Not eating meat for most of my adult life, I had no idea how to make it tender and flavorful. When I  made the switch, I asked my body how it would like my first piece of meat and I saw a picture of a woman stirring a caldron over a fire. It had carrots, cabbage and potatoes in it. You would expect the body to have some difficulty with it's first time in almost 20 years, but there was none! I was emotionally ready and I chose my first cooking technique well. Now I'm known in my circle of friends as "super carnivore" as a joke. And needless to say, I've mastered stewing it. Many of my clients also like it this way, I hope you do, too.

1-2lbs. Grass Fed Stew Meat (like Chuck, Shank or Rump Roast)
Pad of Grass Fed Butter
Fresh Garlic
Stew Spices: Bay Leaf, Pepper Corns, Mustard Seeds, Rosemary, Red Pepper, Coriander Seeds, Onion Powder
Sea Salt
Water
Optional: Cooking Wine

Melt your butter in a stew pot. I have a Zepter one that really cooks nicely, but anyone with a thick bottom and stainless would be fine.

Add your stew meat and fry in butter until it is brown and aromatic. Boy will it be aromatic! My mouth waters at this stage, but you have to snack on something else, because it's gonna be hours before it's done.

Turn it over and braise the other side.

Once both sides are browned, add fresh garlic and your cooking wine if you are using it. Maybe 1/4-1/2 cup.

Place your spices of choice on a piece of cheese cloth. I'm using 1 tbs. of corned beef mix here plus adding rosemary. Each time I do it a little differently. Play around to find your favorite combo.

Tie the cheesecloth in a knot, trapping the spices, so they give flavor but you can remove them later.

Add enough water to come at least half way up the side of your meat and bring to a boil. Then cover and let it simmer on low flame for 3-4 hours. This will depend on your cut of meat. Half way through, I usually flip it.

It's done when it falls apart with the touch of a spoon.

Remove the spice sack.

If using shank, take the bone out. Any marrow that may be left inside, remove and leave it in the broth.

Taste and season with salt if it needs it.





Options: Wonderful just as it is...

Bone Broth is famous for healing all kinds of ailments like the common cold, making your joints move smoothly, your hair and nails strong, and reducing need for actual meat... to even big things like reversing autoimmune dysfunction.

I can tell you, as I made this for the blog, the house smelled rich and sweet... and better than a pie in the oven! It takes a while to make it the way I describe, but you can take the short cut and simmer it on the stove for 3-4 hours until the marrow melts into the broth. I often make a slighter version by getting a beef shank and braising it, then cooking it till the marrow and meat are falling away tender.

Grass fed Beef Bones with marrow
Veggies like carrot, onion, celery, etc...
Water

Parchment paper
Cookie sheet
Crockpot

For good quality bones, you'll pay around $5/lb. But this makes a lot of broth that you can use in many dishes or freeze for later.

Line a casserole or cookie pan with sides with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 mins.

Or until it is browned.

Place in a large crock pot with your veggies. Cover with 10-12 cups of water.

Set Crockpot to High for 2-3 hours and then to low for 12-20 more.

Strain your bones and veggies out.

Place in mason jars or freezable containers.

Lasts 7-10 days in the fridge.

Who doesn't know how to make chicken broth? Well a vegetarian may not... I was vegan for 14 years (and pescetarian for another 4) and I thought I knew the basics, but didn't realize what type to use, or how nutritious and tasty it could make my dishes.

Now that I'm practicing a more Paleo lifestyle, I still don't eat much chicken, so this is a great way to vary my animal nutrition without having to eat it. Boy does it make mash potatoes and soups sooooo much better!

1 Whole Organic Chicken, or just pieces (but be sure it's bone in)
8-12 cups Water (need to cover what ever sized chicken you have)
2 tsp. Sea Salt

Optional:
1-2 Carrots, chunked
1-2 Celery or celery root,chunked
1 Onion, leave peel on and chop
1 cup Italian Parsley, stems too!
2 Cloves Garlic, unpeeled
2 Bay leaves
(Optional)Other Fresh Herbs/Spices of choice (like thyme, peppercorns, paprika, basil...)

Buy the best Organic Chicken you can. Whole foods has levels of quality for your choosing. If you know a local farmer, that's always optimal.

The quality of your chicken becomes the quality of your meal which becomes your blood and that in turn makes the quality of your health. Please choose wisely and try not to have $money play too big of a factor.

Pay now or pay later as they say...

Place all in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil.

Then cover and simmer for 1 hour.

The chicken should be falling off the bone and very tender. Gently take out your chicken for use in an other dish

~and strain your vegetables, if using.

Freeze or use in the next 4-5 days for a rich and flavorful addition to your soup, etc.






Some uses for Chicken broth:

After making any kind of nut milk, you have a lot of quality pulp left over like this. I love to make macadamia nut milk and flour as it has really satisfying fats in it and tastes sweeter than almond. But I often make Almond milk for one of my clients, so I always have both around. You can purchase organic almond flour at nuts.com

Veggie Flour:

This process can also be applied to left over pulp from juicing. I call it veggie flour. Try to stick with sweeter veggies and not alot of bitter greens in it. If you wan to add greens, I suggest HFN "Greener Grasses". Its a pure way to get a dry greens powder into a dish.

Place on a rack lined with parchment paper into the dehydrator. Dehydrate until dry. (about 5-6hours at 130 degrees. Or longer at 105 if you want it to be officially raw.)

Then grind in a coffee grinder until its a flour. Be mindful not to go too long for macadamia nuts, as they will turn into butter quickly.

For veggie flour, grind till fine and sift if needed and blend larger particles again. Store in an air-tight container. Ready to add to recipes

This recipe is made from Almonds because that is what most people are used to, but please try other nuts like: macadamia, sunflower seeds, hemp, etc...

2 cups Almonds, soaked 4-6hours
1-2 cups Water
3 cups Hot water
Vanilla, Sea Salt, and Sweetener to taste

Soak Nut/Seed over night with enough water to cover well as they will swell.

With Almonds, you don't have to measure the water because you will be discarding it. Bitter.

Macadamia nuts, save the water for the blender.

This is the set up I use:
Measuring bowl on bottom.
Some sort of screen to suspend the colander.
A colander.
Cheese cloth big enough to line the colander.

Discard the soaking liquid (if using almonds) and add nuts to your blender with enough water to make it blend into a slurry. About 1 cup will do it for this type of blender with multiple blades.

While this is blending. Bring your water to boil.

Pour slurry into the cheese cloth.
No need for a spatula. I just pour the hot water into the blender to get the rest of the pulp out.

Pour the hot water over the pulp. let it sit and do its business of dripping for about 10-15min.

Then lift the pulp and squeeze out the remaining liquid. If its still too hot to touch you can either wait, or use a spoon to push the liquid out by trapping the ball against the side of the colander.

Add salt, vanilla and stevia or other sweetener to taste. Stir.
 Enjoy hot or cold.

What to do with your pulp? Click here.