Delicious meals with the best cuts so you can look & feel younger
As far as legumes go, properly prepared lentils are relatively mineral-rich and easily-digested. Moreover, vitamins A and D in animal fats help mitigate some of the anti-nutrients found in legumes or other whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Buttered Lamb Kidneys with Greek Lentil Salad is a cozy pairing that celebrates and elevates each of these humble ingredients….
Every time I’ve read Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl to the kids, I keep thinking that I should recreate Doughnuts Smothered in Liver Paste. To be fair, doughnuts aren’t really my style. But my husband, a serious sourdough baker, was happy to help. And the kids ended up taking one for the team.
Contrary to what we learned growing up, the livers and saturated fat give us plenty to love: a wide variety of vitamins including the fat-soluble vitamins, and improved regulation of hormones and mental health. The doughnuts, not so much. Except that everyone does.
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I didn’t start with a strategy of hiding organ meats. Once I learned about the importance of including them in a diverse and nourishing diet, I served them front and center, without apology. Regardless, we incorporate them into all sort of foods now. Sometimes ingredients come up and sometimes they don’t. Whether you do intend to reveal your (secret) ingredients or not, Savory Mushroom Bolognese with Ground Organs is a great place to start!
So what is so important about organ meats? …
Platter of Carnitas with Heart and a plate of butterleaf lettuce tacos with Carnitas
This past spring, I bought a half pig from a local farm. My friend McCullough helped me break it down into cuts for my family. Since then, we’ve eaten our way through the chest freezer and only a single heart remained from that little pig. In gratitude to all that made this possible, I made Carnitas with Heart as the last dish from that slaughter.
For weeks I had been wondering, ‘What could I do with that last heart?’ Heart needs to be prepared rare, or slow and low. I didn’t want to go rare with the pork heart, so knew I needed to go slow and low to break down all the connective tissue. Yet, I wanted to add a bit more to the meal. So I picked another one of our favorite pork dishes, added the heart, and prepared it all together. It worked well….
Two weeks ago I heard the keto carnivore argument that ribeye is the perfect food. Even though I’ve known about all the pieces of this equation – something clicked in me. Suddenly, it became clear that Justin Nault was right. Yet, while we love indulging in steak around here, I confess that I have a trump card in my back pocket. Let Seared Tongue replace your pricey ribeye tonight.
I’ve mentioned that tongue reminds me of Waygu beef, but I now see even more pleasure in that analogy than I had before. Yes, if ribeye is the perfect food; then so is tongue….
This post is a continuation from last week, when I encouraged readers to choose pastured, grass-finished animals. And includes a recipe for Kidneys with Hazelnut Butter Sauce. It’s a simple recipe – the crispy, buttery nuts pair well with the fleshy kidneys. Yet, while I served these this week, the Kidneys with Hazelnut Butter are almost an afterthought compared to my musings.
I mention the importance of pastured, grass-fed, grass-finished meats often. It’s important for pursuing nutrient-density, improving store-bought pork rinds, purchasing brains, or eating raw meats such as carpaccio, heart tartare, or ground beef.
That said, I want to encourage you to continue to maintain a dialogue with your farmers. Yes, even the ones, or especially the ones, that really are doing everything right….
Crispy fried dough gives way to tender brains, super flavorful with chile and herbs. Brain Empanadas are a great vehicle for getting this cholesterol-rich superfood into your family.
Brains are having a revival, but quality matters and it’s up to us to know our farmers, ask our butcher and chefs about their sourcing, and procure grass-fed meats and organs.
Yes, the USDA intends to regulate beef brains to ensure quality – but quality goes much deeper than USDA guidelines. Insist on feeding your family pastured meats. All of our ruminants should be grass-fed, grass-finished to respect the animal, benefit the land and improve our health….
An idea like Raw Meatballs hardly deserves a recipe of its own. Yet, after May shared it with me, I thought it was so easy and sweet, I adopted it. And after I shared it with Claudia, she was eager to do the same. So why not share with you too? May’s gift to all of us! (Thank you, May!)
When I started this blog, I felt passionate about including raw meats. Like offal, they are underappreciated in our culture, yet nutrient-dense in special ways. Yet when I set up the menus for this site, I didn’t include them. I was uncertain about continuing to post them since I hardly make time for all the organ meat recipes….
I’m posting this recipe in honor of doing more by doing less. Nourishing Traditions is all about comfort food and this recipe is adapted from Sally Fallon’s Kidney-Rice Casserole. But I can’t use ‘casserole’ in the title (as I mentioned here) – so I’m sticking with Kidneys and Rice.
As the spring thaw has come to Chicago, I was really missing my bike commute. Yet, biking almost always takes longer then driving and I’ve been feeling so busy. How could I find time? Yet, as always promised, ‘less is more‘ still holds true.
I’ve managed to get back on my bike. And find a recipe just long enough to allow me to immerse myself in cooking, which I always love….
Many children nowadays can happily watch bloodcurdling scenes on TV, yet would scream with horror if one of my favorite childhood dishes, roast stuffed heart, was put in the middle of the table for dinner! – Darina Allen
It’s certainly possible.
Mac and cheese, PB&J and chicken nuggets are found on menus far and wide in kiddie portions to appease children with familiarity. American kids have their own subculture of bland-colored, processed foods.
Although, I do wonder – could a plain hot dog count for organ meats?…