The Meat & Potatoes Meal - the RIGHT way!

[shelley]

A lot of us have a hard time feeding our families because we want healthy and they want decadent - ALL the time. Here's the low-down on how to be a healthy meat eater.

Okay, we should know by now that combining meat and starch in the same meal is a no-no unless your power of digestion is very strong. Compromise by only doing it once every 10 days at most, and when you have these meals skip dessert (unless it's flavored gelatin with no addition but pineapple) and only drink peppermint tea or lemonade/limeade. One glass, no refills.

Now if you prepare meat the right way, then having it with potatoes isn't so bad. Here's the RIGHT way to eat beef:

Slow cook it with the bone in. The bone releases gelatin, which helps the body utilize the meat proteins better. By that I mean things like beef stew, pot roast and braised short ribs. Avoid steak, medallions, unless you make up a gelatin-based gravy to go with it. Yep folks, you can and should have that gravy!

the best way to make up a gravy is to buy Demi-Glace. Demi-Glace is a concentrated brown sauce, which is made from bone and contains tons of wonderful gelatin. It has no flavor, it's waiting for you to add flavor. You can use sauteed mushrooms, brandy (yep, I cook with alcohol), red wine, reduced balsamic vinegar, reduced port.... yum! And then you add the drippings from the pan and any other flavors you wish, such as garlic, shallots, parsley, lemon zest for freshness... and if you're feeling really decadent, add in a bit of milk or kefir for a dairy-rich gravy.

The Joy of Cooking has a nice section on making gravy and deglazing pans, I highly recommend reading it or Googling this subject.

Since Demi-Glace tends to be expensive, I often pair it with hamburger. I make them French-style, adding lots of fresh Thyme and sauteed onion and broil, them pile on the gravy and don't even bother with the non-nutritious, calorie-ridden buns. I serve with peas and glazed carrots and no one misses the potatoes.

If you can't afford demi-glace (six bucks for a cup is the usual rate) then get a carton of regular beef gravy, reduce by quarter or half, and use gelatin to thicken it. You can use the gelatin that's in the baking aisle, just one or two sheets. Instructions on the box.

If you like to barbecue, then you have an extra problem - carmelized fats taste wonderful but can also turn into carcinogens. To prevent that drink a glass of lemonade (it inhibits the conversion) or the Cleansing Drink and eat plenty of veggies, either cooked or as a salad. Green veggies have plant chemicals that instantly kill off meat-based carcinogens. Eat the meat fajita-style with lots of bell peppers, that'll do it. Or have broccoli soup as the first course - yum!

"Nourishing Traditions" has great recipes and instructions to make meat safe and tasty. Your meat-loving family will adore you forever!

[little monkey]

Fantastic info Shelley, I LOVE gravy but haven't worked out how to make it well yet - so I'm going to try what you say!

The search for Demi-Glace in the UK begins ...

[little monkey]

Wow, these demi-glaces look amazing

http://www.clubsauce.com/html/Subcategory-8-0.html

Could I use these - I'd like to get the lobster one too - would save me a hell of a lot of work - do you think it's safe with the crustacian bits (heavy metals etc)?

But as these come from the bone marrow and so on of the animal, and concentrated - isn't it critical to get an organic demi-glace? I would have thought a lot of the bad stuff in non-organic animals gets stored in the bones ...

Can't find an organic demi-glace though!

Thanks

[J F]

Another way to get rid of the carcinogens is to marinate the meat for 4 hours in anything. You can use one herb or salt or sauce, or any combination you want, so long as you marinate the meat for at least 4 hours. Then, when you toss it on the BBQ, the carcinogens don't form. I highly recommend you have the side dishes with the meat that Shelley mentioned, but at least you can help keep the baddies at bay in advance of cooking.

I don't really care for too many starches in my diet, never did. I'm a B+, so we actually have little use for too much starchy foods outside of veggies or a little rice. But, I do like the combination of a little starch with my meats since most of the time I've also got a nice bitter greens salad with balsamic on the side, as well as some steamed veggies. And, if I don't have at least a little starch in the meal most times, I'll be starving an hour later no matter how much meat and veggies I ate. It's one reason I like sushi, because there's just enough starch in the rice to make my meal feel like a meal for at least 3-4 hours.

To satisfy that need for a little starch, but not too much, I like superthin slicing a potato, tossing it with some fresh herbs, sea salt, olive oil and crushed garlic. Then, roast briefly until tender which won't take long at all if they are thin sliced. You don't want to make potato chips necessarily, but you want them to soften and maybe crisp a bit on the edges to be yummy chewy. Sometimes I'll roast them most of the way, then mix them with sliced mushrooms for a quick stir in a heated pan, letting the oil, salt, herbs and garlic coat the mushrooms, too. You divide that one potato up among two or three people as a side to the veggies/meat and it makes a great treat without the burden of.......say, digesting an entire flippin' baked potato by yourself.

[little monkey]

Hey Shelley,

I guess my main question from my posts above is - non-organic demi-glace is not good right?

(The one I linked to above also contains salt - I emailed them and they said it was "Morton's Food Grade salt. Not Kosher, not iodized, not sea." So I would think this is not good either.)

What brand of demi-glace do you use/recommend?

Thanks!

[shelley]

It's very difficult to find organic unfortunately, but I still eat it. Since I only have beef once or twice a week tops I don't worry too much about it.