Stir-Fried Pork Liver and Garlic Chives is a flavorful and nutritious aspect dish that’s well-liked in diners, gastropubs, and Japanese residence cooking alike. Skinny slices of contemporary pork liver soak in a gingery marinade, then sear in a scorching pan earlier than tossing in a savory sauce with crunchy bean sprouts and brilliant inexperienced nira.
In the event you love fast Japanese stir-fries, strive my Beef and Inexperienced Pepper Stir-Fry, Miso Pork and Eggplant Stir-Fry, and Ginger Pork (Shogayaki) recipes subsequent!
What Is Nira Reba?
Nira reba (ニラレバ) is a stir-fried dish made with pork liver and garlic chives. It’s a well-liked teishoku (set meal) served at diners and Chinese language-style eating places throughout Japan. Beloved for being reasonably priced, hearty, and filled with vitamins like iron and vitamin B12, it’s usually loved as a fast and energizing meal—particularly while you’re drained or want a lift.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Daring, savory taste – The sweet-savory sauce and tender liver go so nicely with rice. Each chew is so satisfying!
- Nutritious and energizing – Liver is filled with protein, iron, and nutritional vitamins. Garlic chives add much more vitamins and taste. It’s the proper power increase!
- Fast and simple – Simply slice, stir-fry, and season. Easy and prepared very quickly!
Elements for Stir-Fried Pork Liver and Garlic Chives
- Pork liver
- Ice cubes, chilly water, and milk – for rinsing and soaking
- Garlic chives (nira or Chinese language chives)
- Bean sprouts
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Soy sauce
- Sake – for the marinade and sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Potato starch
- Toasted sesame oil and impartial oil
Discover the printable recipe with measurements beneath.
…Are You New to Cooking Pork Liver?
I used to be, too! I by no means cooked this dish after I was in Japan. However after receiving so many requests from readers, I lastly stepped out of my consolation zone—I’m so glad I did!
In Japan, pork liver is a well-liked ingredient as a result of it’s reasonably priced, straightforward to search out, and filled with vitamins like iron, vitamin A, B12, and folate. It has a wealthy, savory taste that’s much less gamey than beef liver and turns into fairly delicate when correctly ready—like soaking in milk to take away the sturdy odor. With its agency but tender texture, pork liver is ideal for fast stir-fries and pairs nicely with daring flavors like garlic chives and refreshing textures like bean sprouts.
You’ll be able to often discover pork liver at Asian grocery shops. I picked mine up at H-Mart!
Substitutions
- Pork liver: In the event you can’t discover it, strive rooster liver or delicate and tender calf liver. For plant-based alternate options, use thinly sliced tofu varieties reminiscent of agency tofu, koyadofu (rehydrated dried tofu), or aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch).
- Potato starch: In the event you don’t have it, use cornstarch or rice flour.
- Oyster sauce: In the event you‘re allergic to shellfish, use just a few tablespoons of Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce.
- Soy sauce: Use tamari soy sauce for gluten-free.
How you can Make Stir-Fried Pork Liver and Garlic Chives
Preparation
- Clear. Minimize into skinny slices. Swish in a bowl of ice water a number of occasions. Soak the liver slices briefly in ice water, then in milk. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Marinate. Combine grated ginger, grated garlic, sake, and soy sauce. Coat the liver and chill within the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Prep the greens and seasonings. Minimize the bunch of chives into 1½-inch lengths; rinse and drain the bean sprouts. Mix the seasonings.
Cooking
- Coat and sear. Mud every liver slice calmly with potato starch. Prepare dinner in a frying pan till browned on either side and the middle reaches 160°F (74°C). Switch to a plate.
- Stir-fry the veggies. Rapidly fry the garlic chives and bean sprouts in sesame oil. Prepare dinner the reserved marinade within the pan.
- Mix. Add the liver and sauce, and toss simply till coated.
- Serve instantly with white pepper powder on the desk.
Nami’s Recipe Ideas
- Select contemporary pork liver – Search for a brilliant purple shade and shiny sheen.
- Rinse nicely and soak – Soaking in ice water removes extra blood; soaking in milk eliminates odor.
- Use a light-weight starch coating – An excessive amount of potato starch makes the floor gummy; a whisper-thin dusting locks in juices and seasoning.
- Sear, don’t steam – Go away house between slices so that they brown as an alternative of steaming. Work in batches if wanted.
- Flip the liver while you see the liquid – As quickly as purple liquid seeps out and items launch simply from the pan, flip them. Ready too lengthy could make the coating soggy and trigger it to fall off.
- Examine the temperature – An instant-read thermometer ensures the middle reaches 160–165°F (71–74°C) with out overcooking.
- Serve straight away – Bean sprouts lose their crunch in the event that they sit, so deliver the dish to the desk instantly.
Variations and Customizations
- Add sliced onions. Brown them rapidly in a very popular pan to develop a charred taste.
- Bulk up with greens. For extra shade, fiber, and freshness, toss in different crunchy greens like inexperienced peppers, purple bell peppers, and snow peas.
- Spice it up. Punch up the warmth and taste with chiles.
What to Serve with Stir-Fried Pork Liver and Garlic Chives
Storage and Reheating Ideas
To retailer: Liver is extremely perishable, so it’s greatest to eat it as quickly as potential. Let the dish cool utterly, then switch to an hermetic container. Retailer within the fridge for as much as 1–2 days. Liver tends to develop into powerful after freezing, so I don’t suggest it.
To reheat: Reheat in a frying pan over medium-high warmth for a fast stir to keep away from sogginess. Keep away from microwaving, which might toughen the liver.
Incessantly Requested Questions
You might, though the flavour of scallions is sharper than delicate garlic chives.
The marinade incorporates all of the seasoning you want, so that you don’t want so as to add extra salt or pepper.
Vegetable oils have a impartial taste and excessive smoke level, so you should use them for this recipe. Learn extra about them in my article Finest Impartial Oil for Cooking.
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To Put together the Pork Liver
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Slice: Trim off the white sinew and any blood clots from ½ lb pork liver. Thinly slice the liver crosswise about ⅜ inch (8 mm–1 cm) thick. Minimize them into bite-sized items, if wanted. As you slice, add the items to the ice-filled bowl. Whole weight ought to be about 8 oz or 225 g.
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Rinse: Add chilly water and rinse the liver, then pour off the water. Repeat a number of occasions till the water runs clear. Nami’s Tip: Do not skip these rinsing and soaking steps; it makes a giant distinction within the closing style and texture.
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Soak in ice water: Add extra chilly water and soak the liver in ice water for 10 minutes to take away extra blood. If the water will get murky or modifications shade, change it with contemporary chilly water.
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Drain the liver in a colander and shake off any extra water.
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Soak in milk: Place the liver in a clear bowl and add about ½ cup milk or sufficient to cowl. Soak for 20 minutes to take away odor. In the event you dwell in a heat local weather, maintain it within the fridge.
To Marinate
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In the meantime, grate 2 inches ginger and measure 2 Tbsp grated ginger with juice. Grate 2 cloves garlic and measure 1 tsp grated garlic.
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In a clear medium bowl, mix the grated ginger, grated garlic, 2 Tbsp sake, and 2 tsp soy sauce.
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After 20 minutes of soaking, calmly rinse the liver in water.
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Pat dry with paper towels.
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Add the liver to the marinade and coat nicely. Let it marinate within the fridge for 10 minutes.
To Put together the Greens and Sauce
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In the meantime, reduce off the basis ends of 4 oz garlic chives (Chinese language chives or Nira) and reduce into 1½-inch (4-cm) lengths. Rinse ⅓ bag bean sprouts and drain in a colander. I put aside the harder ends of garlic chives with the bean sprouts, as I am going to prepare dinner them first.
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Combine 2 Tbsp oyster sauce and 1 Tbsp sake in a small bowl for the seasoning sauce. Put aside.
To Sear the Pork Liver
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Put together ½ cup potato starch on a tray. Take away the liver from the marinade and calmly coat with starch. Shake off any extra. Reserve the leftover marinade to prepare dinner later. Nami’s Tip: Keep away from utilizing an excessive amount of starch, which may break the liver’s texture. You solely want a light-weight dusting to lock within the juices and seasonings when frying.
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Preheat a big frying pan over medium warmth. When it is scorching, add 2 Tbsp impartial oil and 1 Tbsp sesame oil.
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When the oil is scorching, add the liver in a single layer and fry in batches as wanted. Nami’s Tip: Give each bit sufficient house within the pan so air can flow into and the floor browns properly. If the pan is just too crowded, the liver will steam as an alternative. Sear the primary aspect for about 3–4 minutes, till the underside is calmly browned. If you see purple liquid on the floor and the liver lifts simply, flip to sear the opposite aspect. Nami’s Tip: Don’t wait too lengthy to flip, or the coating can flip soggy and may peel off.
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Prepare dinner the second aspect for one more 3–4 minutes, till the inner temperature reaches 160–165°F (71–73ºC). In the event you discover any purple spots or the items begin to curl, gently press them down with a spatula so that they prepare dinner evenly. Switch the liver to a tray or plate. Nami’s Tip: Use an instant-read thermometer to verify the liver is cooked via. The within ought to be grayish-brown. Watch out to not overcook, or the liver will flip powerful and dry.
To Stir-Fry the Greens and Mix
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Hold the warmth on medium and add 1 Tbsp sesame oil to the identical pan. When the oil is scorching, add the harder ends of garlic chives and bean sprouts and rapidly coat with the oil.
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Now add the remainder of the garlic chives and stir-fry all collectively for 30 seconds.
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Earlier than the greens wilt utterly, push them to the perimeters of the pan. Pour the reserved marinade (together with ginger and garlic) into the middle or fringe of the pan and let it boil to prepare dinner it via first, about 1 minute. As soon as absolutely cooked, combine with the greens. Nami’s Tip: This step is necessary for meals security because the marinade was used with uncooked liver. The marinade provides nice taste!
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Add the fried liver, the seasoning sauce, and ⅛ tsp freshly floor black pepper.
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Toss every thing collectively rapidly. Switch to a serving plate.
To Retailer
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Liver is extremely perishable, so it’s greatest to eat it as quickly as potential. Let the dish cool utterly, then switch to an hermetic container. Retailer within the fridge for as much as 1–2 days. Reheat in a frying pan over medium-high warmth for a fast stir to keep away from sogginess. Liver tends to develop into powerful after freezing, so I do not suggest it.
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