Paleo Beef Stew

“You define your own life. Don’t let other people write your script.”

-Oprah Winfrey

Today's WOD:
By CrossFit Park City (Utah)
AMRAP in 7 minutes, of:
7 Pull-ups
14 Box Jumps (20")
Rest 3-minutes
AMRAP in 7 minutes, of:
7 Burpees
14 KB Swings (53/35 lbs.)

Easy to do Paleo Beef Stew!
Ingredients:

2 T Rendered Beef Fat
1 T Olive Oil
3 lbs. of Grass-fed Stewing Beef (A'ala Meat Market does this, just call ahead)

4 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
2-3 celery stalks, chunked

3 bell peppers, chunked (I used: 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 green)
5 medium carrots, peeled and chunked
4-5 small red potatoes, peeled and quartered

4 cups low sodium organic beef stock (sold at Whole Foods)
2 tomatoes diced
1 - 28oz can of Organic Diced Tomatoes (sold at Whole Foods)

Seasonings of your choice:
I used, sea salt, tons of freshly ground black pepper, lemon juice (for my beef), and chili pepper flakes.

Directions:

Marinate your beef: this is an important step!

If you bought your beef pre-cut into "stewing beef", then you are ready to marinate. If not, cut your beef into cubes (sirloin is a good cut for stew). Marinate your beef overnight for good flavor!

For my marinade, I used the juice of 1-lemon, plus sea salt, black pepper, paprika, and a little bit of cayenne pepper.

Brown your beef! 

In a LARGE pot, on medium heat, add your rendered beef fat and olive oil. When the bottom of the pot is hot enough, put in a layer of your marinaded beef. Brown the beef, then place on a plate for later. Do this as many times as you need to (it is important that you only have one layer of beef, when you brown).

Time for the veggies!

In the remaining oils from browning your beef, add in the garlic, onions, and celery. When the onions start turning clear, then add in your bell peppers, carrots, and potatoes! Also add in more seasoning of your choice (i.e., black pepper and sea salt) Continue to stir your medley.

After about 3-minutes, add your beef stock and tomatoes, both the canned and fresh. Stir well. Then, add your browned beef and stir well.

Place the cover on your stew and let simmer (on low to medium heat) for about an hour, stirring occasionally and possibly adding more seasoning to taste (this is when I add some chili pepper flakes for a little kick).

Note: If your stew is not thick enough, just leave the cover off while it is simmering, so that some of the liquid evaporates. If your stew is too thick, just add more beef broth.

There is no right or wrong way to make stew, feel free to add or remove any of the veggies I used. The red potatoes are optional, too. I think of red/white potatoes like I do white rice: consume in moderation, which means NOT everyday, but more like once a week. Also, the great thing about a big pot of stew, there is always leftovers and tastes even better the next day.

Yesterday's WOD Board: