The Primal Blueprint Cookbook (10 page)

The mild flavor of lamb is always made more interesting when embellished generously with herbs and garlic. The combination of herbs can be adjusted according to what you have on hand or in your garden. Parsley, sage, lavender and oregano all pair well with lamb. If you’re cooking a larger leg, double the herb rub and extend the cooking time until the desired temperature is reached.

Lamb is especially prone to turning tough if overcooked. The key to tender lamb is serving it when it’s still pink and leaning towards rare. Use a meat thermometer and remove the lamb from the oven when it reaches between 125–135°F. Let the lamb rest for 10–20 minutes and the temperature should rise another 10 degrees. The range for medium-rare falls anywhere between 130 (more pink) and 140 (less pink) degrees Fahrenheit.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a food processor or blender, mix olive oil with garlic, lemon zest, tablespoon of rosemary and tablespoon of thyme. Cut small slits on top of lamb and rub the whole lamb thoroughly with herb mixture. Heat a large pan and brown the lamb on all sides (3–6 minutes a side). Remove the lamb and add broth, scraping up any browned bits still in the pan and stirring them into broth.

In a large casserole pan, lay the sprigs of rosemary and thyme and the bay leaves down and set lamb on top. Surround with whole mushrooms (other vegetables of your choice can be added as well.) Add broth. Roast approximately 45 minutes or until the lamb registers between 125–135°F on a meat thermometer. Remove from oven, loosely cover with foil, and let sit 10–20 minutes. Slice thinly before serving.

Chinese five spice powder is a blend of ground cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise and peppercorns that can be found in most grocery stores. This warm blend goes especially well with beef and gives the stir fry a complex flavor that is slightly sweet, smoky and earthy. A little bit of five spice powder goes a long way—all you need is a pinch.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix together a marinade of tamari, oil, five spice powder, ginger and garlic. Slice the meat into thin strips. Marinate at least 15 minutes or up to several hours if you have time. Heat a sauté pan or wok. Add meat and marinade to the pan and sauté 3–5 minutes, stirring a few times so the meat cooks evenly. Add broccoli and sauté a few more minutes. Add mung bean sprouts and remove from heat. Garnish with fresh herbs.

For some, eating offal requires that they gather a little bit of courage beforehand. For others, it’s a favorite delicacy or a standard of their youth (liver and onions, anyone?). Organ meats often have a flavor that is milder than people expect. The real challenge is knowing how to cook them, so we’ve laid out several very simple recipes in this chapter.

While offal isn’t for everyone, it is a primal food that’s typically affordable and has numerous health benefits. If you’ve ever thought of delving into offal, now is your chance. Start with something more familiar, like liver, then work your way up to sweetbreads.

This is a wheat and gluten-free variation on the classic British Steak and Kidney Pie. Peter at Hyperlipid (high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com) posted a recipe of sorts that was the inspiration for this version, but used beef steak. In this version, bison or venison or other wild game for the steak adds a nice Primal touch (certainly you may use beef if you prefer).

Round steak is from the back hip end of the animal, and despite the “steak” in the cut name, it definitely needs s-l-o-w, moist braising to transform a tough, hard-worked cut into fork-tender stew meat. Those who dislike kidney can be kept happy with the steak and flavorful sauce.