Prep the liver

Remove liver from packaging and place in a bowl. Submerge in milk and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, remove the liver from the milk and rinse with cool water. Place in a colander and let excess moisture drain away. Discard bloody milk.

Liver and Bacon in Red Wine Gravy

Wash the leek by slicing it down the middle lengthwise and running it under cool water to remove any stray dirt trapped in between the layers. Finely slice and set aside.

Dredge each piece of liver in flour and set aside until ready to fry.

In a large pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and cook over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, add slices of back bacon and cooked until the meat starts to buckle and takes on a slight sear. This should take about a minute on each side.  Don’t worry about cooking it through and it will continue cooking in the gravy later.

Remove back and set aside on plate nearby.

Add 2-3 tbsp of oil to the same pan and cook on medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, add floured pieces of liver and cook until slightly brown on each side. This should take 1-2 minutes on each side.  Be careful not to overcook as the liver can get tough and bitter.  Remember that we want just a slight sear on each side as it will continue cooking in the gravy later.

When the liver has browned on both sides, remove it from the pan and place it on a plate with the bacon.

In the same pan, add sliced leeks and a small sprig of rosemary.  Continue cooking on medium-high heat until the leeks have softened.

Increase heat to high and add red wine.  Let bubble away for a minute or two to cook off any alcohol, then add beef broth, brown sauce and hot mustard.

Stir together and let bubble away on high heat for about 5 minutes.

Add browned liver pieces and slices of back bacon to the gravy and reduce heat to low.

Cover and simmer for about 3-5 minutes or until the liver has cooked through.  You know the liver is done with it is no longer bloody or mushy and gives a light bounce back when poked in the middle.

Turn off heat and serve immediately with lots of bread to soak up that gravy.