I went to a steakhouse in Chicago on Saturday and ordered a piece of seared foie gras with my steak. The foie did not taste good to me. Almost like a blue cheese type of flavor. I make foie regularly at home and will sometimes order it out. I’ve never tasted anything like this before. Since it was the minor part of our total meal experience I didn’t mention anything to our server. Was it just some bad foie or is this a normal flavor?
During butchering, the gall bladder was likely pierced, releasing bile to “pre-marinate” the liver.
Either that, or the restaurant decided that old liver could be passed off as “dry-aged” for funkiness and tenderness. <Yech!>
Sounds old 
I guess I should have said something about it. I just had never tasted anything like it before.
Dry aged foie -
I remember reading about that when he was trying it. I haven’t read anything since which probably means it didn’t work out so well. If it turned out anything like what I tasted on Saturday, avoid!
High-priced, artisan-crafted, foodie-curated rancidity is…rancidity.
There is also a scent gland located near the tail, that if punctured, can release a weird off taste to the meat and organs. If you have ever had a weird slice of Chinese Roasted Duck (usually the dark meat), the scent gland is often the culprit.
woah never knew that. Explains so much!!
C Fu - Sounds like you have had that ‘off’ slice of duck that makes you go WTF?
My sister informs me that the culprit is more properly called an ‘oil gland’ (near the butt end of the duck), which helps keeps the feather’s oily. She said that she first came across mention of such gland in a country living cookbook back in the 90’s. My sister used to raise and butcher chickens and ducks, always avoiding piercing the dreaded scent/oil gland…which if pierced, would ruin the meat around it.