Daily Menu January 7th, 2009

Breakfast:

Three eggs, medium-boiled (whites solid, yolks set around the edges but liquid in the middle)

Lunch:

9 ounce pork chop

Dinner:

Induction Chili (recipe below)

Snacks:
Sugar-free dark chocolate
Sugar-free Reese's cup
Pecans
Roasted chicken wings

Beverages:
Tea
Sparkling water
Dry red wine

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Totals: 1663 Calories; 99g Fat ; 110g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber

As you can see, I got only 15 grams of usable carb yesterday; this morning I tested in the "trace" level on the ketostick, so apparently that's what it takes to get me into testable ketosis.

Whatever. I am happy to support that test strips or no, the jeans that were snug a week ago are just a little loose today!

Induction Chili

1 pound beef chuck
3 tablespoons lard, bacon grease or oil
1/2 cup chopped onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup beef broth or 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon beef bouillon concentrate
1/2 cup light beer
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon Splenda
guar or xanthan
4 tablespoons sour cream

Cut the beef into 1/2 cubes. In your big, heavy skillet over medium high heat, melt the lard, bacon grease, or oil, and brown the cubes of beef all over it it. Scoop the browned meat cubes out with a slotted spoon, put 'em on a plate, and keep 'em by the stove for a minute. Turn the burner down to medium-low.

Give the skillet a minute to cool a bit while you dice your onion. Now throw it in the hot fat, and add all the seasonings -- the cumin, garlic, oregano, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne. Saute everything together until the onion is soft.

Now add the beef back to the skillet, and stir in everything else but the guar or xantha and sour cream. Turn the burner to its lowest setting, cover the skillet, and let the whole thing simmer for 2-3 hours.

Thicken up the juice a little with your guar or xanthan shaker if you like, and serve with a dollop of sour cream
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4 servings, each with: 412 Calories; 32g Fat ; 23g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber

NOTE: I used lard in this because I have wonderful, unprocessed lard from pasture-fed pork from the wonderful Fiedler Farms . Most lard available at grocery stores is not only bleached and processed, but, God forbid, hydrogenated. DO NOT USE THIS LARD. But if you can get good lard, it's one of your best fats, and certainly one of the tastiest.

(If you're cooking a pork roast and have fat trimmings, you can simmer them in a kettle of water, then let the whole thing cool and scoop the rendered lard off the top. This will give you unprocessed lard for cooking. Keep cool in an air-tight container.)