Pork liver pâté

I recently bought more pork liver than I needed for another recipe and decided to try making homemade pâté. It turned out well, especially since I could also use some smoked bacon from the freezer. It’s not complicated and doesn’t take long, except for the time the liver sits in cold water.

Quick Info

Total time: 2 hours (including soaking time)
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8
Difficulty: easy
Recipe type: appetizer, cold snack

Ingredients

700 g pork liver
3 medium onions
200 g butter (at room temperature)
200 g smoked bacon
3 tablespoons oil
salt
pepper

Preparation method

1. Wash the pork liver under cold running water. Place it in a bowl with cold water and let it soak for at least an hour to draw out the blood. The liver should change color and lighten in shade.
2. Cut the liver into suitable pieces. Boil them in salted water. Once the water boils, let the liver cook for 20-25 minutes. Remove it to a strainer, allowing it to drain well and cool.
3. Peel and finely chop the onion. Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the onion over low heat until it becomes translucent and completely soft. Do not let it brown. Set aside to cool.
4. Cut the smoked bacon into small cubes.
5. Once the liver and onion have completely cooled, place in a food processor: the liver, sautéed onion, and smoked bacon. Blend the mixture well.
6. Add the soft butter at room temperature. Process until everything becomes a smooth and homogeneous paste.
7. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper to preference.
8. Transfer the pâté to a dish and refrigerate for a few hours until the butter hardens.
9. Serve on fresh or toasted bread. For presentation, you can fill cups made from large pieces of red onion.

Why I make this recipe often

I love that the pâté comes out creamy, it’s quick to make, and I can control exactly what goes into it. It’s more filling than what I find in stores and doesn’t last long in the fridge.

Tips and variations

Tips

If you want the pâté to be very smooth, pass the mixture through the meat grinder two or three times, not just through the food processor.
For a less smooth texture, stop the processor earlier.
Don’t rush the cooling before adding the butter – if the ingredients are warm, the pâté may turn out too soft.

Substitutions

Smoked bacon adds flavor, but you can use plain bacon if you don’t have smoked. The texture won’t be identical, but it will work.
If you want it without smoked meat, you can omit the bacon, but the pâté will be less flavorful.
Butter can be replaced with margarine, but the taste won’t be the same.

Variations

You can add a little raw garlic when blending if you like a more intense flavor.
A quick version: less butter will make the pâté firmer, suitable for spreads.

Serving ideas

It goes best on fresh bread. For platters, you can serve the pâté in red onion cups or mold it with a spoon on slices of cucumber.
You can sprinkle coarse ground pepper on top for an extra flavor boost.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I use chicken liver instead of pork?
Yes, but the cooking time is reduced to 10-15 minutes. The texture will be slightly finer and the flavor more delicate.

2. Do I really need to soak the liver in cold water?
Yes, it is recommended. This draws out the blood and eliminates the bitter taste specific to liver.

3. If I don’t have a food processor, how can I make it?
You can pass everything through a meat grinder two or three times, then mix with a spatula until it becomes a paste.

4. What type of bacon should I use?
Hard or semi-smoked bacon without rind gives the best flavor. You can also use belly bacon if that’s what you have on hand.

5. Can I freeze the pâté?
You can, but after thawing, the texture will be wetter. It’s best consumed fresh or kept in the fridge for a few days.

Nutritional values

Estimation for one serving (approx. 100 g):
Calories: 380-420 kcal
Protein: 10-12 g
Fat: 37-40 g
Carbohydrates: 2-4 g
Values are approximate and depend on how much butter and bacon you use, but the pâté is hearty, with a high fat content.

Storage and reheating

The pâté stores well in the fridge, in a closed container, for up to 5 days. I do not recommend reheating it. If you made more, portion it and freeze it quickly, but the texture will not be the same after thawing. It’s best consumed within 2-3 days.