This Week in Red Meat: Week 1

Last week I challenged you to submit recipes for a series I’m calling This Week in Red Meat.  It’s a Matt vs. Food in a recipe contest. You submit your ground meat recipes and I make 2 of your suggestions, 1 of my own inventions and let my family decide… which was the best use of this affordable and healthy perfect family food.

This week I made NomNomPaleo’s Super Porktastic Meatloaf. Only, it was venison-tastic. We made a quadruple batch for our potluck and even had meat left over to use for egg scrambles at breakfast the following days.

I made Keema from Karoline. While she does not have a blog, she does perform Acupuncture at Forest Hills Healing Arts in New York.  We served her version over cauliflower rice, which absorbed all the rich and earthy flavors wonderfully.

The recipe follows:

Keema

Ingredients

2 lbs. ground venison
2 Tbsp lard
1 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1Tbsp cumin
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 8 oz can tomato paste
1 C beef broth
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

  1. Brown ground meat in medium frying pan over medium-high heat, set aside
  2. Saute onion for 5 min until soft. Turn heat down to medium
  3. Add minced garlic saute 2 minutes
  4. Meanwhile, combine spices in separate bowl, mix with a fork
  5. Add spices and cook for about one minute
  6. Return  browned meat and add broth, tomato paste, and tomatoes and simmer while stirring frequently for 5-15 min to reduce liquid to thick gravy

And then invented my own recipe for PaSketti. PaSketti, you ask? That’s right, I made sweet potato spaghetti.

PaSketti: Sweet Potato Spaghetti

Ingredients

2 Tbsp lard
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs. ground venison
1 large or two medium (2-3 cups) sweet potatoes, shredded (use a cheese grater or food processor)
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 C tomato sauce (we like Tropical Traditions or Trader Joe’s Tuscano Marinara)

Instructions

  1. Melt the lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat
  2. Add the onions and celery and saute for 5 minutes
  3. Add the garlic and ground venison and cook until browned
  4. Add sweet potatoes, seasoning, and sauce, reduce heat to medium and cover
  5. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender

 

**DRUMROLL PLEASE**

As a reminder, I did not tell the boys which recipe I invented and which were user submitted. So what do you think won Week 1 of the Chowdown Showdown of Ground Meat?

Well, every adult who tried the meatloaf LOVED it. This is by far the most fantastic meatloaf I’ve ever had and truly recommend you try it. Not only that, but all the kids ate it too. Of course, they ate the bacon first (who wouldn’t?)

The kheema was my personal favorite. It was a fantastic opportunity to whip out all my Indian spices and go to town on it! I seriously could not stop eating it.

The sweet potato spaghetti is now my favorite way to make it. We love spaghetti squash, but this was an awesome way to go. Plus, we always have sweet potatoes on hand and it’s great to have a new way to use them.

The votes are in: Finian votes for the meatloaf, and Cole votes for the spaghetti. Wesley, by virtue of eating 4 servings vs. 3 servings vs. servings, votes for the meatloaf as well. So the winner of the valuable Paleo Parents “No-Prize” is the Super Porktastic Meatloaf by Nom Nom Paleo!

Next week’s submissions are in, but I’m always taking more! Email Us, leave a comment on a post or on Facebook or simply tweet me at @eatlikedino!

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