From our own cattle, Vilas, North Carolina

Beef Liver

$6.44 a pound

Sold by the pound, charged for the exact packed weight.

One cut, from animals we raised ourselves. Most people have only ever eaten it overcooked, which is a shame, because it takes about four minutes to get right.

Buy beef liver

Rated 5.0 on Google by more than 100 customers.

Beef liver from Shipley Farms, raw, on a wooden board
5.0 on Google, from more than 100 reviews Raising beef in Vilas since 1872 Butchered locally Free farm pickup at checkout Charged for exact packed weight

If you think you do not like liver

You have probably had it grey. Liver turns from tender to chalky in under a minute, and once it is past, no sauce rescues it. The fix is heat and nerve: a hot pan, a short time, and taking it off while the middle is still pink.

Cooked liver with caramelised onions
Liver and onions, the dish almost everyone has had badly.

How to cook it

  • Soak it, if you likeThirty minutes in milk or buttermilk softens the flavour. Worth doing the first time; skip it once you know what you want.
  • Dry it, then salt itA wet surface steams instead of browning. Pat it dry and salt it just before it meets the pan.
  • Hot pan, two minutes a sideIn beef tallow or butter, until the outside is brown and the centre is still faintly pink. Take it out before you think it is ready.
  • Rest it while the onions finishThree or four minutes. Onions cooked slowly in the same pan are not a garnish, they are half the dish.

Buy beef liver — $6.44 a pound

Liver pate terrine served with grilled crostini and onion jam
Pate: the gateway for anyone who thinks they do not like it.

Getting it to you

Local? Choose free farm pickup at checkout and pay nothing to get it.

Shipping? Worth knowing before you order: shipping is free on most orders over $150, and at $6.44 a pound liver will not reach that on its own. Most people add it to an order they are already placing — steaks, ground beef, a box — which is the cheapest way to get it to your door.

Braised liver strips with bell peppers in sauce
Braised with peppers, slow and forgiving.

Where it comes from

The same animals as our steaks: raised here in Vilas, finished without shortcuts, and butchered locally. No shortcuts since 1872. Liver is the cut that tells you whether a farm is selling the whole animal or only the easy half of it.

Questions people ask

Is it frozen?

Yes. It is frozen after butchering and stays frozen until you thaw it, which is how liver keeps its texture. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, not on the counter.

How much is a pound?

Enough for three or four people as a main, or two with leftovers for pate. Liver is rich; most people eat less of it than they would of steak.

Why is the total different from the sticker price?

Because it is sold by the pound and charged for the exact packed weight. Pieces are not identical, so you pay for what you actually receive rather than a rounded guess.

I have only had liver I did not like.

That is the common case, and it is almost always the cooking rather than the liver. Four minutes in a hot pan, pink in the middle. The steps above are the whole method.

Buy beef liver — $6.44 a pound