Not your standard liver and onions

This week, we are preparing one of my favorite street foods that I used to eat when I was growing up in Mexico: liver and onions — but, of course, in Mexico, we don't call it liver and onions, but rather, higaditos encebollados.

I know it does not sound very traditional, but, as you know, most people who live in poor countries become experts at preparing cuts of animals that most people would not even look at.

I think if you give this recipe a try, it might become one of your favorites — just like it did with me.

HIGADITOS ENCEBOLLADOS

Ingredients

2 cups milk

3 pounds beef liver, sliced into thin steaks

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 cups sliced onion

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the sauce:

1 pound peeled tomatillos

1 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove

1 cup chopped cilantro

1 Serrano pepper (or more if you like your food spicy)

2 cups water

2 tablespoons flour

Salt, to taste

For serving:

1 cup diced red onion

1 cup chopped cilantro

4 limes, cut into fourths

Lots and lots of warm tortillas

Putting it together

Pour the milk into a large container and add the sliced liver. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight.

Prepare sauce: Add all of the sauce ingredients except for the flour and salt to a large pot and bring to a boil. Blend until smooth; add the flour and again blend until smooth. Return the sauce to the pot and bring it back to a boil. Reduce heat to low and adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding salt, to taste.

Heat a very large pan or griddle until smoking hot. While the pan or griddle heats, remove liver from milk and pat dry with paper towels. Add the vegetable oil to the hot pan or griddle. Add the liver and let it cook until golden brown. Add the onions and cumin and cook until the onions are translucent. Remove the liver and onions from the pan and cut into small chunks before serving.

To serve, add some of the liver and onions to a soup bowl. Top with some of the sauce (the more the better), add some red onion and cilantro and lime juice over all. Serve with the tortillas and enjoy. This dish is best served with a second helping.

Antonio Villagomez is head chef and owner of Cilantro's restaurant and catering in Yuba City, Calif. Contact him at 530-844-2111. His website is cilantros.us.