Peruvian onions

El Peruvian Onion It is considered as an ancestral culinary journey, which was discovered within Peru through the Valdivia culture, a group that prepared this delicious dish 3.500 years before Christ and essentially, it was like boiled meats full of onions and dressings.

In the colonial period The ingredients for its preparation were increased, such as cassava, other types of onion and lemon. It was a dish sold to port stevedores because of its high calorie content and therefore energy content. 

In the same sense, this is a typical dish, full of culture, history and tradition, which boasts the flavor of a people and the divinity of the hands that conceive it and that over the years, has survived to changes, disasters and the intervention of more people outside the city.

Currently, the gastronomic offer of the Peruvian coast has different presentations of this onion, which includes other meats and fish, but it is made mainly with cow liver.  

It is a very easy recipe to prepare, but it differs from other cooking formulas by not being one daily consumption meat and for its different species and flavors that the peppers and spices provide.

Peruvian Encebollado Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/7 cup red vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon of ground chili pepper
• Salt and pepper
• 4 beef liver steaks
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ kg of onion to the feather
• 2 tomatoes without skin or seeds and in wedges
• 1 yellow chili pepper without veins or seeds in strips
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Additional materials

• 1 deep pot
• 1 frying pan
• Cutting board
• Tweezers
• Absorbent paper or sheets
• Grate or strainer

Preparation

Start this recipe by integrating the chili with vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, ají panca, salt and pepper in a large pot. Mix these ingredients well. Then have the liver steaks, previously cleaned and without the natural top layer of the organ, and add them into the mixture. Let marinate for 6 consecutive hours.

When the indicated time has passed drain steaks in a colander or on a wire rack. Turn on the flame over medium heat, place the pan with plenty of oil and after each steak is very dry, fry for 10 minutes. As they are all well sealed and cooked, remove them from the pan and let them rest on napkins or absorbent paper.

Relight the fire and in the same pan place the onion, when a few minutes pass and it reaches a Golden colour, add the tomatoes, then pour in the liquid (macerated at first) and the yellow pepper, let it cook for 2 minutes and finally remove from the heat.  

Serve steaks immediately and cover with the onion, spread the finely chopped parsley and accompany it with boiled potatoes, rice or pasta according to your taste.

Advice and suggestions

When preparing the dish, the following must be taken into account suggestions to achieve a delicious and successful preparation.

• All ingredients have to be Fresh; you have to have the best liver, red and fresh, as well as vegetables mature and hard, sign that expresses the good quality of the products
• When starting the preparation you must have all the items and ingredients on hand, this so that the process is not delayed or the preparation is spoiled
• Should not be left overcooking the steak, this because if it is overcooked, it will be hard, difficult to eat and without moisture or juices
• The onion must not burn or overcook. It should always have a golden or caramel color
• You have to be careful with the type of chili to integrate. Since these can be very spicy and tend to damage the preparation
• To give the liver a more intense flavor of onion and spices, you can add the liver to the onion when it is cooking. Spend it a few minutes and remove to serve

Benefits of liver consumption

One of the main ingredients in this recipe: El liver, which in turn accompanies and covers the flavors of the onion, contains various benefits when consumed. Some of these are described as follows:

• The liver contains Vitamin A and, for that reason, the consumption of this meat improves vision and strengthens our immune system
• This type of beef is indicated for pregnant women, since its genetic contribution helps prevent diseases to newborns
• Also, the liver is a source of complete vitamin B12. This type of vitamin increases the health of the skin, the health of the nervous system and in turn protects the red blood cells
• Each serving of liver prevents inflammation and helps with problems such as asthma and arthritis
• In turn, meat is an excellent ally in slimming diets since for every 25 g of this meat, the calories circulate between 149 and 160 g

Nutritional contribution

The benefits of this meat are possible thanks to nutrients that has. Given that, due to the different acids and proteins that certain quantities consumed have, the contributions and helps to the body are generated.

The nutrients found in each serving of liver are the following:

• Proteins: These amino acid molecules are essential for the organism growth, as well as for the recovery and purification of the skin
• Iron: The liver provides 30% of the amount of iron what do you need to consume daily
• Phosphorous and zinc: These minerals are vital to our performance, yet they are responsible for the bone and tooth formation, such as the restructuring of the body's defense system
• Vitamin B12: This type of vitamin is essential for metabolism, as it helps the red blood cell formation in the blood and the maintenance of the central nervous system

Appropriate amount to consume

Although this food is very rich in iron, protein and vitamins, It is not advisable to consume it on a daily or regular basis.

The reason is very simple, the liver is the organ of the body whose function is purify and cleanse the body of all living things. That makes this meat so tender and delicious has high levels of cholesterol, which counteracts its benefits if we eat it daily.

Also, the liver is considered as red meat, so it is better to limit its consumption to once or twice a week only, to avoid high concentrations of cholesterol and heart ailments because of it.