Let’s Have an Offal Conversation

A note from Tara:

As our local customers are preparing to receive their shares of beef -

raised and grazed here on Seek First Ranch in west-central North Dakota,

I am so excited to be able to share this publication with you.

It's an honor to raise your food. May you get THE MOST value out of it.

THE STOCKMAN GRASSFARMER: The international publication for a healthy planet and people through profitable grass-based livestock production. - Joel Salatin, Editor

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Let’s Have an Offal Conversation

Written by Tara Dukart, originally published in the 25th Volume of

THE STOCKMAN GRASSFARMER

April 2025

pages 10-11

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Like many of you, we are proud to raise-and-graze our critters on the grasslands we call home. Whether or not your operation’s business model includes selling direct-to-consumer meats like ours does here at Seek First Ranch, there’s something consequential we’d like to talk about:

Big offal waste. 

First, I want you to know that I’m the kind of person who thinks grass farmers are superheroes. Why? Because I truly believe your efforts are helping to produce the most nutrient-dense food on the planet: grassfed meats and dairy. As more and more consumers are searching the marketplace for high-quality pastured, grassfed & grassfinished meats, the most common limiting factors remain: accessibility and cost. 

This is why I am on a mighty mission to bring more grassfed organs, bones, and broth back to our tables. Together we can minimize waste while maximizing nutrition and profit. That’s right, dear readers; I think it’s high time we make offal – great again. 

The term “offal” comes from the words "off" and "fall," which refer to the parts that fall off or are cut away from the animal when harvested. These edible by-products comprise an average of 40-60% of an animal’s carcass weight.

Offal has been consumed by various cultures throughout history and is still considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. Offal is rich in high-quality proteins, vitamins, micronutrients and macronutrients, fats, bioactive peptides, often in quantities matching or exceeding those in skeletal muscle.

Which begs the question, why are we wasting so much of it?

Due to a lack of demand for offal, much of it falls to the trash. But - by learning the true value of offal and incorporating more into our diets, we can take advantage of these unique nutritional profiles. We can enjoy greater variety of flavors and textures in our meals, while honoring the historical and cultural significance offal offers. Plus, the more of these items we producers can sell and consume, the wider our profit-margins become.

Now, before we dive into the health benefits of high-quality offal consumption, I must mention that the information I’ve compiled is not intended to substitute medical nor dietary advice. I encourage all of us to continue this conversation by fully investigating both benefits and risks associated with any type of dietary change. Just as I advise our own meat customers, I welcome open dialogue between producers and consumers so consumers are empowered to know how their food has been grown or grazed and how they can get the most nutritional bang-for-their-buck.

Ready for an offal conversation?

Let’s talk liver

Liver is one of the most nutrient-dense organ meats. It provides high amounts of vitamin A, B vitamins (B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, and B12), iron, copper, selenium, and zinc. In appropriate amounts, liver consumption supports healthy vision, immune function, red blood cell production, energy, and cognitive health. Many of our customers enjoy the ol’ staple of liver and onions, served just like grandma used to make. But, for those who don’t love the flavor, we recommend a nice pâté or sneaking liver into a ground beef dish. Get creative with spices and herbs. 

Let’s talk heart

Heart is a rich source of protein, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which plays a crucial role in energy production and acts as an antioxidant. Plus it’s packed with B2, B6, and B12, iron, phosphorus, and selenium. Consuming heart can help support cardiovascular health, energy production, and cognitive function. Heart can be sliced and served into a “hearty” delicious stew, marinated and grilled like a flank steak, or ground and blended into your favorite dishes. One of our customers calls beef heart her “secret to success” for an award-winning silky-textured meatball.

Let’s talk kidneys

Kidneys are high in protein, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12, iron, zinc, selenium, and copper. They help support red blood cell production, immune function, and overall kidney health. By virtue of its substantial omega 3 fatty acid content, grassfed kidney also has incredible anti-inflammatory properties. Like most organ meats, kidneys can have a strong mineral taste and smell. To tame those flavors, simply soak ahead of cooking in a water and vinegar solution or in plain milk. Or, choose to grind and blend into a ground beef dish and go wild with your favorite seasonings. 

Let’s talk tongue

Tongue is a great source of protein, B vitamins, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. It can help support muscle function, red blood cell production, and bone health. How to prepare?  Two words: tongue tacos.  Or try soups, stews, or mixing into meatloaf.

Let’s talk cheeks

Cheek meat is best suited for slow cooking methods like braising, stewing, or roasting. Its high collagen content breaks down to create a melt-in-your-mouth texture, making it ideal for flavorful dishes like stews, soups, tacos, sandwiches, or main courses with rich sauces. Not only are they packed with protein, cheeks also contain vitamins B6 and B12, vitamin C, zinc, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Let’s talk sweetbreads

Thymus and pancreas, referred to as “sweetbreads,” are full of protein, B vitamins, selenium, and phosphorus. They help support immune function and bone health. Sweetbreads have a mild flavor, making them a great “gateway” organ meat. They can be breaded, panfried, and pair well with pearled onions. 

Let’s talk bone marrow

Look. If the thought of consuming organ meats has you squirming, can we discuss how amazingly delicious and nutritious bone marrow can be? Marrow is rich in minerals including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, iron, selenium, sulfur, and calcium, as well as amino acids like glutamine, glycine and arginine. Some of our customers request their bones to be cut “boat style” so they can roast the bones, remove the marrow and spread on toast. But the most popular way to extract marrow minerals is by making a rich broth. Consuming grassfed bone broth has anti-inflammatory benefits, can help promote sleep, and has been shown to improve mental function and memory. Bone broth can also be consumed to soothe gut irritation and inflammation, strengthen the gut barrier, and reduce LPS in the blood. Bone broth is high in collagen and gelatin, which can improve joint health, skin elasticity, and wound healing. Bone broth is a staple in our home, just as it is for many of our customers. Sip it or use it as a base for soups, stews and sauces.

Let’s talk oxtail and necks

Our family tends to add chicken necks and beef oxtail into our bone broth recipes to increase collagen and flavor. Braising is another great prep option. The high collagen content found along vertebrae is essential for skin, hair, nails, bones, ligaments, and tendon health. Some of our customers find that adding oxtail and neck to their diet improves skin moisture, elasticity, and reduces wrinkles. They cleverly call it their “Better Than Botox Broth.”

Let’s talk fat, suet and tallow

Want to know what’s all the rage for both skin care and cooking right now? Grassfed beef & sheep tallow. The raw form, called suet, is carefully removed from the kidney area. Once rendered, tallow is solid fat that can be used for cooking, baking, candle or soap-making and skin care. Some people prefer to add additional ingredients and whip into a creamy, luxurious body butter. Tallow's natural composition can moisturize and heal dry or eczema-prone skin plus provide wrinkle-reducing and anti-aging benefits. When used for cooking, frying and baking, the antioxidants and essential fatty acids found in tallow have also been shown to help reduce inflammation.

True, there are many more offal parts of our harvested animals that we could be enjoying. This conversation is just the start. So tell me, what’s ONE offal addition you could incorporate into your repertoire that could bring extra value to you or your customers?

Bon appétit, my friends!

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PHOTOS

• (top left) - Tara Dukart, Simon Dukart, Joel Salatin, Dan Kittredge, Joshua Dukart & Jameson Dukart at "The Future of Food" event in Bismarck, ND on August 4, 2021

• (top right) - "Let's Have an Offal Conversation" by Tara Dukart published in the 25th Volume of THE STOCKMAN GRASSFARMER April 2025

• (last) - Tara Dukart tasting delicacies at the REGENERATE conference "Offal Party" in Denver, CO on November 6, 2024

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#StockmanGrassFarmer #RegenerativeAgriculture #Offal #GrassfedBeef #HealthBenefits #SeekFirstRanch