Posted: 2/4/2012 3:52:38 PM EDT
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Been doing this for a month now more or less and wanted to pass along a lesson learned. While I've enjoyed the addition of coconut oil to saute repertoire, it's still a medium temperature fat at best. Night before last I had sesame-encrusted, pan seared, rare ahi tuna steak on the menu. For this, I needed very high heat - I've smoked olive oil before trying to cook this and now peanut oil is off the menu.
Out came the tallow my girlfriend rendered from a beef heart a few weeks back. Heated the skillet over the highest gas flame I could get for 5 minutes, then dropped in a hunk of tallow. As expected, it took much longer to melt than butter or coconut oil. Once it was up to temp, I pressed the tuna steak in sesame seeds and gently put it in the liquified tallow. Beautiful sizzle, 90 seconds per side and out. The tallow imparted no flavor that I could discern, just gluten free soy sauce-sesame-ginger-lime-garlic marinade. The extra high heat put a great crusty sear on the fish. I'll confess that the tallow was not from a grass-fed cow, but that will come once my freezer arrives and I can get a side of beef plus extra parts (livers, thymus, hearts, maybe some brains). Until then, I'll be hitting up the local farm that does pastured pork for some fatback and rendering lard to do my high temp cooking. |
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This thread is easy to fap to... I got 3 ducks last weekend. I've de-breasted them. I think tomorrow night I'm going to make stock. Rend that fat. Duck fat is probably the most prized fat for cooking. It isn't flavor-neutral, but it is delicious. A Google search will show you the way. I have a tiny bit of duck fat in my freezer now. |
| I render a lot of lard. Pro tip- do it in a large stock pot in an oven at 250 degrees for about 8 hours. Don't bother chopping the fatback. After time is up, mash it all with a potato masher then pour it through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into another pot. Ladle into canning jars, cap and place in the freezer ASAP for a nice, pure white, fine grained lard. |
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I render a lot of lard. Pro tip- do it in a large stock pot in an oven at 250 degrees for about 8 hours. Don't bother chopping the fatback. After time is up, mash it all with a potato masher then pour it through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into another pot. Ladle into canning jars, cap and place in the freezer ASAP for a nice, pure white, fine grained lard. Thanks for the tip. G/f has rendered a bit of tallow from a beef heart we ate a while back. Looking forward to some lard. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Sweet...I need to look for some heart next time I'm at the commissary. Here, the Norfolk NAVSTA doesn't have it, but Little Creek does so you may need to check around. Heart was <$2/pound, tongue was ~$4.00 - $4.50/pound. Eh...not so sure about tongue yet  I'm all for heart though. My mom used to cook chicken hearts all the time growing up, they're tasty.
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Sweet...I need to look for some heart next time I'm at the commissary. Here, the Norfolk NAVSTA doesn't have it, but Little Creek does so you may need to check around. Heart was <$2/pound, tongue was ~$4.00 - $4.50/pound. Eh...not so sure about tongue yet I'm all for heart though. My mom used to cook chicken hearts all the time growing up, they're tasty. My girlfriend swears the tongue tastes like roast beef - it's still a muscle, not an organ in any casae. We haven't had the kidneys yet and I'm a bit trepidatious about them, but I'm sure that the dogs won't mind if we don't like them. Oxtail tonight and we've already got some tallow rendered. I'll be searing a sushi-grade ahi steak in it tomorrow. 
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Sweet...I need to look for some heart next time I'm at the commissary. Here, the Norfolk NAVSTA doesn't have it, but Little Creek does so you may need to check around. Heart was <$2/pound, tongue was ~$4.00 - $4.50/pound. Eh...not so sure about tongue yet I'm all for heart though. My mom used to cook chicken hearts all the time growing up, they're tasty. My girlfriend swears the tongue tastes like roast beef - it's still a muscle, not an organ in any casae. We haven't had the kidneys yet and I'm a bit trepidatious about them, but I'm sure that the dogs won't mind if we don't like them. Oxtail tonight and we've already got some tallow rendered. I'll be searing a sushi-grade ahi steak in it tomorrow. I love Ahi |
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 I'm trying to get use to the grocery bill
It was so much cheaper when we ate junk Fresh veggies are gonna cost. One of the ways to cut your bills is to eat offal or other cheaper cuts of meat. Since Primal is fat-friendly, substituting chicken thighs for breasts or eating hearts, tongues, short ribs, livers, etc is a way to avoid the higher costs for lean cuts of steak. Also, eating herring and sardines instead of salmon can save you some $$. |
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I'm trying to get use to the grocery bill
It was so much cheaper when we ate junk Pay now or PAY  later. Yep, it hurts. I am blessed in that I operate my own Paleo Empire. I suggest looking into a Meat CSA in your area for savings and very high quality meat. Here is a directory of Paleo/Primal Friendly farmers throughout the US. http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html Find one near you and ask about Meat CSA's, co-ops, etc.
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I'm trying to get use to the grocery bill
It was so much cheaper when we ate junk Fresh veggies are gonna cost. One of the ways to cut your bills is to eat offal or other cheaper cuts of meat. Since Primal is fat-friendly, substituting chicken thighs for breasts or eating hearts, tongues, short ribs, livers, etc is a way to avoid the higher costs for lean cuts of steak. Also, eating herring and sardines instead of salmon can save you some $$. I will just pay for the higher priced food. I tried sardines again the other day for the first time in years. They still taste like shit. The dog did gobble them right up
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I will just pay for the higher priced food. I tried sardines again the other day for the first time in years. They still taste like shit. The dog did gobble them right up A couple options are 1) Alstertor brand herring - smells like hell, but reasonably tasty or 2) hitting up a fish market or Asian market near you for whole sardines. We had some smaller sardines grilled whole on top of mixed greens when I was in San Diego (Sea Rocket Bistro) a couple of weeks back and they were delicious. At a Richmond VA Asian food market we found some larger sardines for sale whole that we filleted and grilled - also very good. |
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I'm not a huge fan of sardines either due to the bones and the mushy texture...(yeah yeah, calcium, I know ) but herring is pretty tasty. You can get the smoked ones which aren't bad at all and are super cheap, or the better ones with different flavorings like H46 mentioned. |
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I'm not a huge fan of sardines either due to the bones and the mushy texture...(yeah yeah, calcium, I know ) but herring is pretty tasty. You can get the smoked ones which aren't bad at all and are super cheap, or the better ones with different flavorings like H46 mentioned.
I love all those fish! But thats mostly because I grew up on them and Im a big dumb swede!
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Quoted: Quoted: I'm not a huge fan of sardines either due to the bones and the mushy texture...(yeah yeah, calcium, I know ) but herring is pretty tasty. You can get the smoked ones which aren't bad at all and are super cheap, or the better ones with different flavorings like H46 mentioned. I love all those fish! But thats mostly because I grew up on them and Im a big dumb swede! Well, when I say "not a huge fan" I mean I'll still eat them, they just won't be my first choice...I'm not super picky
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I'm not a huge fan of sardines either due to the bones and the mushy texture...(yeah yeah, calcium, I know ) but herring is pretty tasty. You can get the smoked ones which aren't bad at all and are super cheap, or the better ones with different flavorings like H46 mentioned.
I love all those fish! But thats mostly because I grew up on them and Im a big dumb swede! Well, when I say "not a huge fan" I mean I'll still eat them, they just won't be my first choice...I'm not super picky I'm not a fish fan at all so when I say a certain type of fish is fucking nasty take it with a grain of salt. The few fish I have ate and really enjoyed have all been herbivores. Suckers, spoon bill and even carp if cooked correctly are amazing mouth watering finned foods . It makes since when you think about it. We don't usually eat to many land based carnivours but most fish we eat are predators. If you ever get a chance to eat suckers don't pass it up.
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I'm not a huge fan of sardines either due to the bones and the mushy texture...(yeah yeah, calcium, I know ) but herring is pretty tasty. You can get the smoked ones which aren't bad at all and are super cheap, or the better ones with different flavorings like H46 mentioned.
I love all those fish! But thats mostly because I grew up on them and Im a big dumb swede! Well, when I say "not a huge fan" I mean I'll still eat them, they just won't be my first choice...I'm not super picky I'm not a fish fan at all so when I say a certain type of fish is fucking nasty take it with a grain of salt. The few fish I have ate and really enjoyed have all been herbivores. Suckers, spoon bill and even carp if cooked correctly are amazing mouth watering finned foods . It makes since when you think about it. We don't usually eat to many land based carnivours but most fish we eat are predators. If you ever get a chance to eat suckers don't pass it up.Eating suckers will turn you into a sucker...
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I'm not a huge fan of sardines either due to the bones and the mushy texture...(yeah yeah, calcium, I know ) but herring is pretty tasty. You can get the smoked ones which aren't bad at all and are super cheap, or the better ones with different flavorings like H46 mentioned.
I love all those fish! But thats mostly because I grew up on them and Im a big dumb swede! Well, when I say "not a huge fan" I mean I'll still eat them, they just won't be my first choice...I'm not super picky I'm not a fish fan at all so when I say a certain type of fish is fucking nasty take it with a grain of salt. The few fish I have ate and really enjoyed have all been herbivores. Suckers, spoon bill and even carp if cooked correctly are amazing mouth watering finned foods . It makes since when you think about it. We don't usually eat to many land based carnivours but most fish we eat are predators. If you ever get a chance to eat suckers don't pass it up.Eating suckers will turn you into a sucker... Bone sucker   
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Commissary win today - 2 beef hearts and 1 tongue. Was up in Richmond yesterday - grass fed beef liver for dinner last night. Freezer arrives tomorrow, then it's off to find a side of grass fed beef and as much offal as I can pack in there. For odd parts, you can sometimes hit up the asian markets. My wife goes to a place in Richmond called Tan A Mart that is on the corner of Broad and Horsepin. Also, there is a chain of grocery stores that we have around here Farmer's Foods. They tend to get in parts of the animal that other markets don't carry. |
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Commissary win today - 2 beef hearts and 1 tongue. Was up in Richmond yesterday - grass fed beef liver for dinner last night. Freezer arrives tomorrow, then it's off to find a side of grass fed beef and as much offal as I can pack in there. For odd parts, you can sometimes hit up the asian markets. My wife goes to a place in Richmond called Tan A Mart that is on the corner of Broad and Horsepin. Also, there is a chain of grocery stores that we have around here Farmer's Foods. They tend to get in parts of the animal that other markets don't carry. and whole sardines! |
| Tonight's "try something new" from my VA-born g/f was shad roe aka Virginia caviar. Delicious, especially when topped with a home made herb sauce and a side of bacon. |
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I love Ahi Yeah - I'm back eating it again since I found a gluten-free soy sauce to make a ginger-lime-soy-sesame-garlic marinade. Overnight in that, then up to room temp, roll in sesame seeds and sear for 1-2 minutes per side. Deelish! Do you mind sharing your recipe, along with the brand of soy sauce you found? I love tuna nigiri sushi but I've never tried pan-seared tuna and your recipe sounds delicious! |
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I love Ahi Yeah - I'm back eating it again since I found a gluten-free soy sauce to make a ginger-lime-soy-sesame-garlic marinade. Overnight in that, then up to room temp, roll in sesame seeds and sear for 1-2 minutes per side. Deelish! Do you mind sharing your recipe, along with the brand of soy sauce you found? I love tuna nigiri sushi but I've never tried pan-seared tuna and your recipe sounds delicious! Tamari soy sauce For the marinade I mix soy sauce, sesame oil, ground ginger, minced garilc, and lime to taste. Probably 2 or 3 to 1 soy to sesame oil, 1-2 cloves of garlic, and the rest to taste. I marinate the fish for at least an hour or two, preferably overnight, in the fridge. Remove tuna from fridge and allow to come to room temp prior to cooking. To cook, I get a cast iron skillet very hot then add coconut oil or tallow. Spread sesame seeds on a plate. Remove tuna from marinade and let excess drip off. Press tuna in sesame seeds, lift tuna, add seeds if necessary and press the other side. Gently lower tuna into hot pan and sear for 90 seconds - 2m30s per side as desired. Take the leftover marinade and add a bit of rice wine vinegar to taste and use as a dipping sauce. |
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For odd parts, you can sometimes hit up the asian markets. My wife goes to a place in Richmond called Tan A Mart that is on the corner of Broad and Horsepin. Also, there is a chain of grocery stores that we have around here Farmer's Foods. They tend to get in parts of the animal that other markets don't carry. I haven't been to Tan A Mart yet, but my Richmond-native girlfriend has been there when visiting family. She didn't check out the produce, but was very excited about the fish and reasonably priced gluten-free flout substitutes. |
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For odd parts, you can sometimes hit up the asian markets. My wife goes to a place in Richmond called Tan A Mart that is on the corner of Broad and Horsepin. Also, there is a chain of grocery stores that we have around here Farmer's Foods. They tend to get in parts of the animal that other markets don't carry. I haven't been to Tan A Mart yet, but my Richmond-native girlfriend has been there when visiting family. She didn't check out the produce, but was very excited about the fish and reasonably priced gluten-free flout substitutes. My wife buys her cilantro there because it tends to be much cheaper than at the regular grocery stores. Also, in the frozen area, they get young coconut juice. Where I work, they did forbid me from ever bringing in my favorite treat from Tan A Mart. I wasn't thinking one morning while packing my lunch and grabbed a bag of durian. One of the shift operators recognized the smell before I even opened the bag. |
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continuing expirements with offal. beef kidney last night. not strictly primal as we had it diced over polenta, but we were a bit nervous about the taste and polenta is a good masker. bottom line - probably won't be buying kidney again. my g/f did a great job making it edible, but it wasn't really enjoyable and i'm of the opinion that eating should be a pleasurable experience.
otoh, a new way of preparing brussels sprouts was awesome - halved, garic rubbed, and carmelized in an iron skillet with pastured pork bacon and shallots
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Quoted: continuing expirements with offal. beef kidney last night. not strictly primal as we had it diced over polenta, but we were a bit nervous about the taste and polenta is a good masker. bottom line - probably won't be buying kidney again. my g/f did a great job making it edible, but it wasn't really enjoyable and i'm of the opinion that eating should be a pleasurable experience. otoh, a new way of preparing brussels sprouts was awesome - halved, garic rubbed, and carmelized in an iron skillet with pastured pork bacon and shallots win!! That sounds great. |
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continuing expirements with offal. beef kidney last night. not strictly primal as we had it diced over polenta, but we were a bit nervous about the taste and polenta is a good masker. bottom line - probably won't be buying kidney again. my g/f did a great job making it edible, but it wasn't really enjoyable and i'm of the opinion that eating should be a pleasurable experience. otoh, a new way of preparing brussels sprouts was awesome - halved, garic rubbed, and carmelized in an iron skillet with pastured pork bacon and shallots win!! That sounds great. my job was brussels sprouts prep. cut off the base and halve. remove outer leaves. mash a clove of garlic or two with the broad side of a chef's knife and peel. rub garlic on cut side of brussels sprouts. peel shallots and halve if they are large. dice bacon. heat cast iron skillet, oil lightly, and add ingredients. we put the cut side of the sprouts down, added the rest of the stuff, and let it cook until the sprouts were black on the bottom. salty goodness! |