The Ancestral Table: Traditional Recipes for a Paleo Lifestyle Read Online Free PDF

works well with both pork and beef. Fruit woods like apple and cherry are milder, sweeter, and ideal for both pork and poultry.





Rendered Fat Basics
One of the most challenging parts of starting a new, healthy lifestyle is understanding the importance of using the right fats in cooking. In addition to coconut oil, olive oil, and butter, rendered fats from healthy animals are excellent energy sources. Here is a quick guide on how to render your own animal fats.
----
    LARD
One of the most versatile animal-based cooking fats, lard is rendered pig fat. It is stable at high heat and is the superior choice for frying. Lard can be made from back or leaf fat (the area around the pig’s kidneys); leaf fat has a more neutral taste.
To make lard, cut the fat into the smallest pieces possible, trimming away any skin or meat. Partially freezing the fat beforehand makes it easier to cut. A meat grinder is the easiest and most effective way to cut the lard to an appropriate size.
Cook the fat in a skillet or Dutch oven on low, pouring and straining the liquid fat through a coffee filter or cheesecloth as it accumulates. Once the pieces turn golden brown and stop rendering lard, the fat has been fully rendered; strain the remaining liquid fat and reserve the browned fat pieces, known as lardons, to add to soups, salads, or Guacamole ( see here ) as a flavor enhancer. This process can take up to 2 hours total. Be extra careful not to heat lard on anything higher than low, as the fat burns easily and burnt lard is inedible.
Alternatively, you can render the lard in water to guarantee that it won’t burn, a process called wet rendering. This method yields less lard than dry rendering but is worry-free. Add the minced fat to a stockpot with a few cups of water; bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer on low for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours. Strain the fat pieces and separate the rendered lard from the water using a fat separator. The fat pieces can later be crisped in a skillet to make lardons, if desired.
----
    TALLOW
Tallow is rendered beef, bison, or lamb fat. To cook it, use the same process described above for lard. Tallow is also an excellent high-heat fat and has a similarly high smoke point, but it tends to have a meatier taste than lard.
----
    DUCK FAT
Eating potatoes or vegetables roasted in duck fat is an unforgettable experience. Rendering duck fat is possible, but finding skin and fat on their own is difficult. I prefer to create and reserve duck fat when roasting a whole duck ( see here ) or to buy rendered fat from a high-quality supplier like Fatworks.
----
    SCHMALTZ
Schmaltz is rendered chicken or goose fat. It is used primarily as a spread and a frying fat in Eastern Europe and in many Jewish communities. It is also commonly used to make chicken liver pâté. Schmaltz can be used to make a roux, which occurs naturally when making my Roasted Chicken ( see here ).
----
    GHEE
Ghee is a form of clarified butter and is an excellent cooking fat. It differs from regular clarified butter in that the milk solids are left to brown in the butter as it simmers, adding a nutty flavor. Because its milk solids, which tend to burn at high temperatures, are rendered out, ghee can be used to cook foods at high heat while still imparting a rich, buttery taste. To clarify butter, heat it on low, gently simmering until the milk solids bubble, separate, and turn golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Strain through at least two layers of cheesecloth, let cool, and store in the fridge for up to several months. Two cups butter yields 11/2 cups ghee.

Stock and Broth Basics
    Stocks and broths are essential elements of many savory dishes. They are nutrient-dense and renowned as healing foods throughout the world (think chicken soup). Perhaps just as important is the fact that they enhance flavors. The term stock generally refers to a liquid made by simmering bones, meat, and vegetables; broth refers to a stock that has been seasoned with salt,