This time of year I crave savory braised meat. Instead of starches like pasta, my comfort food has become succulent, slow cooked meat. Pot roast is a basic, go-to meal which may be cooked ahead and reheated, or frozen for a future meal. This makes it a very important part of the diet of anyone on a starch restricted diet like GAPS, SCD or Paleo. It’s so easy to make this compliant and very very tasty! I’ll show you how!

The cut of beef call Tri Tip has a slightly flavor than the usual cut like chuck or rump. It is also a thinner cut and so will cook faster. This makes it very easy to plan as it cooks well in only 50 minutes. You could cook it longer, but I found it unnecessary and I think it is more tender when cooked under one hour.

The addition of Daikon, scallion and ginger as well as the roasted sesame oil and coconut aminos (which take the place of soy sauce) gives it that Asian flavor.

Daikon is Healthy

While it looks pale and simple, daikon packs a good nutrition punch. It is high in vitamin C — a powerful anti-oxidant, folate, and B6 and has lots of minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium. There are plenty of trace minerals such as selenium and manganese as well.

Radish, like other cruciferous vegetables in the Brassica family, contains sulforaphane, an anti-oxidant compound. Studies suggest that sulforaphane protects against prostate, breast, colon and ovarian cancers by virtue of its ability to inhibit cancer cell growth as well as the cytotoxic effect it has on cancer cells.

Radishes also contain many phytochemicals like indoles which are detoxifying agents and zea-xanthin, lutein and beta carotene, which are flavonoid antioxidants that protect against free radical damage.

In Asia, radishes of all kinds are eaten on a daily basis and considered very nutritious. They can grow in all seasons and they come in many sizes, colors and shapes. Daikon is grown in the winter, thus the white color. I love the flavor daikon imparts  and I try to incorporate it in many dishes. It has become a standard item on my weekly shopping list.

Paleo Pot Roast Asian Style

Ingredients

• 2 – 3 pound Tri Tip Roast (where to buy meat from grassfed cows)
• 1 large onion
• 1 large carrot cut into thin sticks
• 1 celery stalk cut into sticks
• 1 large Daikon radish cut into sticks
• 5 stalks of scallion chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic minced
• 1″ piece of ginger skinned and minced
• 2 Tbsp coconut aminos (where to buy)
• 2 Tbsp roasted sesame oil
• 1 cup beef stock (how to make beef broth) (where to buy beef broth)
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp tallow or lard for browning (where to buy tallow or lard from grassfed cows)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

• Dutch oven (where to buy)
• Electric knife (where to buy)
• Immersion blender (where to buy)

Instructions

1. Heat the Dutch oven to medium and add the tallow or lard (or bacon grease)
2. Brown the roast on both sides (about 3 – 4 minutes a side)
3. Remove to a plate and add the onion, carrots, celery and Daikon and cook until soft (about 6 minutes)
4. Add the ginger, scallions and garlic until fragrant
5. Place the beef stock, coconut aminos, sesame oil and water into the Dutch oven and stir it all together
6. Place the roast back in on top of all the vegetables
7. Cover and place in 275 degree F oven for 50 minutes
8. When time is up, remove the meat to a plate and let cool about 20 minutes
9. Slice with an electric knife — you want to slice when still warm or it becomes hard to slice
10. Serve with the liquid in the pot as is or make a gravy

Instructions for a Thicker Gravy

1. After the meat is removed from the pot, remove about 1/4 – 1/3 of the vegetables and set aside
2. With the immersion blender, blend the remaining vegetables and the liquid right in the pot
3. This will make a thicker gravy without the need for any added flour
4. Add back the vegetables you set aside and serve over the sliced meat

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

All the suppliers for the ingredients I use in my recipes may be found here.

Shared at: Hearth & Soul Hop, Real Food Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday