Name: Hígado y patacones molidos — grilled liver with ground plantain
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1 kg inspected beef liver, trimmed of membrane and veins by the butcher and cut into thin even slices; Juice of 2 lemons, about 60 ml; 2 long scallion stalks, about 80 g, finely chopped; 6 g fine salt, divided; 2 g ground black pepper; 2 firm green plantains, about 500 g peeled, cut into thin slices; 500 ml neutral oil for shallow-frying; the amount absorbed will vary; Plain white rice, cooked separately, optional

Wide view of grilled chopped liver and fried ground green plantain served separately with white rice on a rustic table.

Region Valle del Cauca, in Colombia’s Andean region

Category Grilled beef liver and separately ground fried green plantain

Yield 6 servings

Prep time 25 minutes

Active time About 25 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Hígado y patacones molidos — grilled liver with ground plantain

A measured home version from Valle del Cauca

This everyday dish from Valle del Cauca keeps its two main parts separate: thin beef liver is grilled with lemon, then ground with long scallion and seasoning; green plantain slices are fried until crisp and ground on their own. Serve both hot with plain white rice. The word molidos matters here: the plantain is not served as a whole flattened patacón, and the two components are not mixed together.

The source recipe gives the ingredient list and sequence but leaves some amounts to taste. This home version measures the salt, pepper and frying oil to make the method repeatable. Ask a reputable butcher for inspected beef liver with the membrane and veins removed, sliced evenly. Organ meat needs careful handling and thorough cooking. A thermometer target of 71°C / 160°F is used here as a cautious home control for liver; thin slices can cook quickly, so check a representative thick slice rather than relying on color.

Ingredients

Liver

1 kg inspected beef liver, trimmed of membrane and veins by the butcher and cut into thin even slices
Juice of 2 lemons, about 60 ml
2 long scallion stalks, about 80 g, finely chopped
6 g fine salt, divided
2 g ground black pepper

Ground plantain

2 firm green plantains, about 500 g peeled, cut into thin slices
500 ml neutral oil for shallow-frying; the amount absorbed will vary

To serve

Plain white rice, cooked separately, optional

Method

Keep the liver cold Refrigerate the liver at 4°C / 40°F or below until you are ready to cook. Keep it in a leakproof dish below and away from ready-to-eat foods. Wash your hands and use separate boards and utensils. Do not rinse raw liver; splashes can spread its juices.
Prepare the plantain and lemon Peel the green plantains and cut them into thin, even slices. Squeeze the lemons. Set up one clean plate for the raw liver and another for the cooked components. If serving rice, cook it separately so it is ready at the end.
Season and grill the liver Rub the thin liver slices with the lemon juice. Arrange them in a single layer over medium-high charcoal heat or on a hot grill pan. Turn once or as needed, cooking in batches so they brown without steaming. Check the thickest representative slice with a clean thermometer; cook organ meat to at least 71°C / 160°F. Timing depends on thickness and grill heat, so temperature—not color alone—determines doneness.
Grind the liver with scallion Transfer cooked liver to a clean board. Chop or grind it while warm with the scallion, salt and black pepper, keeping the mixture coarse rather than puréed. Taste and adjust only with a small amount of the measured seasoning if needed. Keep warm in a clean covered dish.
Fry the green plantain Pour the oil into a heavy pan to a depth suitable for shallow-frying and heat over medium. Fry the plantain slices in batches, turning as needed, until crisp and golden; do not crowd the pan. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Keep the oil below its smoking point and never leave it unattended.
Grind and serve the two parts separately When the fried slices are cool enough to handle, grind or crush them coarsely. Do not mix them into the liver. Serve both components hot as separate portions, with plain white rice if desired. Use clean serving utensils.
Chill leftovers promptly Refrigerate cooked liver and plantain in separate shallow containers within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days and reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F. Discard any food left at room temperature longer than 2 hours.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These rounded estimates use general food-composition data for cooked beef liver and green plantain. They assume about 750 g cooked liver from 1 kg raw, roughly 9 g absorbed oil per serving, and an even share of the measured salt. Actual liver yield and oil absorption can shift the values; rice is excluded.

Practical guidance

Ask the butcher to trim the liver: Removing membrane and veins before slicing makes the texture more even. Choose inspected liver from a reputable seller and keep it cold during transport and preparation. Keep the slices thin and even: Similar thickness helps the liver grill quickly and consistently. Cook in batches with space between pieces; crowded slices release moisture and steam instead of browning. Use a thermometer: Beef liver is an organ meat. Check a thick slice and cook to 71°C / 160°F. Thin pieces can be hard to probe, so measure a folded or thicker representative slice and verify more than one batch. Browned surfaces alone do not confirm safe cooking. Fry carefully: Pat the plantain dry after peeling and slicing. Add slices gently to hot oil, work in small batches and drain well before grinding. Keep water away from hot oil and turn off the heat if it smokes. Keep the components distinct: The liver and fried plantain are each ground separately and served side by side. Plain white rice is a documented accompaniment, but its amount is not included in this measured recipe or nutrition estimate. Allergens: No major regulated allergens are intentionally added. Check the label on frying oil and any rice accompaniment for allergen and cross-contact statements. Food safety: Keep raw liver at or below 4°C / 40°F and separate from ready-to-eat food. Do not rinse it. Cook liver to 71°C / 160°F, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 74°C / 165°F.

Final notes

Remember 1: Grind the grilled liver and crisp fried plantain separately; serve them side by side. Remember 2: Use a thermometer to cook the liver to 71°C / 160°F and serve with plain white rice if desired.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: One sixth of the recipe; liver and plantain only, excluding rice
Calories: 430 kcal
Carbohydrate: 36 g
Protein: 34 g
Fat: 15 g
Fibre: 2 g
Sodium: 490 mg

Hígado y patacones molidos — grilled liver with ground plantain

Ingredients

Liver

Ground plantain

To serve

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Pescado guisado — Colombian fish stew in coconut sauce

Bagre frito — Colombian fried catfish

Viuda de Bocachico — Mompox-style salted fish with viandas