Offal Pizza Chili

Organ meats are incredibly nutrient dense. I know that I wax poetic over veggies on a regular basis, but organ meats are equally as impressive. Like dark greens, these foods are outright medicinal!

Bite per bite, organ meats supply more minerals per bite than even veggies. They have typically been a very regular part of the diet. If you are old enough to have been alive with a grandparent born prior to 1930 or have immigrant relatives from other countries, you are probably familiar with elders eating such exotic foods like animal feet, liver, hearts, kidneys, and more. These ‘offal’ bits supply a lot of nutrition that is not as concentrated in muscle, which makes up most of the animal protein we consume these days. 
This chili recipe is robust and reminiscent of pizza, but contains lots of hidden gems. I have created it with the intention of hiding the offal in the ground beef so that it is more accessible for all family members. Heart is rich in B vitamins, iron, selenium, zinc, and copper. It is also the best dietary source of CoQ10, a nutrient that is not considered essential, but is associated with heart health and has high antioxidant activity in the body. Heart is a lean meat that can be a little chewy, but overall has a mild flavor. Any source of heart, such as chicken, beef or pork, can be used in this recipe. 

Liver is also an amazing food. It tends to be easier to find than heart and I have witnessed liver alone restore strength and vitality in clients. It is very supportive for the immune system and being rich in iron, folate and B vitamins, is a go-to food for anemia. A single serving of chicken liver has more than 50% the daily value for copper, iron, selenium, vitamin A, vitamins B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B12, and folate and is also rich in B1, zinc and vitamin C. And chicken is liver is among the least nutrient dense of animal livers!!
Liver is often a tough sell, and it is for this reason that I encourage people to blend it and mix it with ground beef for use. Doing so allows you to adjust the ratio to your tolerance and slowly build up as your palate adjusts. In this recipe, I use a 1:4 ratio of liver to beef, which was the maximum I could withstand when first introducing it in my diet. Adding lots of herbs and spices will also mask the flavor well. 

Like any chili, this one tastes better the next day. This is a family favorite, even though it contains the ‘icky bits’. I would love to hear your thoughts on consuming organ meats and what you think of this recipe if you give it a go!

Offal Pizza Chili

• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 large clove garlic, diced 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 pound (500g) ground beef
• 1/2 pound (250 grams) heart
• 1/2 pound (250 grams) liver
• 1 small jar sliced black olives
• 1 package of sliced pepperoni or Spanish chorizo slices (apx 100 grams)
• 4 cups/1 liter bone broth 
• 28 ounces/800g marinara sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1.5 tablespoons italian seasoning
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• Grated mozzarella cheese (optional)
• Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Chop heart into small pieces. Place in a blender with liver and blend until smooth. If you find liquid is needed to facilitate puréeing the organ meats, add bone broth. 
Add onions, peppers, and olive oil to stock pan and cook on medium heat until they begin to sweat. Add ground beef and organ meat purée and mix well, cooking until browned. 
Stir in olives and pepperoni. Add broth and marinara sauce and mix well. Bring to a boil and turn down heat to simmer 5-15 minutes. 

Serve in bowls with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Mix the cheese into the hot soup for gooey pizza goodness!

Serves 8. 

Nutrition Facts: 1/8 recipe (approximately one bowl), without cheese, contains:

• 17 grams of carbohydrate
• 23 grams of fat
• 45 grams protein
• Greater than 100% Daily Value for B2, B12, Vitamin A, and copper. 
• Between 50-100% Daily Value for B3, Vitamin C, iron, selenium, and zinc.
• Between 20 – 50% Daily Value for B1, B5, B6, choline, Vitamin K, manganese, and phosphorus. Adding 1 ounce cheese will bring the calcium up to about 20% DV.