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the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 6 July: Columbian Marinated Flank Steaks

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Flank steak has been a workhorse beef choice of discerning home grilling enthusiasts for decades, and for good reason.

It’s readily available, won’t break the bank, offers a rich, beefy flavor, is relatively quick to cook, and has a great tooth when not overcooked, rested, and then sliced thinly across the grain.

A super-simple teriyaki flank was one of the first grilling recipes I was ever able to reproduce consistently, though these Columbian Marinated Flank Steaks have become one of our favorites during the past decade.

I honestly can’t remember, but it seems like the first version of this popular preparation we ever cooked was featured in the Wall Street Journal of all places (they do have a great food section), and the cumin, oregano, dark beer, and Worcestershire work magic on an otherwise good but oft unadorned cut of beef.

To our way of thinking this prep needs to come of the grill medium-rare, rested, then thinly sliced and served with whatever version of a great salsa verde you’re good at (chimichurri is the Argentinian version, though try Columbia’s ahi sauce sometime too – we’ll post a recipe in the next few weeks…).

You’ll come back to this one…

Trimmed flank, approx. 2 and 1/2 pounds
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp good coarse salt (or more)
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup EVOO or avocado oil
6-8 green onions, trimmed, then thinly sliced
1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 bottle dark beer

Chimichurri sauce, Quick Columbian Guacamole, Tomatillo Avocado Salsa, or your favorite

Mix together the cumin, oregano, salt, and fresh ground pepper (we use as much pepper as salt) in a small bowl.

Trim your flank steaks as needed, then lightly score them on both sides in a crisscross pattern (only an eighth of an inch or so deep) roughly 1/2-inch apart. Now dust both sides of the steaks with the spice mixture, drizzle with the olive oil, and rub it in with your hands, working the spice mixture and oil into the score marks and making sure the steaks are well-covered.

Drop the rubbed steaks into your marinating container, add the Worcestershire, beer, parsley, and green onions, then cover and throw in the fridge for a minimum of four hours; overnight is better.

When ready to cook, fire the grill and grill these over medium-high heat, taking care not to overcook. We’re medium-rare folks around our camp, and pending the size of your steaks and the heat of your fire, you could easily be at the medium-rare point in only 3 minutes per side.

Pull the steaks, let them rest for at least 5 minutes, then (as always with flank) thinly slice across the grain. We love this served with chimichurri (and yes, I know that’s Argentinian) or Columbia’s version – Ahi sauce, or a great creamy guacamole (see links above).

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 29 June: South Sound Curry Coconut Chicken Satay

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Several years ago my lovely wife and I had the opportunity to spend a couple of years out along the southern shoreline of Puget Sound; it’s beautiful country, and despite it’s well-deserved reputation for rain, we grilled every month of the year, rain or shine.

We truly enjoyed the bountiful seafood available on the coast, but also the very, very good Thai and Korean cuisine we found in abundance. One recipe we fairly quickly folded into our regular rotation was this Curry Coconut Chicken Satay; we fiddled with several recipes until we came up with a version that suited our palates and (importantly) was quick and simple to prepare, easy enough to set up for a weeknight cook.

You’ve probably read before that Thai dishes seek to stimulate every single one of the taste senses in each and every bite; this recipe accomplishes the task and is Primal/Paleo compliant to boot (note a touch of brown sugar is optional, and does add a tiny hint of flavor to the final product).

If you’re a satay fan, bet this one ends up in your summer rotation…

1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/4 to 1/3 cup fish sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp good curry powder (to taste, Madras if you’ve got it)
1 and 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 and 1/2 tbsp cilantro, minced
2-3, scallions ,white and green parts, minced
3 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, sliced into 1 by 3 inch pieces
Optional: 1 tbsp brown sugar, packed

Bamboo skewers, soaked for 30 minutes

Stir the first seven ingredients (everything but the chicken) together, mixing well, then add the chicken pieces, using your hands to combine well and making sure every chicken piece is coated. Throw in the fridge (a large resealable bag works wonders here) for at least an hour, but far better in the 6-8 hour range or overnight.

When ready to cook, fire the grill, drain the chicken and thread it onto the soaked skewers.

Now sear the chicken quickly over a hot fire, turning once, about 90-120 seconds per side. Move to a medium-hot / indirect heat area of the grill and cook for another 2-5 minutes (depends on thickness of the slices and how hot your fire) until cooked through.

Pull and serve hot with your favorite peanut sauce and perhaps a Thai cucumber salad.

Enjoy.

Older Bolder Foundations: Is Everything You’ve Been Taught About Macronutrient Partitioning Wrong? Probably. (Part 2 of 3)

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If you missed yesterday’s post taking a well-earned jab at the conventional wisdom concerning macronutrients and macronutrient partitioning, scroll down (or click here) to read. Now, let’s get down to some practical nitty-gritty details…

Getting to Your Best Macronutrient Partitioning: First, the Caveats

When trying to dial in optimal macronutrient partitioning for any given individual (most likely you!), a couple of caveats are in order.

One, beware anyone (including the USDA) telling you that their formula / ratio / recommendations work for everyone, particularly if you have to pony up something (likely cash) up front to get the magic data. There’s a simple reason generic, one-size-fits-all partitioning recommendations aren’t worth much…

Two, your optimal macronutrient partitioning needs depend on a host of factors THAT ARE UNIQUE TO YOU; potentially including (a short list, just for example):

  • Your current objective(s): be it weight loss, athletic performance, cognitive improvement, general well being, longevity, etc.
  • Your current body composition: Are you overweight, underweight, lacking appropriate muscle mass?
  • Your overall metabolic health: Are you in full-blown metabolic syndrome with insulin resistance, on the edge, or “fairly healthy”?
  • Your overall level of activity: Are you a cubical-bound couch potato whose idea of a workout is the walk to and from the car in the parking lot, an occasional, casual walker, perhaps working a physically demanding job, or a gym rat?
  • Your overall general health: Do you have conditions that impact your body’s functions in a material way, such as joint problems (degenerative arthritis), heart disease or hypertension, poor sleep, or stress you can’t manage?
  • Your age: For example, protein requirements increase in the elderly, and the elderly’s protein requirements may be more impacted by higher activity levels.
  • Your current progress in your recovery journey: Your best macronutrient partitioning will change over time, pending where you are in your health and wellness journey, and as you purposefully get leaner, more fit, and thoughtful about how you fuel your mind and body.

Optimizing your macros takes paying attention to what your body’s telling you; it’s time to start listening…

Getting to Your Best Macronutrient Partitioning: Carbs

In all the study, reading, and learning I’ve done over the years, from where I sit no one has done a better job illustrating the role that carbs play in your macro intake than Mark Sisson of The Primal Blueprint and Mark’s Daily Apple. In particular his carbohydrate curve packs a boatload of information into one simple yet inspired graphic, reproduced below.

There’s volumes to talk about with regard to carbohydrate intake and we’ll be focusing on the subject extensively here on in months to come. At this point, as the vast majority of folks that I interact with have as a primary objective optimizing lean body mass (for most that means dropping fat and building/preserving muscle), we typically start by targeting 100 g (net) or less of carbs / day.

Getting to Your Best Macronutrient Partitioning: Protein

The current RDA for protein – 0.36 g/lb lean body mass (or 0.8 g protein/kg LBM) – is based on assumptions that don’t apply to many: a sedentary lifestyle, healthy / metabolically sound, with normal lean body mass and not trying to build muscle/increase LBM. For active individuals, for years have recommendations have quickly spun up into the 0.7 to 0.8 g/lb range (or higher).

Interestingly, many in the ancestral health and wellness world have been for some time challenging the RDA dogma above, and suggest that the minimal requirements may indeed be much lower, in the range of 0.5 g/lb LBM.

Intuitively you know that athletes need more, though as science drills down with more and more specific research, the shockingly high amounts of protein recommended (for example in body builders) appear to have quite potentially been simply too much. Suffice it to say that a large portion of the strength training community holds that 1-2 g protein/lb of LBM per day is reasonable.

For those seeking weight loss, and recognizing that goal number one is loss of fat and not lean body mass (muscle being the largest component of LBM), studies have shown that upping protein (basically doubling the RDA above) improves weight loss and better preserves LBM.

The elderly and those recovering from significant illness or injury need more protein (in the ranges of 0.5-0.6 g/lb LBM and 0.7-0.8 g/lb LBM respectively).

We’ll have much more to say about protein in weeks and months to come, but at this point we steer most to target roughly 0.5 to 0.6 g of quality proteins/lb of LBM per day, and adjust within 3-4 weeks based on your body’s response.

We’ll take a hard, detailed look at what constitutes optimal protein sources in a few weeks, and
tomorrow we’ll take a look at fat and some final thoughts on macronutrient partitioning.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 22 June: Barbary Coast Lamb Kabobs

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My lovely wife spent some of her developmental years growing up in North Africa (Algeria), back when the region was far less tumultuous than today; she and her family grew to savor the many of the regional dishes of the area, including the roasted lamb kabobs of what used to be called the Barbary Coast (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya).

We occasionally enjoy pasture-raised lamb at home, whether it be a leg of lamb, lamb chops, or what we’ve come to call these Barbary Coast Lamb Kabobs.

This dish is fun to serve for a crowd, is a piece of cake to put together, and most importantly, is absolutely delicious. Around our house at least, there must be tzatziki or a great yogurt sauce on the table, as well as great Greek-inspired salad (we’ll post our favorite this summer at some point).

As a bonus, this recipe works incredibly well with chicken as well.

2 lb leg of lamb, trimmed, cut into 1 and 1/2- inch cubes

Marinade
3/8 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tsp fresh grated lemon peel
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp (generous) coriander (ground)
1 tsp (generous) cumin (ground)
1 tsp good salt

Vegetables
2 red onions, quartered, with resulting pieces then halved
1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, cut into 1 and 1/2- inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, cut into 1 and 1/2- inch pieces
2 baby zucchini, trimmed, cut into 1 and 1/2- inch pieces
1 small container grape tomatoes
Optional: 16 dried apricots, soaked in boiling water 5 min. then drained

Mix together the entire list of marinade ingredients in a medium bowl, whisking well to combine. Add the cubed lamb, stirring gently but thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, 4-8 hours is better.

When ready to cook, fire the grill, and thread the meat onto skewers alternating with peppers and onions; thread the remaining vegetables onto skewers artfully.

Grill the meat and vegetables; the meat (pending your fire), should be medium-rare to medium in 7 to 8 minutes; turn and baste every 3-4 minutes for an even cook. The vegetables may take a minute or two longer.

Serve hot off the grill with the accompaniments of your choice (see above).

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 15 June 2018: Bunless NOLA Burger

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A few years back (in my pre-Primal/Paleo life), while passing through New Orleans traveling from Texas to Georgia, I stopped and grabbed what was at the time one of the most outrageously good burgers I’ve ever eaten in my life.

It was a crafty mixture of fresh ground chuck (20% fat for the best flavor), andouille sausage diced very small, with a splash of hot sauce and finely chopped toasted pecans thrown in for good measure. Tangy blue cheese was melted over the top, and among typical burger fixin’s were also the Southern staple pickled okra and slow-caramelized onions, with a spicy Cajun-inspired mayo to boot.

We’re long past the days of tasteless, chewy, toxic burger buns getting in the way of some serious burger enjoyment (bunless all the way!), and now and then we’ll mix these together and grill up a batch for bunless burger party Cajun style.

At bare minimum pick up some fresh ground chuck for these, and consider grinding (or having your butcher grind) up a mixture of 40% chuck, 40% brisket, and 20% short rib for the best burger you’ve ever imagined.

Burgers
3 lb ground chuck (20% fat), or a mix of chuck, brisket, and short rib
1 lb andouille sausage, cut into very small (< 1/4”) pieces
1/2 cup (generous) finely chopped, toasted pecans
1-2 tbsp hot sauce, Crystal preferred for authenticity
2 tsp good salt
1-2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Cajun Slather (Mayo)
1 cup homemade avocado oil mayonnaise
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2-3 tsp. of your favorite Cajun/Creole seasoning mix (caution, they’re salty)
Optional: 1-2 tsp of Crystal hot sauce, or Sriracha

Essential Fixin’s
Crumbled blue cheese
Pickled okra pods, 16 or so, split lengthwise
Caramelized onions
Firm sliced tomatoes
Lettuce
Anything else your heart desires

Gently mix the burger ingredients together by hand, and then, using a very soft hand, shape into 8 8-ounce patties. Chill on a baking sheet in the fridge for an hour at least.

Stir up the cajun slather (mayo) and let rest in the fridge.

Fire the grill, and grill these bad boys over a medium hot fire for roughly 4-5 minutes, then turn, throw on the cheese, and grill another 3 or so.

Build your bunless burger masterpiece and go to it; try these with the pickled okra too – the crisp burst of vinegary goodness is a great fit.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 8 June: Green River Orange Chicken

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I first posted a version of this Green River Orange Chicken over on Chi Wulff, a fly fishing blog I’m involved with, back in the fall of 2014, after an interesting outing on the Green River in Wyoming with friends and a former chef from Hawaii.

Here’s part of that story –

…Back a few years ago, on one of those three day runs to the Green River I was known to take occasionally with some friends in Salt Lake City, we had a buddy bring along a friend of his wife’s visiting from Hawaii…

…For the life I can’t remember this guy’s name; long story short he had never fly fished but made a game effort and caught some fish (it was Cicada season and for the most part fishing was like shooting fish in a barrel, particularly on the afternoon floats).

The second day I had him in my boat for both the morning and afternoon floats and he began to wear on us a bit given his endless descriptions of ‘how much bigger and faster and beautiful’ the fish were in Hawaii. It wasn’t as bad as a couple of my compadres would have you believe, though by that evening several guys were ready to tie him up, attach all the drift boat anchors in camp and assign him to the not-so-briny deep of Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

His saving grace came in the fact that he had (in another life) worked as a chef and that evening whipped out of couple of big containers what we’ve come to call Green River Orange Chicken that had been marinating in a cooler.

He grilled it over a hardwood charcoal fire as the sun set that evening in camp, with eleven famished guys watching his every move. He grilled it to perfection, taking care to get the skin crispy and golden brown with just a spot of tasty char here and there. While the chicken was grilling he cut up, with a bit of flair as I recall, several pineapples and avocados to serve alongside, grilled of course…

Some might whine about the honey in the marinade; I happen to agree with Mark Sisson that a little bit of honey (or maple syrup) to flavor a marinade isn’t absorbed by the chicken to any significant degree. On the other hand, as our palate has become Primal-aligned, we leave it out and don’t notice a whisper of difference. You make the call.

1/2 cup Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup soy sauce / tamari
1/3 cup finely minced ginger
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (basil plays really well here too)
1/4 cup honey
2-3 tbsp Asian garlic chile sauce
1 and 1/2 tbsp. minced fresh orange zest
1 tsp. salt
4 green onions, white and green parts, minced

2 chickens, cut up, rinsed, and patted dry

Combine all ingredients save for the chickens, mix well, and set roughly 1/3 of the marinade in the fridge in a covered container.

Pour the remainder of the marinade over the chickens in either a gallon resealable bag or your favorite flat marinading container; take care to make sure all the chicken is coated, cover, and throw in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours (eight is better).

When you fire the grill, pull the chicken out and let come to room temperature.

Set up to grill over indirect heat (due to the little bit of honey in the marinade) and grill the chicken for about 10-12 minutes per side (varies based on your fire and grill setup), basting if you want to with a bit of the reserved marinade. Pull it when the chicken is done and let rest a couple of minutes.

If you’re not in nutritional ketosis, this is a great place to indulge in a high-quality corn tortilla along with the chicken, a sliced avocado or two, and one of your favorite primal/paleo salsas.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 1 June 2018: Ed’s Thai Steak on a Stick

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Just about everybody we tend to hang out with loves to eat some version of ‘meat on a stick’ – whether it’s our friend and mentor Ed’s sweet fire chicken skewers, chicken satay, yakitori, grilled shrimp with chipotle glaze or just about any manner of kebab or skewer you might bring to mind.

Ed happens to be an ageless, incredibly fit, at times wryly cranky friend, mentor, and occasional business partner who loves good great, healthy food, and often pesters us to cook it for him, particularly when he’s entertaining guests and friends.

Inspired by the Ed’s Sweet Fire Chicken Skewers mentioned above, a few years ago we played around with several recipes we’d come across for a Thai-inspired spin on a beef kabob for another one of Ed’s parties.

After several near misses we finally arrived on this version, since remembered as Ed’s Thai Steak on a Stick, originally made with several thick-cut rib eyes, though (and it should be noted upon Ed’s suggestion) the added tooth and deep, beefy flavor of tri-tip makes for a great kabob / beef skewer as well.

It needs the overnight marinade time and all the Thai flavors (lime, garlic, lemongrass, chiles, ginger, and basil); dig around at your grocery and you’ll find it all. And be sure to leave some of the fat cap to render on the grill and baste that glorious meat as it cooks. The recipe from years ago included a bit of brown sugar in the marinade; as our family’s tastes have become more ancestrally aligned, we leave it out.

Ed guarantees you’ll come back to this one again…

2 cups full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup fish sauce
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
10 garlic cloves
8 thai chiles (red or green, stemmed)
4 lemongrass stalks, bottoms thirds only, outer layers peeled
3 to 4 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
6-8 basil leaves
2 tbsp brown sugar, packed (optional)

4 lb. trip-tip or ribeye (or a combination), cut in 1-inch cubes

First combine all ingredients (except the meat of course) in your trusty food processor or blender and puree. Pour over the trimmed meat (leave some of the fat cap on the meat), massage it in with your hands to make sure all the meat is coated; cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook, drain the meat, thread loosely onto skewers (packing too tightly slows the cook); then fire the grill.

Now grill over a medium-hot fire until nicely marked and cooked to your desired level; I like to quarter-turn these every 2-3 minutes to make sure every side of the meat develops a nice sear and crust. You’re probably looking at a 12-16 minute total cook here, pending how large your meat dice is and how hot your fire.

Pull the meat, let it rest at least 3-4 minutes then serve hot with your favorite Thai-inspired dipping sauces on the side.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 25 May: Coffee Paprika Pork Chops

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Back about ten years ago, when we were living in Montana’s Flathead region and running a horse operation (along with my medical practice), we let a friend talk us into seriously considering a dalliance with the competition barbeque circuit.

It happened to be during one of those long, dark, cold winters Northwest Montana experiences now and again (weeks without seeing the sun), and we spent far more time than we should have experimenting with coffee-based rubs for ribs and chops.

Despite slogging through a minor in chemistry during my undergrad studies, for reasons that I still don’t quite understand, there’s just something very special about the earthy flavor of coffee combined with the sweet undertones of good pork slow cooked in the smoker or on the grill.

Putting this one together, grind your coffee as finely as you can, and make the effort to track down fresh paprika – both kinds – as the smoked paprika adds quite a bit to the overall finish but can be a bit overwhelming if you don’t balance the rub with the sweet paprika as well.

Some might argue these chops need a touch of sweet (use a bit of brown sugar if you must), though with the natural sweetness of good pork we prefer these Coffee Paprika Pork Chops as written.

2 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. very finely ground, dark roast coffee
2 tsp. good sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. finely ground fresh pepper
Optional: 1/2 to 1 tsp. fresh lemon zest

8 to 10 – 1 1/4 inch thick center cut, bone-in pork chops
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

Stir together the seven rub ingredients, mix well.

Rinse the bone dust from the chops then pat dry. Paint with the vinegar and coat both sides of each chop liberally with the rub. Set aside at room temp for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, fire the grill; these are best over hardwood (try mesquite and oak) charcoal, aim for medium-high setting on a gas grill if that’s your preferred fire.

Lightly oil the grate and grill your chops for 3-4 minutes per side, which should leave them perfectly done, pink and juicy in the middle. Pull from the grill and let rest , covered, for 4 to 5 minutes.

Best served warm with your favorite coffee-based sauce, though chilled and sliced thinly these are amazing on your favorite monster salad.

Enjoy.