Useful and harmful properties of pork liver

0

2281

Article rating

Pork liver is a fairly well-known and often used by-product in cooking. Popular love for him is associated with his good taste, affordability and low cost.

Pork liver

Appearance

The appearance of a pork liver must correspond to certain indicators, the main one of which is its color. Healthy pork liver has a light brown tint, which can be seen in any photo of this product. The normal weight of an offal should be between 1.5 and 2 kg. Pork liver of less weight indicates a disease of the pig.

You can distinguish a healthy fresh pork liver from a sick one by carefully examining its appearance. The surface of a healthy and fresh pork liver looks even, smooth, without any spots. Their presence hints at serious illnesses. So, for example, white bubbles on the surface of the product indicate that the piglet from which it was obtained has suffered a serious infectious disease - echinococcosis. The causative agent of this disease can be dangerous for humans.

To determine the liver's suitability for consumption, you need to make a small incision in it. If the cross section of the product is moist and has a porous structure with scarlet bloody discharge, it is fresh. If the structure of the liver is broken or brown blood flows out of it, you should not use such a product.

The freshness of the liver is easy to determine by pressing lightly with your finger. A dent that opens quickly means that the product is fresh and of good quality, and the remaining indentation is evidence that it is spoiled. There is another indicator by which you can "feel" the difference between a good and a bad liver: its smell. The aroma of fresh and healthy raw liver should be pleasant and somewhat sweet. The sourness is clearly felt in the smell of a spoiled product.

Composition and useful qualities

The chemical composition of pork liver, as well as chicken and beef liver, is rich in trace elements necessary for optimal human life.

Vitamin beta-carotene, called the "elixir of youth", which is present in this product, strengthens the body's defenses, slows down cell aging and is a prophylactic agent against cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer.

The presence of vitamins of group B, vitamins A, C, H, E and PP in the composition of pork liver ensures the normal functioning of the nervous and digestive systems of a person, increases resistance to stress and contributes to the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels. It is impossible to overestimate the beneficial properties of pork liver for women expecting a baby, because folic acid (vitamin B9), which is part of it, contributes to the normal development of the fetus and supports the body of a pregnant woman.

Given the high content of fatty acids, antioxidants and ferritin, pig liver, along with beef and chicken, is recommended for patients with anemia, atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus. Due to its beneficial properties, it is an excellent prophylactic agent for eye diseases. This product is extremely useful for patients with blood clotting problems. Pork liver contains iron, which affects the synthesis of hemoglobin in the blood. The lack of iron in the human body leads to a deterioration in the condition of the skin, which can be replenished by regularly eating dishes made from pork, chicken or beef liver.

Lysine, found in the liver, helps to increase the absorption of protein. As you know, protein is a building material for the human body, its deficiency leads to degeneration and diseases of internal organs. In this regard, liver dishes will be useful and even necessary not only for a small child, whose body grows and develops, but also for an athlete, as well as a person whose body is recovering from past diseases.

The benefits of pork liver can also be talked about thanks to the copper it contains. This element has excellent anti-inflammatory properties and is responsible for the elasticity of the skin.

The beneficial properties of pork liver are enhanced by methionine, choline and folic acid, which prevent the appearance of benign and malignant tumors. The benefit of thiamine, which is part of the by-product, is to neutralize the damage caused to the human body by tobacco products and alcoholic beverages. Regular use of pork liver stimulates the work of the brain, kidneys and reproductive system, and also noticeably improves the condition of hair, teeth, nails. The benefits of this product are evidenced by the presence of tryptophan in its composition, which normalizes sleep and has a positive effect on the human nervous system.

Energy value

The nutritional value of pork liver, that is, the content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in it, is as follows: proteins - 18.8 g; fats - 3.8 g, carbohydrates - 4.7 g.

These figures are calculated for 100 g of product. The energy value of pork liver per 100 g of product is 109 kcal. This is slightly less than the calorie content of beef liver, which is 127 kcal per 100 g of product.

How many calories a meal will contain has a huge impact on how it is prepared. For example, fried pork liver is a more high-calorie dish compared to boiled one, the energy value of which can reach 200 kcal. But the calorie content of the pork liver cake is 157 kcal per 100 g of the dish.

Caveats

Despite all the beneficial properties of pork liver, there are some warnings about the use of this product. Most importantly, they are associated with the high content of cholesterol in the liver, which can cause blockage of blood vessels and cause poor circulation. This is especially dangerous for the elderly. Therefore, in order not to harm your body, you should not eat a pig's liver more often than once every 6-7 days, no matter how tasty it is.

In addition to cholesterol, pork liver contains purine substances that increase uric acid levels. An increased concentration of this substance can harm the human body and contribute to the development of gout. Pork liver is contraindicated in liver cirrhosis, rheumatism, arthrosis.

Cooking features

Pork liver is a fairly versatile product that is easy to bake, boil, grill, fry. In cooking, there are a lot of pork liver snacks that are easy to prepare at home.For example, if you are waiting for guests, you can make a delicate and delicious liver cake as a snack, but for a quiet home dinner, you should choose a liver with spices in batter, which not only adults, but also children will be happy to eat. As a second course, the liver is eaten with pasta, buckwheat, rice. Stewed, fried or boiled vegetables will be an excellent side dish for it.

From this product, you can make an amazing liver pate by boiling the liver in salted water along with vegetables and spices, and then twisting it all with oil and cooling it. Delicate liver mousse, to which cream is added, can also be an excellent snack. Pork liver with spices is an excellent filling for pancakes, rolls, pies and dumplings. Chunks of offal, beaten and fried in an egg, appeal to both children and adults.

Before you start cooking pork liver, its surface must be cleaned of the outer film, which is quite simple to do. Perhaps the only gustatory drawback of this product is bitterness, which can be easily removed with a fairly simple method. So that the liver does not taste bitter, it must be soaked in water for 1-2 hours, but you can also do this in milk. It is better to take cow's milk.

Before soaking the offal in milk, it must be thoroughly rinsed with water to remove bile. You can soak in milk either a whole piece of the product or small portioned pieces. To properly soak offal, you need to do the following:

1. Take a deep dish and dip the offal into it.
2. Pour milk so that it completely covers the product.
3. Leave the offal for 1-2 hours, no more, then take it out and put it on a paper towel.
4. The product dried with a towel can be used for cooking.

Pork liver soaked in milk will become not only not bitter, but also tender and juicy. Hard and dry liver after cooking is not uncommon. So that such troubles do not touch you, during cooking, you should put the offal in the already boiled water, and salt it at the very end of the process. To keep the liver tender, juicy and soft, it is advisable to add a little sugar during cooking.