Luby’s liver and onions
I grew up in a frugal household. After witnessing Houston’s boom and bust in the 70’s, my parents were classic penny pinchers—they clipped coupons, insisted I bring my lunch to school, chose the library over a bookstore for fresh books, flew Southwest Airlines, championed the benefits of a free education and encouraged me to earn and save my own money.
And no fancy restaurants for my family—instead you’d find us every Wednesday walking the line at Luby’s. Why? Because on Wednesdays, kids could eat for free.
While Luby’s was never hip, I actually enjoyed my weekly meal there. The possibilities were endless, a 30-foot long buffet of whatever you wanted. You’d start with the Jello, lettuce. and fruit salads, then slide your tray along the rails to the meats (where there was always a whole nicely browned turkey and juicy hunk of prime rib just waiting for carving), then the vegetables (yes, macaroni and cheese is a vegetable), the breads (clover rolls, cornbread, and Texas toast), the desserts (cream pies, cobblers, and more Jello) and the drinks (Coke, milk and iced tea).
I’m stuck in my ways, so I always ordered the same thing, a Lu Ann Platter with fried fish, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a roll. When I became a rebellious teenager, however, I switched from fish to liver and onions and added fruit salad and cornbread to my meal. But it didn’t matter what I ordered, it was always lip-smacking good.
When Luby’s celebrated its 60th anniversary, two books were published to commemorate the occasion. First there was Luby’s Recipes and Memories Cookbook, which has many of its recipes, from lime congeal to the very popular fried fish. It’s now out of print, but (very expensive!) used copies can be found.
There was also a book from the University of Texas Press called House of Plenty: The Rise, Fall, and Revival of Luby’s Cafeterias. This fascinating look at Luby’s is one-part business primer, one-part Texana, one-part food history with a little bit of true crime to keep it spicy.
It’s scintillating reading even if you’ve never been to a cafeteria. Not only do you learn how to treat your staff, you’re also made privy to Luby’s recipes (reprinted as they were originally typed) and discover why Texas allows concealed weapons.
Of course, all this reading doesn’t beat the real deal—making a trip to the local Luby’s—but it satisfied my yearning just enough until the next trip home.
I leave you with Luby’s recipe for liver and onions, my old badge of youthful insurgency. You may be asking, “Why not the fried fish? Everyone loves those perfect rectangles of crunchy, moist, flaky fish!” to which I reply: when was the last time you saw a recipe for fried liver on a blog?
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Luby’s liver and onions
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef liver, cut into 4 steaks
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Place the liver in a mixing bowl. Cover with water and let it soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
- In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, while stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned. Remove from the skillet and season to taste with salt.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs until well blended. Place the bread crumbs on a plate.
- Rinse the liver under cool running water and then pat dry with paper towels. Lightly season each side with salt and pepper. Dip into the milk mixture, then into the bread crumbs, coating evenly.
- Pour the oil into the skillet that you used for the onions, and turn the heat to medium heat.
- After the oil has heated, add the liver and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Top with the onions.
Randi–Yes, it’s a shame that the memory of Luby’s has been tainted by that awful shooting.
Michaela–You’re welcome. I LOVE the fried fish!
Cilantro–I can completely believe the food has remained the same througout the years. I also remember the roast beef–that big hunk of meat they’d slice for you when you ordered. It was magnificent!
Belle Gone Bad–Sounds delish! They make a mean chicken-fried steak!
Jen–As a fellow Houstonian, I definitely know what you’re talking about!
Purkeys–Yes, it’s terrible what happened in Killeen. I guess they could never recover their business after the tragedy.
Anon–It certainly wasn’t considered cool, but you’d be hard pressed to find any Texan who doesn’t love Luby’s!
Nissa–Oh yes, squash casserole is always a big hit with Texans, and so easy to make! How fun (even if you were horrified!) that you had Luby’s help cater your wedding.
Rachel–You’re welcome! The LuAnn platter seems to be a very popular choice. And I LOVE Luby’s mac and cheese. I’d alternate ordering that with their pleasantly lumpy mashed potatoes.
Penny–Never heard about the half-and-half, but it sounds terrific. Carrot and raisin salad is definitely a Texas treat! And yep, any Texan who leaves the state eventually gets a real craving for the foods we grew up with.
I’m so glad I found this blog!!! I’m a native Texan living in the middle of nowhere Western New York and I miss my BBQ and tamales and Luby’s! I always got the Lu Ann platter as well, until I hit my vegetarian kick in high school. A few months without BBQ and that was over though. Awesome stuff!
Ah, Luby’s. My favorite is the LuAnn platter with the Salmon Croquette, and I can’t go to Luby’s without getting their cooked spinach – it’s the best! I usually have the butter beans or the eggplant parmesan, and of course, the jalapeno cornbread! We live near the Luby’s in The Woodlands,which is a master planned community north of Houston, and I have seen George Mitchell and his wive eating there many times. He is the billionaire oilman who developed The Woodlands and lots of Galveston, too. I figure if Luby’s is good enough for a billionaire, it’s good enough for me. 🙂
I feel so lucky to be a native Houstonian, because we have the best variety of foods in the U.S. Fresh seafood, wonderful Tex-Mex, great Cajun style cooking, Italian, Asian – oh, and I almost forgot – fabulous Steaks!
Born and Raised in Houston, I have been stranded in Ohio for 4+ years without any of my favorite foods. Luby’s liver and onions is one thing I could make, because I happen to have a copy of their 40th annivarsary cook book. (their squash cassarole is my second favorite thing in that book. Not to mention chicken/turky tetrazinni… )
The one time I managed to take a 2 week vacation and flew home, I spent all the time there eating out an all my favorite spots for dinner/ lunch.
Other notable food I miss:
The Loaded Baked Potato… Chopped Beef BBQ on a potato. They dont think of that here in ohio….
Kolaches… the breakfast staple… nope.. not up here either. Only place up north I have found them is in the Dunkin Donuts in Chicago Airport.
Love the blog btw…
I’m a Port Arthur native living in Yankeeland. My mother took me and my sister to Luby’s once a week when we were kids. My regular meal was the salmon croquette, mashed potatoes and a cloverleaf roll. (Had to get marg for the roll because it was a penny cheaper than the butter!) Nowadays, when I visit family, I take my husband to the Luby’s on Sunday for lunch, so we can watch the church ladies in their hats. He gets chicken-fried steak. I get something on a LuAnne plate. And I get that roll with butter.
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