependent on the availability of other nutrients like the vitamins B6 and choline. Liver to the rescue again, as it supplies B6 and is one of the richest source of choline. In order to convert methionine into glutathione an ample supply of the amino acid glycine is also necessary. While muscle meats do contain some glycine, the bones are chock-full of this amino acid, containing six times more than muscle meats.⁹

It‟s really pretty simple. If we eat only muscle meat, we run the risk of getting too much methionine and not enough of the co-factors needed to properly use it, which could lead to high levels of homocysteine and decreased levels of the antioxidant glutathione. But if we eat the whole animal—muscles meats, organs, and bones—the nutrients work synergistically to support optimal health. Isn‟t it great how nature always packages things together so perfectly?

So if organ meats and bones are so good for us, why did we move away from them in the first place? The answer lies largely in the fact that we developed an intense fear of foods that contain cholesterol and fats. The truth of the matter is, except in a small percentage of the population, dietary cholesterol and saturated fats don‟t actually affect blood cholesterol levels.^10,11 And even if they did, blaming cholesterol for conditions of the cardiovascular system is a gross oversimplification of the real processes that lead to cardiovascular disease. This oversimplification has left us blind to more concerning issues related to cardiovascular health such as blood sugar regulation and the importance of protecting fats and cholesterol from oxidative damage. Abandoning these traditional foods in favor of lean muscle meats may actually contribute to diseases of the cardiovascular system by increasing homocysteine levels and decreasing glutathione production. Beyond cholesterol, people are often concerned that organ meats, and liver in particular, are high in toxins. While it is true that an important job of the liver is to neutralize toxins, it doesn‟t actually store toxins. What it does store are all those wonderful vitamins and minerals. That said, it is still best to choose organic animal products that have been raised in a natural, clean environment and fed organic feed, or better yet, have been grass-fed. Choosing naturally raised animals not only ensures cleaner food, but also healthier food, raised in a more sustainable and humane manner.

It is surprisingly easy to incorporate these foods into your diet. Start by making a good bone broth and using it in your cooking regularly. Consider having a couple of servings of omega-3 rich canned wild salmon, sardines, or anchovies with the bones once or twice a week. If you‟re really squeamish about eating organ meats start slowly by thoroughly chopping some in a food processor and mixing a little in with your regular ground meat recipes, slowly adding more to suit your own tastes (think burgers, meatloaf, chili, tacos, etc.). Beyond blending with other foods, the flavor and texture of most all organ meats is improved by soaking in lemon juice or some water and vinegar for several hours before cooking. Try preparing organ meats with richly flavored sauces, such as those made with wine, vinegar, bone broth, butter, onions, garlic, and herbs. And be careful not to overcook organ meats, which will result in a tough, rubbery texture.

So how have I fared on my quest to eat the “other parts?” Well I have to admit I have long eaten canned fish with bones and I regularly make bone broth. But as for the variety meats I was having cold feet. I knew I could never finish this article if I didn‟t try some, so I finally took the plunge. I cooked and ate liver. And it was surprisingly good. I even ate leftovers the next day. What‟s more, I realized that it wasn‟t really “icky” at all and I think it will become a regular in my meal repertoire.

Serves 4

• 6 strips of bacon, roughly chopped
• 3 medium onions, in ¼ slices
• ½ pound button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 5 dried figs, diced and soaked in ¼ cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage (optional)
• 1 pound beef liver, cut into ¼” slices and soaked in 2 cups of water with 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar for at least 3 hours or overnight
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour Sea salt and pepper, to taste

In a large cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel to cool. Drain off about two-thirds of the bacon grease in a heat-proof bowl and set aside. Return pan to the heat and add onions to remaining bacon grease. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally until onions just begin to brown. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring more frequently, until onions are caramelized and mushrooms are soft, 10-15 minutes more (you may need to reduce heat). Add the figs and their soak water, balsamic vinegar, and sage. Cook until liquid is mostly absorbed, about 2-3 minutes. Combine coconut flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge each piece of liver in the coconut flour mixture. Return ½ of the reserved bacon grease to the pan and heat over medium heat. Once hot, add half the liver slices and cook 45 seconds to one minute on each side. Remove from the pan, add more bacon grease as necessary, and repeat with remaining slices. Serve liver topped with onion-mushroom compote and bacon and get ready to be pleasantly surprised!

Prep: Bones from turkey can be used to make a good broth or stock. Bones can be saved in storage bags in the freezer until you are ready to make up a batch of stock. Remember: bones from free-range or organic animals are best.

Add ingredients: To make the broth, start by removing any leftover meat from the bones. Then, fill a large stock pot with the bones. Just cover the bones with water and add a few cut up carrots, celery, garlic, and onions, a few bay leaves, and any other seasonings that are desired, such as sea salt, pepper, parsley, sage, rosemary, or thyme. It is important to add 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar (or another acidic ingredient). The acid will help to draw additional minerals out of the bones.

Simmer: Bring the pot slowly to a gentle simmer, but not to a boil. If the pot boils more vigorously, it tends to make a less tasty broth. Often some „scum‟ will rise to the top of the pot at the beginning of the simmer; this can be skimmed off with a strainer or a spoon and discarded. Just let the pot simmer on the stove for a minimum of 8 hours, all the way up to 24 hours. The longer the bones simmer, the more GAGs and minerals will be drawn from them. Simply give them an occasional stir.

Enjoy now or save for later. The broth is delicious to drink hot and is great to use as a base for soups and stews. Once the broth is done simmering, turn off the heat, allow it to cool, and then remove the bones and strain the broth. After it cools, put the broth in containers to refrigerate. Bone broth stays fresh about one week in the refrigerator, or it can be frozen The book, Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon, has an excellent section on making bone broths, and more to say about their healing benefits, too.

References available upon request