Paleo Slow Cooker Beef Carnitas

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I'm the kind of football fan that has no idea what teams are playing. You know the type. Every year, as February rolls around, I think to myself, The Super Bowl must be soon, right? And then I start thinking on a daily basis about what types of snacks we should have. When the big day comes, I'm the person that is 4 times more likely to get up for snacks during playtime than during a commercial break. 

I may not be able to keep the point system straight in my head, but here's one thing I do understand: snacks that score are just as important. 

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Tacos are the ultimate party food — especially for football watching - because everyone can build their own plate just to their liking. Which just makes everyone happy. Tacos tend to do that.

Slow Cooker Beef Carnitas are also the ultimate solution for parties like this because they cook ahead of time in your slow cooker, so are never rushing to get food out when everyone start to arrive.

These carnitas are slow cooked with chili powder, cumin, garlic and onions. You can add extra heat, if you like spicy food, by adding a dash or two of cayenne, or serving your tacos with hot salsa.

My “secret” (not much of a secret, as I’m publishing it here) when slow cooking taco meat is finishing it under the broiler. This gives us crispy edges, as if you braised everything in a dutch oven for hours, though really you had your slow cooker plugged in (which is just SO much easier).

Pile tacos with avocado, pico de gallo, sliced jicama, cilantro, red onion, salsa, cheese… really what ever you like.

Whichever team you cheer for this weekend... I hope you eat well! 

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Paleo Slow Cooker Beef Carnitas

Published January 28, 2015 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 4 hours

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Ingredients:

1 pound beef chuck roast

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 white onion, sliced 

1 tablespoon chili powder 

1/4 teaspoon cumin 

1/4 teaspoon ground paprika 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

Pinch of ground cayenne (optional)

1 cup chicken or beef broth

To serve: corn tortillas, salsa, cilantro, avocado, cheese, tomatoes, red onion, etc.

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in a large pan (if your slow cooker has a sauté setting, you can use that). Place beef in Instant Pot and brown each, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer beef to slow cooker pot if not already there.
2. Add garlic and sliced onion, along with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and broth. Place lid on slow cooker, and set timer to 4 hours on high.
3. After 4 hours, use tongs to transfer beef to a sheet pan. Use two forks to shred beef into bite-sized pieces. Turn oven to high “broil” setting and place sheet pan in oven. Allow to roast about 5 minutes, just until edges of meat begin to turn crisp (watch closely, the broiler is hot and food can burn quickly!)
4. Serve beef warm with tacos supplies for a create-your-own taco bar!

Paleo Double Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

If you haven't noticed, I'm a complete chocoholic. Lots of people say they're chocoholics, but what they mean is that they really like chocolate and get a hankering for chocolate cake every now and then. They don't know what it means to have a Pinterest board dedicated to logging the types of chocolate you've tried.

Last night over dinner I admitted to having visited two chocolate museums and a chocolate factory. I didn't realize that was such a shocking figure--doesn't everyone re-organize their schedule once learning that they're within an hours drive of a chocolate museum? And who hasn’t read four books about the history of chocolate?

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I also chose not to disclose these figures with my classmates last semester, when I got to do a case study on Chocolates El Rey, a premium brand of chocolate out of Venezuela. When I was able to list the retail prices of several El Rey competitors off the top of my head during my class presentation, I admitted to being a chocoholic. My classmates chuckled, but only because they didn't realize how true it actually was. 

If you understand how a real chocoholic's mind works, you probably understand why I had to make these Double Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti almost immediately after making these Paleo Gingerbread Biscotti. It goes something like this: These are crazy good. Just one thing... I'll fill the batter with cocoa and stuff them with chocolate chips! And then I'll really be in love. Sure enough, taking my biscotti recipe and converting it into a chocolate lover's dream really was a genius move. 

Note: These biscotti are not as hard as a traditional biscotti. They retain a little bit more softness, due to the almond flour and the chocolate chunks. I prefer it that way, they still dip into tea and coffee beautifully, but don’t hurt your teeth!

Paleo Double Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

Published January 12, 2014 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 12   |    Active Time: 1 hour

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Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup arrowroot powder or tapioca starch

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

1/3 cup chocolate chunks or chips, plus 2 tablespoons for drizzle on top

1/3 cup shelled unsalted pistachios

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt, baking soda and cocoa.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and honey. Fold the wet mixture into the dry. You may need to use a spatula to really work the dough together (or your hands!). Fold in the chocolate chips and pistachios.
3. Shape the dough into a rectangle (about 1 inch tall, 3 inches wide, and 10 inches long) and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a sil-pat. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
4. Use a serrated knife to carefully cut the rectangle into strips, 1/2 to 1-inch thick, forming the biscotti. Lay each strip back on the cookie sheet cut side up. Reduce oven to 300°F and bake for 20-30 more minutes, until the cookies begin to turn crisp.
5. Remove from oven, and allow to cool completely.
6. Optional: Melt remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, and drizzle over each cookie for decoration.

Paleo Chicken & Smoked Sausage Stew

Update - 1/8/2017: I've been working on my photography, and since this is one of my most popular recipes, I wanted to give the images a revamp! These pictures are new, but the recipe is the same as it's always been. 

When our plane landed in Denver, snow was falling on the tarmac. I could tell it was cold by the way the air loomed, thick and foggy. The back door of the plane opened, and what had been an overstuffed canister for hours was suddenly an icebox. Out on the street, I regretted packing my gloves in the bottom of my suitcase. The pair in the car went to use the minute I saw them. The car rolled to a start, and I waited for the thermometer to show the temperature. 

0 degrees Fahrenheit. For a moment. Only a few minutes passed before that number began to drop: -1. 

It didn't stop. -2. 

By the time I had made it home, my fingers were frozen straight through: fingersicles! The thermometer stopped at -3.

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The Instant Pot was made for cold days. From start to finish, the it made this Paleo Chicken & Smoked Sausage Stew a breeze from start to finish. And the kitchen, which had gone untouched for a week and a half, came alive with the smell of this warm, classic stew. 

This post was originally named “Paleo Instant Pot Gumbo,” but many readers commented that gumbo isn’t really gumbo with out a roux. Because roux is made with flour, it is not gluten-free and much less Paleo. I wanted to keep this recipe grain-free and gluten-free, so I changed the name. It’s still delicious in my book! And, if you are in the gumbo-must-have-roux camp, it’s totally fine to add one, or just go on calling this stew “Chicken & Smoked Sausage Stew.” You pick!

Adding hot sauce to this stew really cranks up the heat--exactly what you need when your fingers are ice cubes! 

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Paleo Chicken & Smoked Sausage Stew

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

This stew is like Gumbo, but is not made with flour (as it is grain-free) or okra — so it’s “gumbo inspired”.

Serves: 6    |    Total Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 pound andouille pork sausage
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 6 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1 medium white onion
• 2 stalks celery
• 3 bell peppers
• 2 large carrots
• 2 cups bone broth or water
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 bay leaf
• Optional: hot sauce to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut oil in the bottom of the Instant Pot (on the Sauté setting). Add the chicken and sausage to the pan and cook through (about 4-5 minutes on each side). While the meat cooks, slice the onion. Dice the bell peppers, and chop the carrots and celery. Remove the meat from the pot, and set aside for later use.
2. Sauté the vegetables in the bottom of the Instant Pot, stirring occasionally. Mince the garlic, and add it to the pan. Add the broth and chopped tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer (the sauté function will do this automatically)
3. Once the chicken and sausage are cool enough to handle, slice them into bite-sized pieces. Return them to the pot, along with the spices. Mince the parsley now, and add that as well. Give the stew one stir and then lock the lid on. Turn the Instant Pot to the soup setting and cook for 5-10 minutes.
4. Serve warm with hot sauce to taste. Note: This recipe can be done in a regular soup pot, just increase the final cooking time in step 3 to 20 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have simmered together.

Original image below.

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