Beef Liver Pate

Last year, I couldn’t find a recipe for a pate based on lamb’s liver, so I improvised a recipe that has now become a favourite. I’ve been using the same recipe with the liver of our home-killed beef. Pate with sourdough crackers must be one of my favourite snacks.


Beef liver pate

Beef Liver Pate

500g beef liver (you can substitute lamb’s fry), cut into pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup butter
salt
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper

*Saute the liver and onions in a couple of tablespoons of the butter until the livers are browned and the onions are tender.

*Add wine, garlic, mustard, herbs and lemon juice and cook uncovered until most of the liquid has gone.

*Cool and blend to a smooth paste in the food processor along with the rest of the butter. (This is easier if the butter is not fridge cold!)

*Add salt to taste.

*Check the consistency of the pate. If it seems dry and crumbly rather than smooth and creamy, add more butter.

*Put pate in a shallow dish and press the cracked pepper onto the top of it.

23 Responses to “Beef Liver Pate”

  1. Tracey says:

    yum! I must remember this

  2. Johanna says:

    Yes me too … !

  3. Kylie says:

    Hi-

    I would love to try and make some sourdough crackers! Was wondering if you might be able too (one day, if time ever permits!) to post your sour dough cracker recipe? They look scrumptious! And I have just invested in a dehydrator and am starting my sourdough 🙂

  4. Rebecca says:

    Hi Kylie,
    The cracker recipe I use is from “Full Moon Feast” by Jessica Prentice. I might try to post it some time, but I also recommend that you try to get your hands on a copy of “Full Moon Feast.” It’s a wonderful book!
    Good luck with your sourdough.
    Rebecca

  5. Yuriy says:

    Ever tried Beef liver Pate with Cognac? http://kitchen.galanter.net/2009/07/04/beef-liver-pate-with-cognac/ very very good 🙂

  6. Frank says:

    Tried your recipe and it came out great. I added some Thai chillies. Thanks!

  7. medwards says:

    thanks for the recipe. i just tried it with a caribou liver, and some grand marnier in place of wine. very tasty.

  8. yummyfoodies says:

    i was looking for a recipe for the liver i had in a fridge 🙂
    so so cool that i found this one… all the recipes that used milk just didnt agree with my gut feeling ill try urs 🙂

  9. annon says:

    Can this be done without a food processor? I’m excited to try, but don’t have the equipment!

  10. Mito says:

    Love the recipe, it worked like a charm and even my cats like it.

  11. ChristineG says:

    I just made some of this for myself (9 weeks pregnant) and my six children. It was absolutely fantastic!! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe, as we will be making this again and again. 🙂

  12. Lauren says:

    I just tried your recipe and it tastes great warm…I can’t wait till tomorrow to try it after it has chilled. Thanks!!

  13. Jackie says:

    Looks great. Can this be frozen?

  14. Tried the recipe and it was great! Slightly adapted due to my multitasking and not following instructions or adding all the ingedients, but it turned out great!

    Our family made a little video trying it too!!
    http://wholefoodsfamily.org/2011/07/18/best-liver-recipe-ever-for-those-who-are-scared-to-try-or-convinced-they-dont-like-it-but-wish-they-did/

  15. Ron says:

    Seems like a lovely recipe and good comments. Any suggestions for a possible replacement for the wine – I love pate but can’t use alcohol.

  16. chaz says:

    Ron .. Maybe you could sub beef both for the wine. I do that in other recipes since I can’t have alcohol either.

  17. Ferti says:

    Making it now, looks great. If I wasn’t using wine I’d use some red wine vinegar and water.

  18. Kristine says:

    Thank you,

    Quite delicious. I used my own homemade wine and all local food.

    Any tips on how to keep it in jars? I tend to get large batches of liver as the locals don’t eat it.

    Kristine in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

  19. Abi says:

    Your plates are absolutely gorgeous, I’m sure you’ve heard that many times before!

    I will be making this tonight, my first try at beef liver pate! My mother fed it to me as a teenager after having my wisdom teeth out <3 It was store bought of course, so this will be even better!

  20. MJ says:

    I would like to make a pate as a preserve. Any recipes for canned pate??

  21. I discovered your pate recipe through the website Critical MAS and made it this past weekend. I am not eating grains so I am enjoying it on slices of cucumber — this seems to satisfy like a crunchy cracker.
    Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe — and your site is lovely!

  22. Amanda Mostert says:

    Hi, We had some Kudu liver and I wanted to try something new. Can’t remember from where I landed on your recepie. Any way. Didn’t have wine or fresh herbs. So I replaced the fresh herbs with a good dash of dried Italian herbs. The wine I replaced with 125ml of water, 125ml grape vinegar and 15ml of brown sugar. It taste fantastic! THANK YOU for sharing you recipie.

  23. Garth Kahl says:

    Just tried your pate recipe with some goat liver from one of our 9 mo. old wethers. Very yummy. I’ve never been much of a liver fan, but I am trying to eat more organ meat these days, especially here in the cloudy winter of the Pacific Northwest of North America. Wouldn’t want to eat conventional liver, but since I bottle fed this guy from birth, and them moved his paddock to new grass every day, I’m quite comfortable eating this one. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Next time I have several livers I think I will make a large batch of it and then try pressure canning it for gifts or future use.

    -Garth Kahl, Alsea , Oregon

    PS I used half port and half home made elderberry wine for the wine in this batch. Very nice!