# Faggots: Can you use calves liver? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 14, 2019, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765 "2019-10-14T21:12:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/1 "2019-10-14T21:12:34Z")
I was looking up faggots recipes, and they all call for pig’s liver. I don’t think I’ve ever seen pig livers for sale. Can they be made with calves liver instead? Around here I can get beef liver, calf liver, and chicken liver. Pork shoulder and pork belly are, of course, no problem. And if you have your own recipe (with ingredients I can get), please post them! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/2 "2019-10-14T21:20:55Z")
Never had nor made it but I can’t see why you can’t use calves liver and get a slightly different flavor. I have heard of chicken livers recommended as a substitute for pig’s liver. Sounds interesting, good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/3 "2019-10-14T21:25:30Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I have heard of chicken livers recommended as a substitute for pig’s liver. I was thinking chicken livers might be more suitable than calve’s liver. > [@TriPolar](#): > > Sounds interesting, good luck! I used to get them at Ye Olde King’s Head in Santa Monica. Last time I was there Probably 15 years ago) they no longer had them. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/4 "2019-10-14T21:42:00Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I was looking up faggots recipes, and they all call for pig’s liver. I don’t think I’ve ever seen pig livers for sale. You may want to check some Asian groceries if you’ve got them by where you’re at. I also find it at Mexican groceries sometimes, as well. I would say beef liver is closer to pork liver, but pork liver is the “liveriest” of the more usual livers (beef, pork, veal, chicken, goose.) I would pair beef and pork as being similar to each other, with a distinct, I dunno, iron flavor to them, and veal and chicken being much more gentle. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/5 "2019-10-14T22:22:29Z")
Today I learned. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/6 "2019-10-14T22:30:02Z")
What do I care what you use? And I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t call me– What? … Oh. Oh! … Sorry, there’s been a misunderstanding. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/7 "2019-10-14T22:35:12Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > You may want to check some Asian groceries if you’ve got them by where you’re at. I also find it at Mexican groceries sometimes, as well. I think I’ve seen an Asian market in Bellingham, but I’ve never been in. There’s a carnicería I like in town. I’ll have to give them a call. Once I find the ingredients, I’ll have to figure out how to get Mrs. L.A. to eat them. She doesn’t do filtration units since she became a nurse. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/8 "2019-10-14T22:59:26Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I think I’ve seen an Asian market in Bellingham, but I’ve never been in. There’s a carnicería I like in town. I’ll have to give them a call. > > Once I find the ingredients, I’ll have to figure out how to get Mrs. L.A. to eat them. She doesn’t do filtration units since she became a nurse. I would say, don’t. Just cook something separate for the Mrs or wait until she’s out of town to make yourself some **Johnny L.A.** food. If you really wanted to try, I’d go with something milder like veal or chicken livers, but I suspect the flavor is not so much the problem as the ick factor. Personally, I love me some livers. But I never cook them when my wife is around. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/9 "2019-10-14T23:04:25Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > Today I learned. Yeah, I had never heard of a food called “faggots.” ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/10 "2019-10-14T23:36:15Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Yeah, I had never heard of a food called “faggots.” Thirded. Even as a British word, I thought it referred to matches (or is that just fags?) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/11 "2019-10-14T23:45:32Z")
A faggot is either a meatball-like food, or a bundle of sticks (which could be matches, but isn’t necessarily). A fag is a cigarette, not the match. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2019, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/12 "2019-10-15T00:22:06Z")
I had no idea that British faggots included liver. In my experience, chicken liver is the best substitute. It’s milder than calf of beer liver, and won’t make your guests leap out a window. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/13 "2019-10-15T00:23:17Z")
:smack: > [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > I had no idea that British faggots included liver. > > In my experience, chicken liver is the best substitute. It’s milder than calf of beef liver, and won’t make your guests leap out a window. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/14 "2019-10-15T00:23:26Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Thirded. Even as a British word, I thought it referred to matches (or is that just fags?) Fags are cigarettes. Faggot is a bundle of sticks. I am also of British heritage(Mom is English) and I had not heard of faggot the food. [It looks like this and I would happily try it.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faggot_(food)#/media/File:Faggots-and-gravy.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2019, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/15 "2019-10-15T00:25:35Z")
It almost looks like a haggis to me, which I have had and liked. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2019, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/16 "2019-10-15T00:34:06Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Fags are cigarettes. > > Faggot is a bundle of sticks. > I am also of British heritage(Mom is English) and I had not heard of faggot the food. [It looks like this and I would happily try it.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faggot_(food)#/media/File:Faggots-and-gravy.jpg) Me too. From the picture, I think I would ask for seonds. Seriously, the dish is also called savoury ducks. For cryin’ out loud, just call it pork gizzard meatballs, that’s what it is. And you won’t have to worry about offending someone or disappointing them with a lack of duck ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2019, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/17 "2019-10-15T01:43:33Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > Today I learned. My ability to laugh at the worst humor has educated me in many things. Such as, [children don’t like their faggots too spicy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rR-wqxRjIg). And, now that I know they’re made out of liver, I’ll probably avoid them…unless they’re really spicy. Do they come with minced jalapenos in them? Don’t lie to me. ---
**Author:** ![Deltree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Deltree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deltree)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2019, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/18 "2019-10-15T04:16:03Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > For cryin’ out loud, just call it pork gizzard meatballs, that’s what it is. Pigs don’t have gizzards. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2019, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/19 "2019-10-15T04:52:15Z")
If I were going to eat a pig liver (which I most emphatically am not,) but if I were, I would look up the local CSAs and see if any of them raise pigs. It’s just the right time of year for them to be ready to start butchering them for Christmas hams. Factory pigs are raised in horrific conditions and fed god-awful messes of chemicals. Your Mrs. is right, you really do not want to eat one of those livers. Get yourself one from a nice organic farmer who feeds his pig corn and grain and other such decent stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2019, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765/20 "2019-10-15T09:48:40Z")
> [@Deltree](#): > > Pigs don’t have gizzards. Maybe not, but pork innards meatballs sounds gross. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faggots-can-you-use-calves-liver/841765.md?page=2)