Liver with Onions, Apricots, and Bacon

I REALLY want to like liver. I frequently read how beneficial organ meats are for our bodies, but just the though of it makes me a bit weak in the knees (just kidding--I'm a little stronger than that!). After hearing from a friend how much he likes them, I decided to bite the bullet and try it for myself. I scoured the web for recipes and came up with this one that pulls together what I think is the best ingredient mix. Just the thought of the caramelized onions and apricots made my mouth water. Then I thought, "Even if the liver doesn't do anything for me, if I add bacon...I can make it work!" When I told my mom about my plans, she shared with me how when she and my dad were first married, she would make him liver, bacon, and onions (he loves liver!). She went on to say that on those nights, she ate onions and bacon for dinner. :) Well, believe me, the onion, apricot, bacon mixture is delicious. And if you like liver, this is a great dish--Alex and Dave assured me of that! If you don't like liver, you can substitute a nice steak in this recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 onions, peeled, halved crosswise, and thinly sliced with the grain
1/2 cup unsulfered dried apricots, sliced lengthwise into strips
2 Tbsp pastured butter, divided
6 slices cooked bacon, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup parsley, minced
juice of 1 lemon (2 Tbsp)
1 pound beef liver, sliced into 1/4-inch slices

Preparation

1. Warm 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet (I use cast iron) over medium heat. Add onions and apricots. Cook for 20 minutes or until onions begin to turn light brown, stirring occasionally. Do not turn the heat up too high or the onions will burn.
2. While the onions cook, chop the parsley and garlic, and juice the lemon. Lastly, slice the liver. I used a super slicer knife to slice the liver--just be sure your knife is sharp.
3. Season liver liberally with salt and pepper.
4. When onions are done, transfer them to a bowl. Increase heat to medium high. Add 1 Tbsp butter, then add liver slices and garlic to pan. Sear for one minute undisturbed, then use tongs to turn. Add bacon pieces and sear the second side of the liver for one minute.
5. Add bacon slices and onion mixture to pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook the meat for 5-10 minutes or until cooked through.