The Primal Blueprint Cookbook (5 page)

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, B
RAISED
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EEF
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HANKS
WITH
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M
ILK
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INGER
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AND
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UMIN
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This is a spin on a favorite Bruce Aidell recipe. Just a few tweaks, like eliminating the flour and substituting bison shanks for beef, make this delicious recipe quite Primal.

Don’t let the long list of ingredients fool you; this is really simple to put together. The Eastern spices are really aromatic and the coconut milk adds a silky richness to the braising sauce. If you don’t have coriander, turmeric, and cumin, substitute curry powder instead.

This oven braised dish could easily be transformed into a slow cooker recipe, too. Simply brown the meat, use about one-third less beef stock and coconut milk, and cook it on the low setting for 6–8 hours (4–6 hours on high).

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large roasting pan or a Dutch oven, melt half the ghee or coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables, the garlic, and the ginger, lower the heat to Medium and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the vegetables to a bowl and keep warm.

Add the remaining ghee or coconut oil to the pan and heat. Over medium-high heat, brown the meat until all sides are well-browned, about 5–10 minutes. Remove meat to a plate.

Reduce the heat and add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and red pepper flakes, stirring to release the oils and aromas while they “toast”. Add half the beef stock to de-glaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the rest of the beef stock and the coconut milk and bring to a boil.

Wrap the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and bay leaves in an herb bag (a stapled cone-shaped coffee filter works, too) and add the pouch of spices to the liquid. Return the meat and vegetables to the pan, including any juices that may have accumulated. Cover, bring to a boil and place in the preheated oven. Braise for 2½to 3½hours until the meat is tender and pulling away from the bone.

When cooking is finished, remove shanks to a heated platter and cover with foil to retain heat. Reduce the sauce over medium heat to slightly thicken. Remove spice pouch and adjust salt and pepper as necessary.

Serve the shanks over cauliflower rice “couscous” (see recipe on page 184) with sauce, garnished with cilantro.

A small neighborhood sea-side market in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California is known for its marinated tri-tip roast, which is officially called Burgundy Pepper Tri-Tip. The locals call it “Cardiff Crack”, and with good reason. The actual marinade they use in the store is a closely guarded secret, but this is a close approximation.

Tri-tip is a relatively tender cut at a reasonable price (good); it’s an easy piece of meat to pick up on the way home to grill for dinner (great); and oh, yeah, it’s addictive (oh boy!). Tri-tip tends to be a Western region cut, so you might have to ask the butcher if he can cut one for you if you are in another part of the country. Sirloin Tip Roast or London Broil are good substitutes, too.

Mix marinade ingredients together in a plastic zip bag, then add the tri-tip roast. Seal, pressing out excess air so all sides of meat are covered with marinade. Chill for at least several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Remove roast from marinade bag and blot dry with a paper towel. Let roast sit out 15–20 minutes to take the chill off. Meanwhile prepare grill for direct heat on one side and indirect heat on the other side (see recipe for Grilled Steak on page 13).

Grill over high heat for 5–7 minutes on each side. Move to indirect heat and cook for an additional 10 minutes each side—or until interior temperature reaches 125–130°F (medium-rare).

Let sit loosely covered with foil for an additional 10 minutes. Temperature will continue to rise as much as 10 more degrees. Cut against the grain into thin slices. Spoon juice over meat when serving. Leftovers make great lunches, especially with big tossed salads.