How to correctly - offal, tripe, liver or offal? It turns out that "offal", albeit a nasty word. Everything else refers to the internal organs, so tails, ears and necks remain off topic.

It seems to us convenient to divide by-products into two classes, guided only by subjective considerations. First, it's understandable foods like liver and kidneys. And secondly - those with which the modern Russian city dweller is absolutely incomprehensible what to do. These are the udder, the thymus gland of a calf, and similar rarities. Let's start with the clear

So brains. One could say that this is a dietary product - they contain half as much protein as meat. It’s a pity, but it’s impossible to say that, because there is more than enough cholesterol in the brain. Beef brains have a fairly dense texture. They are quite large; one brain is enough for 4 servings. It takes about 20 minutes to cook, boil or fry.

Veal brains are more tender and buttery. They are about half the size of beef; they are fried and steamed for 10 minutes.

Pork tastes like beef, although smaller in size. For 1 serving you will need one brain. The time for frying is only 5 minutes.

Lamb - pinkish, tender, a real delicacy. They are as small as pigs. In no case should they be digested and overcooked. Five minutes in the pan and you're done.

Cooking brains is not difficult, but you should pay close attention to their preparation. To remove blood clots, they must be soaked in cold water changing it regularly for at least 2 hours. Only then can the film be removed from them. If clots remain, you need to put the brains in warm water until the blood completely disappears.

In order for the brains to retain their white color when frying, you must first take a brush and grease them lemon juice or vinegar.

The brain's own taste is weakly expressed. Therefore, it is better to boil them in a strong, rich chicken broth. Otherwise, they turn out fresh.

By the way, after boiling, they can be cut into slices, dipped in batter and quickly deep-fried. And to make the taste of "brain donuts" more interesting, you need to knead the batter with white wine. Any cheap one will do.

Let's move on to the language. In France in the Middle Ages there was a law according to which the peasants, slaughtering cattle, did not have the right to keep their tongues - they went exclusively to the master's table. To be honest, you can understand the French feudal lords. So Empress Catherine I revered boiled tongue with cucumbers as her favorite dish. To this day, the tongue is considered a tasty morsel - be it beef, veal or pork.

Beef and pork are sold separately, lamb - sometimes with the head. Aspic is made from the tongue, it is used in salads, eaten boiled - cold, with various sauces. The French make millefeuille from the tongue and stewed celery, that is, they are layered and served hot.

Portions of dishes from the tongue are calculated at 200 g per person.

If you bought a fresh tongue, be aware that it is stored raw for no more than a day. If you don't have time to cook, freeze. The tongue freezes in 5-7 hours and can be stored for several weeks and even months. In any case, even before freezing, it would be good to soak it for 2-3 hours in cold water. Boiled tongue is stored for three days.

Preparing a language is a simple, albeit lengthy, task. It must be washed, cleaned, dipped in boiling water for a couple of minutes and the skin removed. Then it is desirable to grate with coarse salt and leave for 12, or better - for 48 hours. And then the taste will noticeably improve.

At least 2 hours in a very spicy broth skimming regularly. The degree of readiness is checked with a regular fork - if it easily enters the pulp, the tongue is ready. It can be served a la naturel, with horseradish and mustard. You can pour sauce, for example, from equal parts of sour cream and mustard, seasoned with sweet pepper and garlic. In general, there are a great many sauces for the tongue, and all of them are sharp enough to set off the delicate taste of the tongue itself.

Now we can talk about the liver. It is often referred to as the liver. And in vain! The liver is an anatomical organ, the liver is a food product.

In terms of nutritional properties, all livers are approximately the same, but there are big differences in their taste and texture. Veal is considered ideal. It is even strange that European culinary specialists ignored it for quite a long time, preferring beef.

When buying, pay attention to the color and texture: if the liver is bright, shiny, smooth, then it is from a young and healthy animal, but if it is too dark in color, the animal was in old age. The liver, grainy on the cut, will become wadded when frying. If you can choose, buy the middle part - it can be beautifully sliced. For a festive meal, this is important.

Portions are calculated based on 100-150 g per person.

It is not recommended to store fresh, steamed liver for a long time, it is advisable to use it immediately or within a maximum of 24 hours, and then when stored in the refrigerator. But if it is cut into slices and frozen, it can be safely stored for up to six months. But it is better to eat the liver fresh, it is not only tasty, but also healthy.

Here are some culinary tricks that are useful when working with the liver. Before frying, it is worth putting the chopped liver into milk for 10 minutes - a greasy film forms on its surface and it will not darken during frying. There is another option - you can grease the liver slices with melted butter; especially useful before grilling. In general, the liver is never fried until fully cooked, the whole process takes 3-4 minutes. The slices are placed on a heated frying pan and wait: until the ichor appears, they immediately turn it over and wait for the ichor to appear again. You need to fry the liver on low or medium heat, a strong fire will spoil its taste.

To make skewers out of it, first large pieces are lightly fried in a pan, and then small cubes are cut from them, which remains just lightly browned on the grill.

If you are going to bake the whole liver, you need to marinate it first. Port wine is used for this, spices are added to it. French chefs add a little cognac to the marinade. Port wine is injected into the liver with a syringe. Chicken, duck and goose can be marinated in a honey-vinegar marinade at the rate of 1 tsp. honey per 1 kg, vinegar - to taste.

Kidneys are a special product. Some love them, others hate them. The French aristocrat Napoleon d'Abrantes became famous for challenging anyone who ate them in his presence to a duel. But today kidney dishes can be found in prestigious, even three-star restaurants. Veal and lamb kidneys are especially valued - they are much more tender than beef and pork.

When buying kidneys, the main rule is their perfect freshness. Pay attention to kidney fat. If the kidneys are fresh, then it has a uniform structure and an even white color. In general, although fat must be carefully removed, its presence on the kidneys is a good indicator.

When preparing a dish of kidneys, count on 150-200 g per serving. It turns out 1 veal kidney for 2 or 2 lamb kidneys for 1 serving.

If you want to buy kidneys for the future - no problem. Cut them into slices of 2 cm thick - and in the freezer (previously wrapped in cellophane). They are perfectly stored frozen - up to 3-4 months. Before cooking, they must be thawed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

So let's start cooking. First you need to wash the kidneys and remove all the kidney fat, then cut them and rinse thoroughly. To quickly remove fat from calf kidneys, they are cut into three pieces along the length, and the fat is easily removed along the entire length.

Experts recommend beef kidneys to be scalded several times with water acidified with vinegar in a colander. You can even cut them into large pieces and immerse them in boiling water for a few seconds. Veal and lamb are also scalded, but whole.

You can cook anything from the kidneys - roast, sauté, stew, kebabs, stewed kidneys with sauce. At the same time, beef ones will be tastier if they are stewed, and veal and lamb ones will be fried.

It is impossible to overcook veal kidneys - they become "rubber". You need to fry them for no more than 5 minutes on each side. Lamb is best grilled for 3 minutes on each side. So that they do not shrink from the heat, cut them in half and string them on wooden skewers. Garlic oil goes great with them.

You can fry veal and lamb kidneys in a pan. They are cut into cubes and fried for 2 minutes over high heat in butter, then reduce the fire, add all sorts of things to taste - cream, wine, calvados, mushrooms, mustard, shallots.

Beef cheeks can be bought at the market, by agreement with the butchers, in the fall, when the bulls are slaughtered. Cheek meat has a very tender texture and an interesting pronounced taste. Cheeks must be absolutely fresh. When cooking, they need to be bandaged,

like a roll, and the tighter - the better, and simmer in a spicy broth for three hours, over very low heat. Very good cheeks in jelly or in the form of meat stew with vegetables.

Another rare offal is calf thymus. In France it is a delicacy. But it is not on sale in Russia now, so it is useless to talk about the secrets of cooking. If you see this dish in a restaurant, be sure to try it.

Everyone has heard about the heart. But few people know how to cook it. To begin with, rinse it thoroughly and remove all blood clots and preferably all the veins. No other preparation is required - unlike the rest of the tripe, it does not need soaking. But slightly pickling it will not hurt: a couple of cloves, a clove of garlic, a few tablespoons of olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, coarse salt, crushed black pepper, a sprig of thyme are mixed (garlic needs to be chopped), and the heart is smeared with the resulting paste. It takes half an hour to insist. After that, the heart can be steamed or fried on skewers or cut into slices under the grill.

Now a few words about the product, which has been forgotten in Russia for a long time.

This is the so-called boundary fatty film. This is a fatty layer on the walls of the stomach of ruminants. In appearance, it resembles a translucent lace fabric, hence its culinary name "crepenet" - "lace". In Europe, you can buy it in any supermarket. In butcher shops, it is lined with pâté bowls so that minced lean meat turns into a juicy terrine or galantine. It is also used for roasts, especially if lean meat is baked.

Modern scientists, nutritionists and other experts are constantly arguing about the benefits and harms of food, and these disputes often become the most discussed. This is not surprising: after all, people still - by and large - are not indifferent to what they eat, and common sense is increasingly defeating addictions and eating habits - this cannot but rejoice.

The eternal debate about meat

And of course, meat products are among the most discussed products: on the one hand, there are ardent opponents of their consumption, and on the other, equally ardent defenders, so that ordinary consumers often cannot figure out which of them is right, and rush from one extreme to another.

But the tongue contains a lot of fat, but this is its only drawback. This is a delicacy product, very tender and tasty, rich in nutrients; it is well absorbed, and even normalizes digestion - this is not surprising, since it has little connective tissue. Language is useful - in reasonable quantities - for pregnant women and nursing mothers, as well as for people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases.

offal brains

Brains are also a delicacy: in the old days, dishes with brains were served on the table to aristocrats - they have a delicate taste, and they are rich in trace elements and vitamin B12, but you can eat them only a little, and always with a lot of green vegetables - they have a lot of indigestible fat. Cholesterol in the brain just "rolls over": if you eat more than 15 g of them, the allowable daily allowance of this substance will be exceeded, and yet they are not eaten in such small portions.

Another offal that is used quite rarely is the udder: it has fewer calories than beef, but more fat, but it takes a long time to cook the udder - about 10 hours.

Nutritionists consider offal an excellent source of protein, but they do not recommend eating them more than once a week, and tongue and brains only a few times a year. They consider the liver to be the most useful of all offal - rabbit liver is especially rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals.

For many, the word "offal" is associated with something second-rate. It is believed that this food is inferior to meat in all respects. However, this is fundamentally wrong. Some of the by-products contain much more minerals and vitamins.

Offal - what is it?

Depending on the type of livestock, there are beef, pork and mutton by-products. This word refers to the internal organs, as well as not the most valuable parts of the carcass of farm animals. All by-products differ in taste and nutritional value. In this regard, two categories of by-products are distinguished. The first includes those organs and parts of the carcass that have a high nutritional value due to the content in them of a large amount of biologically active substances. active substances. This group includes the heart, brains, liver, kidneys, tongues, diaphragm, udder, meat and bone tails. The second group contains offal with low nutritional value: heads, lungs, legs, ears, stomach, trachea.

Quality control

Meat and offal are equally popular among the population. Their quality is carefully controlled both at meat enterprises and at points of sale. Certain types of offal may contain blood, as well as a large number of microbes and active enzymes. The presence of such defects must be excluded, since the use of such food can cause serious health problems. Meat offal must be completely free of blood and contamination and must not show signs of spoilage. The liver is freed from the lymph nodes, gallbladder and bile ducts. The color of a fresh liver should be brown or light brown. Fat and connective tissue are removed from the tongue. Its color in the section should be uniform.

Implementation

A simple layman should know some rules by which you can determine whether the offal is of high quality in front of him, that it is healthy food or poison. The product is sold chilled or frozen. It can be either whole or cut into pieces. It is strictly forbidden to sell re-frozen or thawed products. In addition, if you notice tears or cuts on the packaging, you should refrain from buying. The unnatural color of the product indicates that it is not suitable for consumption. Buying expired or low-quality products can cause great harm to health. It is quite difficult to judge the quality of frozen foods. It is best to give preference to fresh and chilled offal. The characteristic smell and even, natural color will tell you that these products can be eaten.

Beneficial features

Beef, pork, lamb by-products are good for health. They contain zinc, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, as well as vitamins of group B, D, A, K, E, PP. The protein that is part of their composition is no different from meat proteins. These products contain all the amino acids necessary for a person, as well as elastin and collagen. The liver, heart, tongue, brains are used in diet food. They are rich in substances that stimulate blood formation. Dishes from these offal improve the regeneration of hemoglobin, which is extremely important for anemia. They are recommended for use in diseases of the kidneys, nervous system, after burns and injuries. In addition, properly prepared by-products are very tasty and nutritious.

How are by-products used?

This product is very popular in our country. From it you can cook a huge number of dishes. In this case, the processing of by-products plays an important role. Any product must be thoroughly washed, and in some cases soaked to obtain a delicate taste. It is necessary to carefully remove all films and veins. There should be no blood in the original offal. A very peculiar product is the bone marrow. It can be eaten raw or seasoned with herbs, grated apples, sweet almonds. The liver will be an excellent filling for pies and pancakes. Excellent second courses, sausages and pâtés are prepared from it. Language, as a rule, is used for the preparation of smoked meats, aspic, canned food, sausages. Kidneys are suitable for second and first courses. Liver sausages and pâtés are prepared from the heart. From the ears and legs - jelly and brawn. Offal - what is it, if not an excellent replacement for expensive meat and sausages? A wide variety of these products guarantees a delicious and unusual menu every day.

cooking secrets

Due to the fact that each offal is a separate organ with its own taste, density, and so on, you need to know some tricks to cook it. For example, the liver is salted only before consumption. Doing this during cooking will spoil the dish, making it dry and tough. To cook the lungs, you need to wash them, put them in a container, press down with oppression, and only then fill them with water and boil. If you do not follow these rules, the lungs will float to the surface.

What should be more careful?

Offal - what is it? Storehouse of vitamins and minerals. They must be eaten. However, you shouldn't get too carried away. Many by-products contain cholesterol. Therefore, experts recommend eating them no more than twice a week. In addition, this product may contain cadmium and lead. Choose raw offal carefully. If in doubt, don't buy. Remember that poor-quality products may contain harmful microorganisms. Each time, carefully choose products so as not to pay with your health.

"Inner world" or all about by-products.

By-products are by-products of the primary processing of animal carcasses. The prefix "sub" - in their name sounds somehow insulting, supposedly these are "underproducts"! However, offal such as the liver, tongue, kidneys, brains, heart, udder, diaphragm, have a nutritional value no lower than meat, and surpass it in the content of some vitamins, lecithin, and mineral salts! Compare for yourself:

Chemical composition and energy value of meat and offal

			Carbohydrates, g	Calorie content, kcal
beef udder
Beef brains
Lamb liver
beef liver
Pork liver
Lamb kidneys
Beef kidneys
Pork kidneys
Pork fat
Lean pork
Pork skinny
Lamb heart
beef heart
Pig's heart
Fat veal
Skinny veal
beef tongue
Pork tongue

The names and taste of many by-products are familiar to us from childhood, but there are also those with which the modern city dweller is absolutely incomprehensible what to do: udder, fetlock, calf's thymus, and similar rarities!

In general, all by-products are divided into two categories:

In preventive nutrition and diet therapy, the most widely used is liver(especially veal and beef), containing a significant amount of B vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E), a significant amount of enzymes and extractives, iron, phosphorus, active hormonal substances and trace elements involved in hematopoiesis. The liver contains 70-73% water, 2-4% fat, 17-18% proteins, including all essential amino acids. The liver as a source of vitamin A is used in the nutrition of patients with diseases accompanied by damage to the skin and mucous membranes. In some diseases associated with loss of blood or deterioration of its composition, doctors especially recommend eating slightly fried (half-cooked) liver, which quickly restores and improves blood composition. The liver is thoroughly washed before use to remove bile; to do this, it is cut into plates 8-12 cm thick and soaked for 2-3 hours in cold running water.

kidneys rich in minerals best qualities have veal and beef kidneys of young animals. To remove an unpleasant odor and taste, they are soaked for 30 minutes in water or a weak solution. acetic acid. The kidneys contain 82-83% water, 1.8-2% fat, 12.5% ​​proteins, vitamins B, B2, B6, PP, pantothenic acid, minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus). The record amount of zinc per 100 g of the product makes the kidneys an important element in maintaining the genitourinary system, reproductive functions, skin and nail health. The kidneys, like the liver, are rich in enzymes and extractives.

Languages veal and beef have a delicate and pleasant taste, they are rich in proteins and fat. The tongues contain 70-72% water, 13-14% proteins, 12-13% fat, as well as extractives and some B1 vitamins; B2, B6, PP. The tongue enhances the activity of the digestive glands, is well absorbed and is recommended for dietary and baby food. Iron and zinc in its composition improve the condition of the skin and hair, supply cells with oxygen and increase overall tone.

In France in the Middle Ages, there was a law according to which the peasants, slaughtering cattle, did not have the right to keep their tongues - they went exclusively to the master's table. To be honest, you can understand the French feudal lords. So Empress Catherine I revered boiled tongue with cucumbers as her favorite dish. And to this day, the tongue is considered a tasty morsel - whether it be beef, veal or pork tongue. If you bought a fresh tongue, be aware that it is stored raw for no more than a day. If you don't have time to cook it in a day, freeze it. The tongue freezes in 5-7 hours and can be stored for several weeks and even months. In any case, even before freezing, it would be good to soak it for 2-3 hours in cold water. Boiled tongue is stored for three days.

Heart contains 79% water, 3% fat, 14-15% protein, small amounts of vitamins and extractives. The heart has a large amount of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, necessary for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system. Also in the composition - copper compounds, important for the synthesis of hemoglobin and the healthy functioning of the nervous system.

Lungs contains 77-78% water, 4-5% fat, 15-16% protein.

Brain contain 78-79% water, 1-2% fat, 9-10% proteins, vitamins, extractives. One could say that this is a dietary product - they contain half as much protein as meat. It’s a pity, but it’s impossible to say that, because there is more than enough cholesterol in the brain. Boiled and fried, they have a delicate texture and taste. However, brains are poorly absorbed by the body.

Scar- part of the stomach of large and small cattle, consisting of smooth muscle fibers. It contains 80% water, 4.2% fat, 14-15% protein.

Udder- mammary gland of cattle containing 72-73% water, 13-14% fat, 12-13% protein.

Tail pork or beef is useful for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and in the nutrition of people with gastroenterological problems. Jelly from the tails is an excellent remedy for helping the joints, as it contains a lot of useful substances.

For people suffering from certain diseases (gout, peptic ulcer, etc.), they limit almost all offal, since they are rich in purines, these nitrogenous extractives pass into the broth when cooking meat (especially when meat and offal are placed in cold water). They are kept fried. Extractive substances stimulate gastric secretion, excite the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, irritate the liver and kidneys. Purine substances serve as a source of formation of uric acid in the body.

The wary attitude of many doctors towards by-products is also due to the fact that almost all of them need to comply with certain requirements during receipt and processing, which provide a warning. food poisoning and other diseases associated with their use. So, at meat processing enterprises, a double veterinary control is provided: when raw materials enter the workshop and before the processed offal is supplied to the refrigerator. The release of by-products in raw form is not allowed. Careful observance of hygiene rules is also necessary when preparing various dishes from offal (pates, jellies, etc.), as well as during their storage and sale. Products from by-products (brawn, liver and blood sausages, pates, jelly) are especially perishable products; You can store them only in the refrigerator, the shelf life should not exceed a day.

In addition, doctors recommend limiting the consumption of offal, as these organs are believed to be overloaded with heavy metals (for example, lead and cadmium). But, if you buy meat and offal not in spontaneous markets, but where they undergo thorough veterinary control, you can not be afraid of this!

By-products are called internal organs and less valuable parts of the carcasses of slaughtered animals. Depending on the type of livestock, by-products are divided into beef, pork and mutton.

In terms of nutritional value and taste, by-products are not equivalent. Some offal, such as tongues and liver, are not inferior to meat in nutritional value, and surpass it in the content of vitamins and microelements. Other by-products - lungs, ears, tracheas, have low nutritional value.

By nutritional value and taste, by-products entering the trading network are divided into categories I and II.

To by-products / categories include tongues, liver, kidneys, brains, heart, beef udder, diaphragm and meat and bone tails (beef and mutton). Beef and veal tongues have the highest nutritional value (lamb and pork tongues are less), liver, kidneys, beef and veal brains.

The morphology and chemical composition of by-products depend on the functions they perform, the type, age and fatness of the animals.

By-products contain (in%): water - 20-80, proteins - 12-20, fat - up to 12, minerals, as well as vitamins A, D, B, B 6, B 12, B 15, PP, E and K , and the liver is especially rich in vitamin A and B vitamins.

Proteins of the most valuable by-products do not differ in nutritional value from meat proteins. The composition of the proteins of the liver and kidneys includes all the essential amino acids. However, low-value proteins predominate in most by-products. Offal such as ears, lips, scars and udders contain a lot of collagen and elastin.

Fat is rich in trimmings from the heads of well-fed animals and tongues. The amount of fat-like substances is relatively large in the brain and spinal cord. These organs also contain a variety of phosphatides.

Offal is used in the manufacture of various meat and culinary products. From liver they prepare second courses, fillings for pies, it serves as a raw material in the production of sausages and pies. kidneys used for first and second courses, delicacy canned food; languages- for the second, jellied dishes, in the production of smoked meats, canned food and sausages; Heart contains dense muscle tissue; suitable for second courses, pâtés, liverwursts and preserves. Lungs added to minced meat in the production of low-grade liver sausages along with other offal, Legs, ears used as adhesive additives in the manufacture of jelly, brawn, liver sausages. From meat and bone tailings prepare broths and preserves.

Due to the fact that blood can remain in some offal, as well as due to the large number of very active enzymes and microbial contamination, careful control of offal in meat enterprises and in trade is necessary.

Processed by-products must be without signs of spoilage, thoroughly cleaned of blood, impurities, meeting certain requirements for the quality of processing and organoleptic indicators. Tongues freed from fat, connective tissue, larynx and lymph nodes; their color on the cut is uniform. The kidneys are intact, brown in color, without incisions in the capsule, ureters and external blood vessels. Liver without lymph nodes, large bile ducts and gallbladder, brown or light brown, with intact membranes of light gray. The heart is cut or incised lengthwise, stripped of protruding blood vessels, dark red in color and elastic in texture. The udder is cut into large pieces, defatted, without milk residues, light gray in color. A fetlock joint and pig's feet without a horn shoe, carefully cleaned of hair and bristles; their color, depending on the type of processing, can be brown, pale pink or light cream. The heads of beef and pork are cut into symmetrical parts, without a tongue, brains, carefully cleaned from hair, bristles and burnt epidermis. By-products are produced packaged as a whole or in pieces, chilled or frozen.

Thawed and re-frozen offal, with cuts and tears, that have lost or changed color on the surface, are not allowed to be sold in the distribution network.

Transported offal no more than 12 hours. Only frozen or salted offal is allowed to be transported over long distances. For transportation, by-products are placed in wooden, metal, cardboard or polymer containers separately according to types, names and processing methods. The liver must be transported in a waterproof container. Frozen offal may be transported in bags or containers made of other materials. The net weight of each container must be no more than 30 kg. Each batch of by-products is accompanied by documents of the established form.

The freshness of offal is determined organoleptically, depending on their type, according to the same indicators as meat. If necessary, additional bacteriological analysis is done.

By-products include internal organs, udders, heads, lower limbs, tail.

By-products are divided according to the type of livestock: veal, beef, lamb, pork; by nutritional value: on I and II categories.

Liver, kidneys, heart, brains, tongues, udders, tails of beef, lamb, and trimmings belong to category I by-products. By-products of category II include: legs of beef, pork, lamb, ears of beef and pork, heads of beef and pork (without tongue), heads of lamb (with tongue and without tongue), necks of all types of livestock, stomach, pork tripe, abomasum, lips , spleen, lung. Offal contains proteins (9.5-19.7%), fats (2.3-16.1%), minerals (0.5-1.5%), vitamins. The energy value offal 87-185 kcal per 100 g.

The liver is freed from the gallbladder with ducts, lymph nodes, remnants of adipose tissue. The liver contains more vitamins and iron salts. Beef and veal liver are valued, as their bitter taste is less pronounced than pork. The liver is useful in weak vision, in anemia. Languages ​​must be freed from fat, sublingual muscle tissue and bone, larynx, mucus, blood and lymph nodes. Beef and veal tongues are valued higher, as they are larger and have less waste (in the form of coarse tissue covering the tongue).

The kidneys should be intact without a fatty capsule, ureters, external blood vessels. The kidneys contain a lot of mineral salts; they are soaked to reduce the specific taste and smell.

Brains are valued beef and veal, they are larger and more tender. In addition, brains contain phosphorus salts, phosphatides (cholesterol, lecithin), which are necessary for proper metabolism in the human body.

The heart should be defatted, cut lengthwise, cleaned of blood vessels. Heart meat is tough. Used in boiled and stewed form.

Offal must be fresh, clean, without blood, mucus, signs of spoilage, properly processed.

By-products with the smell of spoilage, re-frozen, having lost their natural color, with cuts and tears are not allowed for sale.

Store offal at temperatures below 0°C, chilled - 1 day, frozen offal - at temperatures up to -6°C - no more than two days.

The most discussed products today, of course, include meat products. One arguing side is their ardent opponents, the other is, on the contrary, ardent defenders, for this reason, ordinary inhabitants, without having figured out which of them is right, begin to rush from one extreme to another. For example, offal, what do they mean in our nutrition with you? Just about by-products opinions are sharply divided - some believe that such products they can’t bring anything but harm to our body, while others insist on their necessity and usefulness.

And here both of the arguing parties are right. If you remember what the "food pyramid" looks like, then you will understand that meat products, incl. and by-products should be eaten in small quantities. It will be enough for our body if we eat meat only 2 times a week, it will not bring any harm, and it will even be very useful.

What are by-products

What offal in general terms? For most of our compatriots offal are the internal organs of various animals, i.e. heart, kidneys, liver and lungs. But in fact, this list is much wider. In our food industry, and accordingly in our diet, there are several main types of offal - pork, beef, lamb, and chicken. Less commonly, we use goose, duck, rabbit and others.

Further offal divided into 2 categories according to taste and nutritional value. The 1st category includes lamb and beef heart, tongue, kidneys, brains, liver, tails, udder and diaphragm. The 2nd category includes pork heads, lungs, ears, stomach, tail and legs, although the latter make a pretty good jellied meat. This list also includes pork tracheas, but we are less concerned about them, because. they are usually fed only to dogs.

For some reason offal we rate lower than usual meat, which consists of muscle, connective and fatty tissues, and they are also a meat product. By the way, offal calories lower than that of meat, but there are much more useful minerals and vitamins.

by-products, as a rule, are raw materials for the preparation of sausages, canned food, smoked meats, jelly, aspic, pates, second courses, fillings for pies, etc. At the same time, they are in no way inferior to ordinary meat, because it is not for nothing that most of us are very fond of liver sausage and all kinds of pastes. At the same time, it should be noted that when using by-products some specific rules of their preparation must be taken into account.

The vitamins and minerals that make up offal are capable of rapid destruction, so if you are not going to cook any dish from them in the very near future, store them in the freezer. Cook offal it is necessary so that they do not undergo prolonged heat treatment (thus, all useful elements will be preserved in them), but they should not be used half-cooked, because. this can lead to very serious illnesses.

Offal. What are the benefits and harms

Every food item has its own pros and cons. offal are no exception. Perhaps the most popular offal is the liver, it is she who is most often purchased by housewives, and there are a great many recipes for its preparation.

The liver contains a huge amount of vitamins useful to our body, incl. and fat-soluble ones such as E, A and D . It contains all kinds of amino acids, and enzymes and vitamins of group B, and many others. etc. The disadvantage of this offal is in its taste and smell, which not everyone likes, but you can get rid of them by soaking this offal in cold water for several hours.

Since the liver performs the functions of a filter in a living organism and accumulates all kinds of toxic substances in the process of work, it is better to eat the liver of young animals as food. harmful substances accumulate in it, they still do not have time. If the animals were fed with antibiotics and hormones, then with such a precaution you are unlikely to secure your food.

Dishes prepared from the liver are recommended for patients with anemia, gastritis and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as for those who are prone to thrombosis and all kinds of inflammation. Chicken liver promotes the removal of overwork and is recommended for diseases of the respiratory organs.

Next offal- kidneys, which also contain a large amount of useful substances, especially zinc. As you know, zinc is good for overall health and also helps keep nails strong and skin beautiful.

kidneys, like the previous one offal , must be thoroughly soaked to rid them of harmful substances and the taste of urine, because the kidneys are also a natural filter. The best thing kidneys soak in milk or acidified water.

Such offal, how lungs, heart and tongue, in comparison with the liver and kidneys, have not so many disadvantages, especially with regard to the accumulation of harmful toxins. At the same time, these offal are rich in iron and pure protein. Besides heart contains a huge amount of copper, which is so necessary for the normal functioning of the central nervous system and the maintenance of normal blood composition. The heart also contains a lot of magnesium, which is necessary for our vessels and maintains normal pressure. Since the heart offal not fatty and low-calorie, it is often used in various diets.

Lungs also have virtually no fat, but they contain a lot of protein. For those who want to lose extra pounds, this offal will become good choice, because makes it possible to get enough without overloading the stomach and at the same time, practically does not add calories. There are no less useful substances in the lungs than in beef tenderloin, and you can buy them much cheaper.

As for the tongue, its only drawback is its considerable fat content. The offal very tasty, delicate and rich in nutrients, therefore it is a delicacy. Language remarkably absorbed, and also normalizes the digestion of food, tk. there is practically no connective tissue in it. Eating language(within reasonable limits) is recommended for breastfeeding mothers, pregnant women, as well as those who suffer from various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

As you can see offal have a lot of usefulness, and are much cheaper than meat, so eating them in reasonable quantities, you will save your health and will always be full.

Be healthy!