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Question and Answer Page!

I thought it might be nice to set up a Question and Answer page for people that might have questions, comments, or support regarding following a zero carb keto diet! Note that I am not a doctor, this is not medical advice, just my own personal opinion! And of course, please keep comments respectful and civil! To participate, please click "Enter Your Comment" under the Comments area below on this page. Then I will get a notification and can reply to you! You will be given an option to receive notification by email of any followup replies to your comment. Thank you for reading! Grassfed lamb ribs with sea salt

Zero Carb Keto: Know Your Meats

I think that many people today are not as familiar with meat and organs as people used to be.

Many people today, at least in the Western world, do not really know much about meat. They just go to a supermarket and pick up something in a package, usually choosing something awfully lean because that is what they have been told is "healthy".

But there is so much more to know! 

For one, how are the animals raised? There is grain-fed, which leads to a higher amount of intramuscular fat (marbling), but the omega 6 fatty acid content will be higher, and so it is not as healthy. Also, the fat will not contain as high a nutrient content as grassfed. Also grain-fed animals may still have some access to pasture, or may be mostly in a confinement feeding lot. That makes a difference in their health as well.

In terms of grassfed,  there are different types of pastures for grassfed. There are forbs (flowering plants) and there are grasses. The types of pasture can make a big difference in the flavor of the meat and the fat.

Then there is the question of whether the animals are given drugs, hormones, or vaccines which can pass through into the meat and fat. 

Also there are the different breeds, which have different meat and fat characteristics. Some bovine animals have been bred more for milk production than for meat. Similarly, there are different breeds of sheep, bred for milk, or meat, or wool, and so their meat and fat makeup will be different.

Then there is the question of how they are harvested. There is field harvesting, which is done on site and so does not require any transport of the animal. There are some religious types of slaughter which vary from the standard methods of slaughter. There are the methods recommended by Temple Grandin to reduce the stress during the process. 

There is the aging. Beef requires more aging time than lamb. Grassfed beef does not require as long as grain-fed. There is dry aging, and wet aging. All of these factors can impart different flavor.

Another item that can affect flavor is the actual meatcutting. Many processors today remove most of the fat. Even if you ask for it to be left on the meat! But with a zero carb ketogenic diet, you need that fat! It is important for keeping the fat to protein ratio (as percent of calories) at least 2:1. So it is very important to make sure that the fat is left on the cuts! Also, the fat is where you get your vitally important fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, K, omega 3 fatty acids, and CLA. I also think it is important to keep the meats and fats as whole as possible, since it retains more flavor and fat that way. So I prefer fatty bone-in roasts instead of steaks or chops, or worst of all, ground.

Then finally, the way that the meats are thawed and cooked will drastically affect the flavor. I allow a few days for the meats to thaw, because any ice particles remaining will affect the texture and flavor. For cooking, I prefer low, slow cooking since the lower temperatures are better for health and allow for more tender meat.

For most cuts, I usually use a slow cooker on the low setting for 12 hours. I put the roasts in an empty pot, and just let them cook in their own juices with no added water or anything. When I remove the roast from the pot, I let it cool a while on a plate before storing in glass containers. I pour the drippings off into another glass container. I actually do not use the drippings, but you could use them to make broth if desired, or to dip the meats. Once refrigerated, the solidified fats can be removed so as to not dispose of fats in the sink.

Organ meats can also be cooked in an empty slow cooker overnight on low. Just take the skin off of tongue, sweetbreads, and testicles.

So you see that there can be such a huge impact on the flavors and textures depending on all of these factors!



Grassfed lamb tongue and loin roast






Comments

  1. All of this is so very interesting. I would like to have all the different cuts of meat and organs to add variety and enjoy the whole animal. Unfortunately, all I have been eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner since September is ground beef. That's pretty much what I can afford. It does get old sometimes.
    So, from what I have been reading on your blogs, you pretty much eat all your meat well done and not raw at all. I didn't know that salt helps build up the hydrochloric acid in the stomach. I don't use salt because it started tasting bad to me, but maybe I should try. Lately, after every time I eat, my food feels like a heavy rock in my stomach. I'm wondering if I am just not digesting it properly. I have read that well cooked meat is much harder to digest that raw meat. Have you read that as well? Or, perhaps because all I have been eating is ground beef for so long, my body wants something else? That probably sounds weird. Or, my body is in constant stress putting me always in sympathetic mode so digestion is put on the back burner and my food is not digested. Do you have any thoughts or advice?

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    Replies
    1. I hope that you can find some other cuts! Yes, I eat all of my meat slow-cooked usually, and not raw. I tried raw but I feel that I did not digest it as well for me and was not as palatable (especially raw fat was not palatable). You could try some different brand of salt. Maybe you would like a different flavor. The flavors are really different amongst different sea salts. I know that rock feeling that you mentioned. I have that when I eat plant matter, and even sometimes tallow. Did you mention that you are using tallow to cook with? Maybe try cooking it without the tallow, in a slow cooker or toaster oven.

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    2. You have a good memory. Yes. I do eat tallow. But I don't cook with it. I just cook the ground beef in a pan and eat the cold tallow on the side for added fat because I can only find 85/15 ground beef. Maybe it is the tallow. Thanks Mellie.

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