Read Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans Online
Authors: Michelle Tam,Henry Fong
Tags: #Cookbooks; Food & Wine, #Cooking by Ingredient, #Natural Foods, #Special Diet, #Allergies, #Gluten Free, #Paleo, #Food Allergies, #Gluten-Free, #Healthy
SMASHED STEAK SKEWERS + CHERRY BARBECUE SAUCE
Makes
16
skewers | Hands-on time:
45
minutes | Total time:
45
minutes
I rarely throw around the term “caveman diet.” As I mentioned earlier, in our house, we simply try to prioritize whole, nutrient-dense ingredients, and steer clear of foods that tend to be more harmful than healthful. Sadly, I’ve found that when the word “caveman” is associated with the way we eat, people tend to stare at us like we’re absolutely bonkers. (Which we are, but that’s beside the point.)
Still, embracing the “caveman” label can be a fun way to get the whole family into the spirit of Paleo chow. Take these smashed steak skewers: they’re simple, tasty, and kid-approved. I can’t think of anything more primal than speared hunks of meat, flattened with a heavy object and grilled over an open fire—can you?
GET:
Cherry Barbecue Sauce
2
teaspoons
ghee
or fat of choice
½
cup minced
shallots
Kosher salt
1
garlic clove
, minced
1
(
1
-inch) piece fresh
ginger
, peeled and finely grated (about
1
tablespoon)
1
tablespoon
tomato paste
¼
cup
coconut aminos
¼
cup
balsamic vinegar
¼
cup
apple juice
10
ounces pitted fresh or frozen dark sweet
cherries
, roughly chopped
Freshly ground
black pepper
Smashed Steak Skewers
1
(
1
½-pound)
flank steak
Kosher salt
Freshly ground
black pepper
2
tablespoons melted
ghee
or fat of choice
¼
cup
scallions
, thinly sliced (optional)
DO THIS:
Grab some napkins 'cause this is gonna get MESSY!
SOUTHWEST COWBOY CHILI
Makes
6
servings | Hands-on time:
45
minutes | Total time:
4
hours
GET:
1
(
4
-pound)
beef chuck roast
, cut into
2
-inch cubes
2
teaspoons
kosher salt
4
slices
bacon
, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1
medium
yellow onion
, cut into ½-inch dice
2
tablespoons
tomato paste
¼
cup
ancho chile powder
2
tablespoons ground
cumin
1
tablespoon
dried
oregano
2
teaspoons
smoked paprika
6
cups
Bone Broth
or chicken stock, divided
1
ounce
unsweetened chocolate
, shaved
4
garlic cloves
, minced
Juice from
1
small
lime
Freshly ground
black pepper
½
medium
white onion
, cut into ¼-inch pieces (optional)
½
cup minced fresh
cilantro
(optional)
½
cup julienned
radishes
(optional)
2
small
limes
, quartered (optional)
During college, Henry and I worked at the same research institute on campus, and every summer, the staff organized a friendly chili cook-off. Most of the participants approached the contest with casual good humor, thinking only of kicking back with bowls of chili and cold bottles of beer in the California sunshine.
But not us. We were in it to win it.
My future husband and I spent days tinkering with our chili, adding and subtracting ingredients until we landed on what we thought was a sure winner: a spicy mélange of meat and peppers
...
and beans and corn.
And just to be sure that we’d emerge victorious, we badgered some friends into brazenly stuffing the ballot box in our favor. Our chili won by a hair, but it was a hollow victory—and not just because everyone was already on to our vote-rigging scheme. We knew our chili wasn’t the best submission.
The true winner was a pot of rich, meaty, no-bean stew, with fork-tender pieces of flavorful chuck roast and just the right balance of salt and heat. It’s been twenty years since the contest, but I still dream about that chili. After countless hours in the kitchen, this recipe is the closest I’ve come to replicating the dish that should’ve rightfully won that cook-off all those summers ago. If you’re anything like me, you won’t soon forget this Southwestern-style chili, with its smoky spices and tender chunks of beef.
DO THIS:
Chuck roast is ideal for slow-simmered chili, but in a pinch, ground beef will work, too!