When you give yourself permission to cook with nourishing animal fats, a transformation ensues. Eggs, meat, seafood, vegetables, grains and desserts become scrumptious and satisfying. You will gain the reputation as a wonderful cook, and your meals will be gobbled down by even the harshest of critics—your children!
The following fats and fatty foods deserve a place of honor in your kitchen, supplying many important nutrients:
Butter: The queen of fats, with a perfect fatty acid profile, is the best source of myristic acid in the Western diet; it also provides arachidonic acid (which the body turns into feel-good chemicals), glycosphingolipids and vitamins A, D, E and K2. Butter contains valuable minerals as well, including selenium, iodine and magnesium. Use butter in a variety of ways—for light sautéing, in hot oatmeal, slathered on bread, melted over meats, fish and vegetables, or as an ingredient in various desserts.
Cream: Velvety fresh cream or tangy sour cream and crème fraîche provide the same nutrients as butter, but with the added bonus of calcium and phosphorus. The fat-soluble vitamins in the fat portion support assimilation of the minerals in the milk portion of cream. Fresh cream can be whipped as a topping for fruit and other desserts, and fresh or cultured cream is delicious added to soups and sauces.
Lard: A stable, healthy fat we should all be proud to use. You can fry just about anything in lard, and the fat won’t break down. Lard is an unacknowledged source of vitamin D, with much higher levels in pastured lard. Healthier and less expensive than olive oil, lard can be your number one choice for cooking.
Bacon and bacon fat: Lard on steroids, bacon and bacon fat provide the same benefits as lard, enhanced by irresistible bacon flavor and aroma.
Duck and goose fat: We need to use more of these fats in everyday recipes; they are our best sources of vitamin K2 and arachidonic acid.
Tallow: The fat of ruminant animals (cows, sheep, goats), tallow is the most common and the best fat for deep frying; it is stable even at high heat.
Egg yolks: A highly desirable source of fat-soluble vitamins, arachidonic acid as well as protein and important minerals like iron. Eggs from pastured chickens are best. Eat as many as you like; they do not contribute to heart disease.
Cheese: The quintessential soul food, full-fat, aged cheese is a complete food, supplying fat-soluble vitamins—especially vitamin K 2—a range of beneficial fatty acids and CLA, an anticancer substance. Cheese abounds in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and a range of microminerals. If the cheese is made from raw milk, it will be a source of vitamin C as well. And aged cheese made from raw milk is highly probiotic, containing more beneficial microorganisms, and a wider variety of microorganisms, than yogurt.
Liver: The most nutrient-dense food on the planet, providing not only fat-soluble vitamins but also vitamins B12, B6 and many important minerals, especially iron. Poultry liver has the best balance of vitamins A, D and K2, with duck and goose liver the clear winners for vitamin K2. Cook beef and calves liver in lard to provide vitamin D, to balance high levels of vitamin A in ruminant liver. Liver is delicious made into liverwurst, pâté and scrapple—these are ways of making offal taste good!
Bone marrow: Underappreciated and underused, bone marrow contains 90 percent of calories as fat. Primitive peoples knew how to crack open the femur to extract its rope of marrow, which they relished raw. Today we have much more appetizing ways of preparing marrow.
Gizzards: The “mechanical” stomach of the bird, this little muscle is surprisingly rich in vitamin A, as well as vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and selenium.
Cod liver oil or skate liver oil: Our best dietary source of vitamins A and D, as well as DHA for brain function. Skate liver oil has a better proportion of DHA to the less desirable EPA. Use only products that are processed at low heat and contain their natural vitamins.
Serves 1
1 teaspoon cod liver oil
juice of 1 organic orange
Mix together in a small glass. Drink quickly to avoid the cod liver oil taste.
Serves 2
1 tablespoon molasses
¼ cup cream
¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
¼ teaspoon powdered licorice root
Place all the ingredients in a large mug and add hot water to fill. Stir well and enjoy.
Serves 2
Vitamin D in egg yolks, vitamin A in cream and butter, and vitamin K2 in the cheese make this dish the perfect combination of fat-soluble vitamins.
2 pastured eggs
1 pastured egg yolk
1 tablespoon fresh cream or crème fraîche
1 tablespoon butter
⅓ cup grated Cheddar or Jack cheese
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives or parsley (optional)
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolk and cream until combined. Melt the butter in a small, well-seasoned cast-iron pan. Add the egg mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. At the last minute, stir in the cheese and chives or parsley. Serve immediately on heated plates.
Serves 4
1 pound bacon
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced or 4 slices pineapple
Place the apple or pineapple slices in a 9-inch by 13-inch glass baking dish and lay the bacon slices over them. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the bacon starts to crisp. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to serve.
Serves 6
1 pound Cheddar cheese, grated
1 pound sausage meat, browned and crumbled
1 dozen pastured eggs
1 cup cream
1½ teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch glass baking dish using butter or lard. Sprinkle half the cheese on the bottom of the pan, and reserve the rest. Top the cheese with the crumbled sausage.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley. Pour over the sausage meat and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Enjoy while warm. Leftovers may be frozen.
Serves 1
2 pastured egg yolks
½ cup ripe fruit, such as bananas or strawberries
½ cup cream
½ cup plain unsweetened whole-milk yogurt
2 tablespoons natural sweetener (such as honey, maple syrup or maple sugar)
Blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Note: Raw egg whites are very difficult to digest and should not be consumed.
Serves 6–8
Grass-fed beef tends to be lean, but this version of steak tartare is well balanced when eaten on toast spread with delicious bacon butter.
1 pound ground grass-fed beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 pastured egg yolks
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fish sauce (Red Boat brand recommended)
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 stick butter, softened
2 pieces bacon, cut very small and sautéed until crisp
about 24 thin slices of sourdough baguette, lightly toasted
Place the capers in a strainer, rinse well, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the beef, onion, egg yolks, capers, parsley and fish sauce in a medium bowl and mix well with your hands until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Move to a ramekin or crock, cover and chill well.
In a small bowl, mix softened butter with crispy bacon pieces and place is a ramekin. To serve, smear toasted baguettes with bacon butter and top with a scoop of steak tartare.
Makes about 3 cups
1 pound aged Cheddar cheese, grated
¼ cup butter, softened
¾ cup crème fraîche
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon fish sauce (preferably Red Boat brand)
crackers or sourdough baguette, for serving
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to ramekin or a small soufflé dish. Serve at room temperature with crackers or toasted slices of sourdough baguette.
Makes 24
1 cup crumbled bleu cheese
½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
about ¼ cup fresh pomegranate seeds
24 endive leaves, separated, rinsed and dried
In a food processor, blend the bleu cheese and crème fraîche or sour cream to a smooth paste. Spread a little of the bleu cheese paste into each endive leaf (or use an icing pipette). Sprinkle each with a few pomegranate seeds and serve.
Makes 12
¾ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
12 slices sourdough baguette, lightly toasted
2 ounces caviar
2 tablespoons very finely diced red onion
1 tablespoon very finely diced parsley
Place a dollop (about 1 tablespoon) of crème fraîche or sour cream on each slice of baguette. Top each slice with 1 teaspoon caviar, then ½ teaspoon diced onion and a pinch of parsley. Serve and enjoy.
Makes about 36
1 pound chicken livers
1 pound bacon (not thick sliced)
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
about 1 cup naturally fermented soy sauce
Trim the chicken livers of any membranes and cut each liver into 3 pieces. Cut the bacon slices in half. Pat the water chestnut slices dry and place a slice on a bacon slice, and top with a piece of liver. Fold up the bacon ends and secure with a toothpick. Dip each bundle in soy sauce and place in a greased glass baking dish. Repeat for the remaining livers and bacon. Let marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or so. Bake at 300 degrees for about ½ hour, turning frequently, until the bacon is crisp. Serve warm.
Makes about 3 quarts, serving 6–12
½ pound bacon, cut into small pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 leeks, sliced open, washed and chopped into ½-inch pieces
½ cup dry white wine or vermouth
3 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
2 quarts chicken stock or combination stock and water
bouquet garni (parsley sprigs, thyme springs and 1 bay leaf, tied together)
1 cup crème fraîche
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
In a heavy-bottomed pot, sauté the bacon pieces until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the remaining bacon fat, sauté the onion and leeks over low heat, stirring frequently, until soft. Add the wine or vermouth and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, stock and bouquet garni and bring to a simmer. When the potatoes are soft, remove the bouquet garni and blend the soup with a handheld blender until smooth. Stir in the crème fraîche and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Serve in heated bowls and garnish with the reserved bacon pieces and chives.
Serves 4–6
½ pound chicken gizzards
about 1 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons butter or lard
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
½ cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 quart homemade chicken broth
bouquet garni (parsley sprigs, thyme springs and 1 bay leaf, tied together)
4 medium red potatoes, cut into a ¼-inch dice
1 cup crème fraîche
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Wash the gizzards, remove any small stones or grit, and peel away any yellow skin. Cut into small pieces. Pat dry and dredge in a mixture of unbleached white flour, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Melt the butter or lard in a medium saucepan. Sauté the gizzard pieces in batches over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Sauté the onion in the remaining fat until golden brown. Add the wine or vermouth and bring to a boil. Add the chicken broth, gizzards and bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer for about 1 hour or until the gizzards are tender. Add the potatoes and simmer for an additional 10 minutes until they are barely cooked through (but not mushy). Remove the bouquet garni and stir in the crème fraîche. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and serve in heated bowls.
Serves 4–6
½ pound bacon, cut into small pieces
1 pound ground veal
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and grated
2 sticks celery, diced
½ cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 quart homemade chicken broth
bouquet garni (parsley sprigs, thyme springs and 1 bay leaf, tied together)
about 2 cups greens (such as spinach, chard or radicchio), chopped
1 cup crème fraîche
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Sauté the bacon in a large saucepan until most of the fat is rendered, about 15 minutes. Add the veal and sauté, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté for an additional 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the wine or vermouth and bring to a boil. Add the chicken broth, bouquet garni and greens and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and stir in the crème fraîche. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and serve in heated bowls.
Makes ½ cup, about 4 servings
This versatile sauce is simple to make and can be used on meat, fish, vegetables or pasta.
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 slices
2 tablespoons tarragon leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (optional)
Heat a heavy skillet on medium-high. When the skillet is hot, add the butter. Once it foams, add the tarragon leaves and turn the heat down to medium. Cook over medium heat for 10–20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the butter turns light brown—be careful not to let it burn. Stir in the chopped shallot and optional garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour browned butter over vegetables, fish, meat or pasta.
Makes about 1½ cups
Béarnaise sauce provides a great package of fat-soluble vitamins, and is fabulous served over rare beef.
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons dry white wine or vermouth
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot or the white part of green onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
4 pastured egg yolks
1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
About 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine the vinegar, wine or vermouth, shallot and tarragon leaves in a small saucepan. Boil over medium heat until reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 3–5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and then strain the liquid directly into the top pan of a double boiler. While the water in the lower pan is heating up, add the egg yolks to the reduced vinegar mixture. Whisk until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. As the water in the lower pan begins to simmer, continue to whisk at a reasonable speed, reaching all over the bottom and insides of the pan. The egg yolks should become frothy and increase in volume, then thicken. When the bottom of the pan is visible in the streaks left by the whisk and the egg yolks are thick and smooth, remove from heat.
Add the softened butter by spoonfuls, whisking constantly to incorporate each addition. Continue incorporating the butter until the sauce has thickened to the consistency desired. Add the lemon juice and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Makes 1½ cups
This is so much easier to make than mayonnaise—and more nutritious as well.
½ cup crème fraîche
2 pastured egg yolks
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Place all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together well until thoroughly combined. Use immediately or transfer to a jar and refrigerate.
Makes 1⅓ cups
Store-bought ranch dressing contains vegetable oil, MSG and lots of additives. Better to make your own!
2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup sour cream or crème fraîche
¼–⅓ cup buttermilk or plain, unsweetened full-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 green onion, white part only, finely chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until combined. If the dressing is too thick, thin with a little more buttermilk or vinegar. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within one week.
Makes 2–4 cups
Reserve the drippings from a chicken or turkey, cooked in a stainless steel or enamel pan
2–4 cups homemade chicken or turkey broth
gizzard from the chicken or turkey, cleaned and cut into pieces
2–4 tablespoons unbleached white flour
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
While the chicken or turkey is cooking, use a small saucepan to simmer the gizzard in the broth. When the gizzard is tender, chop the pieces very fine and set aside.
After your turkey or chicken has finished cooking, remove it (and the rack it was on) from the pan and keep warm in a warm oven. Place the pan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir around until it has completely combined with the poultry fat. (In principle, use 2 tablespoons of flour for a chicken and 4 tablespoons for a turkey, but if there is a lot of fat, use more.) Stir until the fat-flour mixture has lightly browned, being careful not to let it burn. Add the stock slowly, while whisking, and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly to remove any lumps. If the gravy is too thick, thin with a little water; if the gravy is too thin, reduce by gentle boiling. Stir in the reserved chopped gizzard and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Serves 4
about ½ cup lard or bacon fat
4 slices sourdough bread, crusts removed and cut into cubes
2 heads romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed, washed and dried
4 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated or shaved
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 large or 3 medium pastured egg yolks
1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 anchovy filets, cut into ½-inch pieces
juice of 1 small lemon, strained
1 teaspoon fish sauce (preferably Red Boat brand)
3 dashes hot sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
⅓–½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup sour cream or crème fraîche (optional)
Melt the bacon fat or lard in a skillet, and sauté the bread cubes until browned. Cut or tear the lettuce into 1-inch pieces. Set the croutons and lettuce aside.
In a large wooden bowl, using a wooden spoon, mash the minced garlic cloves to a fine paste with the salt. Stir in the egg yolks and Dijon mustard. Add the anchovies, and continue to grind into a thick paste. Add the lemon juice, fish sauce, hot sauce and vinegar and season with the pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and optional sour cream or crème fraîche until the dressing is creamy.
Add the lettuce to the bowl, and toss to coat the leaves thoroughly. Divide on 4 plates, sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and croutons and enjoy.
Serves 4
1 cabbage, core removed and sliced thinly
1 cup heavy cream
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Place the sliced cabbage in a skillet with a close-fitting lid. Pour the cream over the cabbage and sprinkle with the sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes over low heat. Remove the lid and bring the liquid to a full boil. Boil gently for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced. Serve warm.
Serves 4
1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced at about 1 inch, on the diagonal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
filtered water
Place the carrots, butter, honey and ginger in a medium saucepan and top with filtered water until just covered. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and continue boiling to let the liquid reduce. Use a spoon to skim off any foam that may rise to the surface. As the liquid gets thick, stir constantly to prevent sticking. Carrots will become coated with the butter-honey mixture. Serve warm.
Serves 2–4
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise, with each half cut into 3 sections on an angle
sea salt to taste
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
Please the potato sections in a colander and rinse with very cold water. Spread on paper towels and pat dry. Meanwhile, place the duck fat in a 9-inch by 13-inch glass baking pan and melt in an oven set at 400 degrees. Add the potatoes to the pan, sprinkle with sea salt and toss to coat in the duck fat. Bake at 400 degrees for about ½ hour until nicely browned, turning once or twice while they are cooking. To serve, sprinkle with parsley.
Serves 8
4 large baking potatoes
1 quart plus 2 tablespoons tallow
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For best results, use a 1-liter deep fryer.
Peel the potatoes, leaving some skin on the ends. Cut into ⅓-inch slices. Then cut the slices into ⅓-inch sticks. Soak the potatoes in a large bowl of cold water for about 1 hour. Drain in a colander and pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess water.
Heat the tallow in the fryer to 325 degrees. In 4 batches, cook the potatoes in the tallow until light brown, about 5–7 minutes for each batch. Remove the potatoes, shaking off the excess tallow, and allow them to drain on a wire rack. Raise the temperature of the tallow to 350 degrees and cook the potatoes again in 4 batches, about 2 minutes each batch, until golden brown. Shake off the tallow and place the potatoes on paper towels to soak up the excess. Place the potatoes in a bowl and toss with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Serves 6
2–3 beets, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
2 turnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
2 cups baby onions, peeled
1 stick butter
sea salt to taste
While preparing the vegetables, place the butter in a 9-inch by 13-inch glass baking dish and allow it to melt in a 350-degree oven. When butter is melted, place the vegetable cubes (you should have about 10 cups total) in the pan and stir with a wooden spoon to coat the vegetables with the butter. Bake about 1 hour or until tender, stirring occasionally. Toss with sea salt to taste.
Serves 6
6 large russet potatoes
¼ cup melted butter or lard
1 stick butter, softened
½ cup sour cream or crème fraîche
whole milk, as necessary
sea salt to taste
Cut a small piece off each end of the potatoes and brush with melted butter or lard. Place in a glass baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1–1 ½ hours, or until tender when poked with a fork.
Place the stick of butter in a medium bowl. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the potato flesh into the bowl. (Reserve the skins for Potato Skins; see recipe below.) Add the sour cream or crème fraîche and mash together. Use a handheld mixer to mix until very smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little whole milk to thin. Blend in the sea salt to taste and serve warm.
Makes 12
12 potato skins as lengthwise halves, baked (see Mashed Potatoes, above)
6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
3 cups grated Cheddar or Jack cheese
1 cup finely chopped green onions, including green tops
sour cream or crème fraîche for garnish
Cook the bacon in a cast iron skillet until semicrisp and set aside. Place the cooked potato skins in a greased glass baking dish (or dishes, as needed). Place ¼ cup cheese on each skin and top with the bacon pieces and green onions. Broil for several minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche.
Serves 4
1½ pounds wild salmon filet, skin on, cut into 4 pieces
2 cups fish stock
½ cup white wine
1 cup sour cream or crème fraîche
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
sea salt to taste
Place the salmon, skin side down, in a greased glass baking dish—the salmon should fill most of the dish. In a medium bowl, combine the stock and white wine and pour over the salmon—the salmon should be fully covered with the liquid. Bake at 300 degrees for about ½ hour, or until the salmon is flaky, but still slightly underdone in the center. Remove to paper towels and pat dry. Keep warm in a warm oven or warming drawer while making the sauce.
Pour the stock and wine into a large cast iron skillet. Add the sour cream or crème fraîche and boil vigorously until the sauce reduces and thickens. When the sauce coats a wooden spoon, stir in the tarragon leaves and season with sea salt to taste.
To serve, place the salmon pieces into 4 heated bowls and pour the sauce over the fish.
Serves 4
1¼ pounds “dry” sea scallops (or 5–6 per serving)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 cup fish stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 green onions, including green tops, chopped
1–2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
sea salt to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
Pat the scallops very dry with paper towels. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large cast iron skillet. Sauté the scallops about 5–6 at a time, 4–5 minutes per side, or until just tender. Transfer to a heated platter or dish and keep warm.
Deglaze the skillet with white wine or vermouth. Add fish stock, cream, garlic and ginger and boil vigorously over high heat, skimming any scum that comes to the surface. Continue boiling until the sauce is reduced by at least half and coats a wooden spoon. Stir in the scallions and lime juice, reduce a little more, and season to taste with sea salt. Pour the sauce over the scallops and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve warm.
Note: For best results, choose “dry” sea scallops, which means they have not been soaked in a brine solution.
Serves 4
4 ears fresh corn, husks removed
⅓–½ cup lard
¼ cup chili powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
about 1 ⅓ pounds fresh fish filets, skin on, in 4 pieces
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and diced
Cut the corn off the cob into a medium bowl and set aside. Over medium heat, melt the lard in a cast iron skillet.
Meanwhile, mix the chili powder and sea salt in a shallow dish. Pat the fish very dry with paper towels and dredge in the spice mix. (Set aside any remaining spice mixture.) Sauté the fish on both sides in the hot lard, several minutes on each side, until the fish is cooked through. Transfer to a heated platter and keep warm.
Add the jalapeño chile to the skillet and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the corn and any remaining chili powder–salt mixture. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes until the corn is tender. Serve the corn alongside the cooked fish.
Serves 6–8
1½ cups breadcrumbs, preferably sourdough
½ cup powdered Parmesan cheese
about 1 cup cream
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 whole pastured eggs
1 onion, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
2 teaspoons fish sauce (preferably Red Boat brand)
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 7-ounce jar tomato paste
about ½ cup water
Mix the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese together in a small bowl, and add enough cream to completely moisten the mixture, but not so much that it is runny.
Place all the remaining ingredients except the tomato paste in a large bowl, add the breadcrumb mixture, and combine well by hand. Form into a loaf and set into a glass baking dish. Cover the loaf with the tomato paste and fill the bottom of the dish with the water. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1¼ hours, or until cooked through. Leftovers will keep for several days in the refrigerator.
Serves 8
2 pastured chickens
1 quart buttermilk or plain unsweetened full-fat yogurt
about 3 cups unbleached flour
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3–4 cups lard
Cut each chicken into 10 pieces—2 wings, 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 back pieces and 2 breasts. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and mix with the buttermilk or yogurt until thoroughly coated. Cover the bowl and marinate, refrigerated, for 24 hours.
Pour the flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and pepper into a medium-sized paper bag (such as a large lunch bag). Shake to mix the spices thoroughly.
Melt about 1 cup lard in a large cast iron skillet, being careful not to let the fat get too hot. Shake the buttermilk or yogurt off one chicken piece and place it in the paper bag. Shake well to coat the piece with the flour-and-spice mixture. Repeat with 4 additional pieces. Place all 5 pieces in the skillet and fry uncovered at medium-high temperature for 10 minutes. Turn the pieces, lower the heat to medium and continue frying, covered, 10 minutes more, or until cooked through.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a large platter lined with several layers of paper towel and keep warm while completing the remaining batches, adding additional lard to the skillet as needed.
Serve the chicken warm. Can be refrigerated for several days and served cold.
Serves 8–10
1 large fatty pork shoulder, about 4 pounds
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 small pig foot or split pig foot
2 teaspoons oregano
3 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
sea salt to taste
Cut the pork shoulder into 2-inch chunks. Place the pieces in a large bowl and toss with the lime juice. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
Place the marinated pork pieces and all remaining ingredients into a slow cooker, adding enough water to cover the pork. Cook on low for about 12 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Remove the pork and pig’s foot, and reserve the cooking liquid. Chop the meat into small pieces. Remove the meat and skin from pig’s foot and chop into small pieces. Mix all the pulled meat with the cooking liquids and season to taste with sea salt. Serve with your favorite sauce, or use pulled pork for tostadas (recipe follows), tacos, burritos or casseroles.
Serves 6
6 corn or flour tortillas, fried until crisp in lard
3 cups pulled pork (recipe above)
3 cups black beans, cooked
6 cups finely sliced Romaine lettuce hearts
3 tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, minced
2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced
3 cups grated Jack cheese
1 cup sour cream
hot sauce
Divide the fried tortillas among 6 heated plates. Top each with pulled pork, warm black beans, Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onion, avocado, and Jack cheese. Serve with sour cream, and hot sauce as a garnish.
Makes about 2 cups
1 pound chicken livers and hearts
3 tablespoons butter or lard
1 onion, peeled and chopped
½ cup brandy
2 cups chicken stock
1 clove garlic, peeled and mashed
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1 teaspoon dried dill
½ teaspoon powdered rosemary
½ cup butter, softened
sea salt to taste
Trim off any membranes from the livers, and pat hearts and livers dry with paper towels. Melt 3 tablespoons butter or lard in a large cast iron skillet and sauté the chopped onion over medium heat until golden. Add the livers and hearts, raise heat and sauté until they are browned on all sides. Add the brandy to the skillet and bring to a boil. Add the chicken stock, garlic, mustard, dill and rosemary. Boil gently, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced about half, or about 10–15 minutes.
Allow to cool and transfer to a food processor. Add the ½ cup softened butter and process until very smooth. Add additional chicken stock if the pâté is too thick. Add sea salt to taste. Transfer to a 3-cup ramekin or 3 smaller ramekins. Cover well until served. Can be refrigerated or frozen.
Serves 8
2 cups dry white beans
1 35-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup white wine
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon peppercorns
2 3-inch marrow bones
1 pound pork sausage, cut into slices
several sprigs fresh rosemary
Soak the beans in 8 cups hot water overnight. Drain through a colander and rinse well. Place the beans and all remaining ingredients into a slow cooker, adding enough water to cover everything. Cook on low heat for about 8 hours, checking occasionally. If the beans seem dry, add more water.
To serve, remove marrow bones from slow cooker. Strip the marrow from the bones and stir into the cooking liquid—the marrow will thicken it nicely. Ladle into bowls and enjoy.
Serves 4
4 4-inch marrow bones, split lengthwise
2 cups breadcrumbs (sourdough if available)
zest of 1 organic lemon
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ cup melted butter
Place the marrow bones in a glass baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the lemon zest, parsley and salt and pepper. Place about ¼ cup of this mixture on each marrow bone and then drizzle the butter over the breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Place the dish under a broiler for an additional 5 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are nicely browned. Serve two split bones per plate with small spoons.
Serves 4
1 pound chicken gizzards
juice of 2 lemons
about 1 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
about ½ cup lard
4 cups cooked rice
4 green onions, including green tops, chopped
Clean the gizzards of any grit or stones and peel away any yellow skin. Cut into small pieces. In a small bowl, mix the gizzards with the lemon juice and marinate for several hours in the refrigerator. Pat dry with paper towels and then dredge in a mixture of the unbleached white flour, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Melt the lard in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Fry the gizzard pieces in batches, removing with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish with chopped green onion.
Serves 2
¾ pound sliced calves liver
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ pound bacon, cut into pieces
about 1 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, peeled, quartered and sliced
extra bacon fat, if needed
Cut the liver into strips and toss with the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Marinate, refrigerated, for several hours.
In a large cast iron skillet, cook the bacon pieces over medium heat until the fat is rendered. Meanwhile, pat the liver strips dry with paper towels and dredge in a mixture of unbleached white flour, salt and pepper.
Push the bacon pieces to the edge of the pan and sauté the onion in the rendered fat. When the onion is soft and translucent, push it to the edge of the pan. Raise the heat to high and quickly sauté the liver strips, about 1 minute per side, adding more bacon fat, if needed. The liver should be browned but still pink on the inside. Stir into the bacon and onion and immediately remove to a heated bowl or platter to serve.
Serves 6–8
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
½ pound liver (pork or chicken)
1 pound fatty ground pork
½ pound ground beef or veal
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon allspice
¼ cup cognac or brandy
2 pastured eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup pistachio nuts
about 12 strips of bacon
sourdough baguette and pickles for serving (optional)
You will need a brick wrapped in aluminum foil or a bacon press (with its wooden handle wrapped in aluminum foil so it doesn’t catch fire) to weight the terrine down as it bakes.
Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet and sauté the onion over medium heat until soft. Transfer the onion to a bowl, set aside and let cool.
Pulse the liver in a food processor until smooth. In a large bowl, mix the liver, ground pork, ground beef or veal, cooked onion, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice. In a separate bowl, whisk together the brandy, eggs and heavy cream. Pour over the meat and stir until completely combined. Stir in the pistachio nuts.
Lay the bacon strips across the bottom of a 5-inch by 9-inch loaf pan, so they completely cover the bottom of the pan without overlapping. Bring the bacon strips up both sides of the pan and let 1–2 inches of bacon overhang the edge. Fill the pan with the meat mixture to create the terrine, taking care not to move the bacon lining the pan. Cover the top of the terrine lengthwise with three strips of bacon then fold the overhang of bacon over the top. Cover the terrine with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fill a baking dish with 2 inches hot water, place in the oven and let the water come to a simmer. Remove the terrine from the refrigerator and place a layer of greased parchment paper on top of the bacon and then place the weight on top of the loaf. Place in the simmering hot water bath and bake 1½ hours. Remove from the oven and let cool. Refrigerate for 24 hours with the weight still on top.
To serve, set the loaf pan in a new hot water bath and loosen the sides gently with a knife. Invert terrine onto a platter. Serve with slices of sourdough baguette and pickled gherkins. (Adapted from marksdailyapple.com.)
Makes 1 quart
6 pastured egg yolks
⅓–½ cup maple sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla powder or vanilla extract
3 cups cream
In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with maple sugar and vanilla powder for about 5 minutes. Beat in the cream. Pour into a home ice cream maker and process according to directions. Store, covered, in the freezer in a shallow glass container. Remove from the freezer and let thaw about 5 minutes before serving.
Makes about 18
1½ cups slivered almonds
1½ teaspoons sea salt
1 cup arrowroot powder
½ cup maple sugar
½ teaspoon powdered vanilla
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon finely ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon powdered cloves
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
Soak the almonds in warm water plus 1 teaspoon sea salt for about 7 hours. Drain in a colander and sprinkle evenly on a baking sheet. Bake at 150 degrees for about 6 hours or until the nuts are completely dry and crisp. This process makes all nuts more digestible.
Place the nuts in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the arrowroot powder, maple sugar, vanilla, allspice, pepper, cloves, and ½ teaspoon sea salt and process until well mixed. Cut the butter into about 8 pieces and add to the mixture. Process until smooth.
Grease a cookie sheet with butter and lightly coat with unbleached white flour or arrowroot powder. Roll the cookie dough into 1-inch balls and place on the cookie sheet. Flatten each ball with a fork. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool before removing to a storage container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Makes 1½ cups
A smooth creamy topping perfect for fruit, pies, tarts, pastries or almond spice cookies.
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
⅓ cup honey
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blend all the ingredients in a blender. Use immediately with your favorite fruit, snack or dessert.
Serves 6
2 cups pecans
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons butter
¾ cup maple sugar
1¼ cups heavy cream
1¼ cups whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 large pastured egg yolks
Soak the pecans in warm water and salt for 7 hours. Drain in a colander and sprinkle evenly on a baking sheet. Bake at 150 degrees for about 6 hours or until the nuts are completely dry and crisp. This process makes all nuts more digestible. Finely chop the nuts.
Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet. Add the nuts and ¼ cup maple sugar, and sauté over medium heat until the nuts are lightly browned. Allow to cool and set aside.
Fill a baking pan with about 2 inches water and place in an oven, preheated to 300 degrees. Allow the water to heat while making the custard.
In the top of a double boiler, combine the cream, milk, and vanilla. Heat the mixture over simmering water, stirring frequently. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with ½ cup maple sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly whisk in the hot milk mixture.
Butter four 6-ounce custard cups and place a tablespoon of the nut mixture at the bottom of each cup. Pour in the hot custard. Place filled custard cups in the hot water bath and bake about 30–40 minutes, or until the custard has set and is no longer liquid in the center. Remove the custard cups from the water, and place on a wire rack to cool. To serve, place another tablespoon of the nut mixture on top. (Any remaining nut mixture can be used in salads or as a topping on fruit or ice cream.) Serve at room temperature or chilled.