Portuguese Liver Steaks with Potatoes • Iscas de Vaca

This a oldie recipe (old photos and everything) but goodie, “Iscas de Vaca” are a traditional Portuguese dish that, while perhaps unconventional to some, offers a delightful and nutritious culinary experience. The term “iscas” refers to thinly sliced liver, typically from beef or pork, marinated and sautéed to tender perfection. Paired with “batatas a murro,” or “punched potatoes,” this meal showcases the rustic and brilliant charm of Portuguese cuisine hehehe

Also “Batatas a murro” are just small young potatoes roasted until tender, then gently pressed to crack their skins, allowing them to absorb a flavorful infusion of olive oil and garlic. This technique results in a harmonious blend of crispy exteriors and creamy interiors, making them a beloved side dish in Portugal, it’s important to use young potatoes because they will have thinner tender skin.

And i know liver… it might not be common choice for everyone, but it’s a rich source of essential nutrients, including iron, vitamin A, and B vitamins, contributing to a balanced diet. When prepared thoughtfully, as in this recipe, the liver becomes tender and flavorful, so lets check the recipe

Portuguese Liver Steaks with Potatoes • Iscas de Vaca

Servings: 2
Time: 50mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Traditional portuguese liver dish, perfect if you like creamy and savory dish with crispy creamy potatoes, it's quite lovely.

Ingredients

Beef Liver – 400gr (In Steaks)
Lemon – 1
Bay leaf – 1
Red Wine – 300ml
Garlic – 5 cloves
Thyme – A pinch
Pepper – A pinch
Potatoes – 8 Small
Olive Oil – A few strands
Salt – A pinch

Directions

Start by preparing the marinade: in a large bowl, place the liver steaks at the bottom, followed by the red wine (add a little water if necessary to cover everything), cut the lemon into 4 pieces, crush the lemon a little, then the bay leaf, 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped, a pinch of thyme, pepper and salt, cover with cling film and leave for at least a couple of hours in the fridge (don’t leave it for more than a like 12 hours or else the liver will start to dissolve!).
For the potatoes, choose young white-skinned small potatoes because they have a very thin skin and will cook better. Boil them in a pan with plenty of water and a little bit of salt.
While the potatoes are cooking, put the olive oil (about 4 tablespoons, but it’s up to everyone’s taste hehehe) and 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic in a frying pan, let them fry a little until the garlic starts to color, remove from the heat and set aside.
Once the potatoes are cooked (poke them with a fork/knife if you don’t feel any resistance, that means they’re cooked), take them out and drain them. Place them on a kitchen towel and use it to give each potato a little punch (so you don’t burn yourself), you just want to open each potato up a little.
Finally arrange the potatoes on a platter and add the olive oil and garlic on top, then season with a little more pepper and oregano.
Now it’s time to make the liver steaks, let them drain, and put them in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil, don’t overcrowd the pan because the liver will stew and you want to fry them a bit, liver cooks quickly, about twice as fast as steak.
When its changed color and brown a bit on both sides, take it out and serve with the potatoes. Enjoy!

Notes: Liver is best enjoyed just cooked, unlike a steak reheating leftovers are not recommended, unlike the potatoes that are likely even better reheated the next day or used on a potato salad.

This recipe for Portuguese Liver Steaks with Potatoes • Iscas de Vaca was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Iscas com Batata a Murro foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.