The Ancestral Table: Traditional Recipes for a Paleo Lifestyle (8 page)

Barbecue Rubs

When I was first adopting a whole-foods diet, I had a hard time finding barbecue rubs that were both affordable and free of additives. While beef fares very well without any added sweetener in the rub, both poultry and pork develop a much more intense and exciting flavor when paired with some coconut palm sugar.

Chipotle chili powder is my preferred powder for barbecue rubs, but feel free to change it to suit your tastes: ancho (less spicy and sweeter), guajillo (less spicy but smoky), cayenne (spicier), and jalapeño (even spicier) powders all work well.

ALL-PURPOSE BEEF RUB

YIELDS:
1 CUP

4 TBSP. KOSHER SALT

4 TBSP. PAPRIKA

2 TBSP. BLACK PEPPER

2 TBSP. GARLIC POWDER

2 TSP. ONION POWDER

1 TSP. GROUND CELERY SEED

1 TSP. DRIED OREGANO

1 TSP. CHIPOTLE CHILI POWDER

1. To make the rubs, simply combine the ingredients and store in airtight containers. These rubs work well with all smoked meats and can be used with dishes that use direct grilling as well. Experimenting with different chili powders will add a surprising amount of variety.

ALL-PURPOSE PORK AND POULTRY RUB

YIELDS:
1 CUP

4 TBSP. BLACK PEPPER

4 TBSP. COCONUT PALM SUGAR

4 TBSP. PAPRIKA

3 TBSP. KOSHER SALT

2 TSP. CHIPOTLE CHILI POWDER

2 TSP. GARLIC POWDER

2 TSP. ONION POWDER

Barbecue Sauce

The exact origin of barbecue sauce is unclear, but it started appearing in written documents as early as the 1600s as a product of the New World. This makes sense considering that both tomatoes and peppers came from the Americas and are key components of this flavorful sauce.

There are countless variations of barbecue sauce. Some of the most prominent regional favorites are from Kansas City (sweet), South Carolina (mustard-based), Texas (not sweet, often mixed with beef drippings as in my Barbecue Brisket recipe,
see here
), and Tennessee (mixed with whiskey). The most common commercial barbecue sauces are Kansas City sauces. Memphis barbecue is unique in that a dry rub is preferred over a sauce, with the sauce often served on the side; Memphis sauces are similar to Kansas City sauces but with more vinegar. My recipe is modeled after Memphis-style sauces: sweet, tangy, with just a hint of spiciness.

It’s amazing how much time (and how many ingredients) it takes to make a good barbecue sauce. If you’re planning on making your own, be sure to set aside several hours to get the flavors right. The act of making barbecue sauce itself is pretty easy—cook some onions, add the rest of the ingredients, simmer, and blend. The trick is balancing the hefty ingredients list to get the taste you want.

YIELDS:
6 CUPS
PREP TIME:
5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME:
3 HOURS

2 TBSP. COCONUT OIL

2 MEDIUM ONIONS, MINCED

2 (28 OZ.) CANS WHOLE TOMATOES IN JUICE

2 (8 OZ.) CANS TOMATO SAUCE

1 1/2 CUPS APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

1/2 CUP HONEY

4 TBSP. MOLASSES (BLACKSTRAP OR DATE MOLASSES)

1/2 CUP ORANGE JUICE

1/4 CUP DIJON MUSTARD

2 TBSP. PAPRIKA

2 TBSP. CHILI POWDER

1 TBSP. BLACK PEPPER

1 TBSP. HICKORY LIQUID SMOKE

2 TSP. SEA SALT

2 TSP. WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

1/2 TSP. ALLSPICE

2 BAY LEAVES

1. In a stockpot, warm the coconut oil on medium heat for 1 minute, then add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients; bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove the bay leaves and blend the sauce with an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender) until smooth. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add more honey or molasses to thicken if needed.

3. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a month but can be preserved by canning for up to a year. To can the sauce, sterilize 3 pint-sized canning jars by boiling them in a stockpot lined with a steamer rack, with at least 1" water above the jars, for 10 minutes. Remove the jars and drain, but keep the water boiling; pour the sauce into the jars, cover, then submerge them in the hot water bath for 45 minutes. Remove the jars and leave them out to cool overnight. Verify that the canning worked by checking to see if the lids have sucked down into the jars.

Mayonnaise

While the origin of the word mayonnaise is the subject of some dispute, it’s clear that the beloved white sauce is of French origin, appearing in the 1700s.

It’s difficult to find the right oil to make a good mayonnaise. Avocado and macadamia nut oils are excellent but pricey. High-oleic sunflower oil has a decent health profile and is relatively inexpensive. Coconut oil works but creates a strange mouth feel and sometimes an overly hard mayo. Extra-virgin olive oil results in a bitter mayo, although mixing it with lard can counteract that bitterness. Light olive oil works well, but you have to make sure that it’s from a high-quality source. In the end, I prefer to use a mixture of avocado oil and light olive oil for the best combination of taste and affordability.

Note that you can use one whole egg instead of two egg yolks; I prefer a more nutrient-dense mayo, but a whole-egg mayo will be whiter and will thicken (emulsify) more easily.

YIELDS:
1 CUP  
PREP TIME:
30 MINUTES  
COOKING TIME:
5 MINUTES

2 EGG YOLKS (OR 1 WHOLE EGG)

1/2 TBSP. LEMON JUICE

1/2 TBSP. WHITE WINE VINEGAR (WHITE VINEGAR IS OKAY)

1/2 TSP. SEA SALT

1/2 TSP. WHITE PEPPER

1 TSP. DIJON MUSTARD

3/4 CUP AVOCADO OR MACADAMIA NUT OIL

1/4 CUP LIGHT OLIVE OIL

1. Combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and mustard in a bowl. Let it sit for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.

2. Combine the oils. Vigorously whip the egg mixture with a whisk, then slowly drizzle in the oil in a constant light stream as you continue to whip. Everything will start to thicken almost immediately. Continue drizzling in the oil until everything is well mixed and deliciously thick. Alternatively, you can put the egg mixture in a wide-mouth jar and use an immersion blender while pouring in the oil. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a blender or food processor (on a low setting) and slowly drizzle in the oil.

3. Refrigerate the mayonnaise for 1 hour before using. Be sure to check the expiration date of your eggs; that is how long your mayo will keep.

Basic Red Sauce

Although tomatoes arrived in Europe from the New World in the 16th century, tomato-based sauces didn’t start appearing on record until the late 18th century. There is a staggering amount of variation to this seemingly simple sauce: In the United States, marinara means a simple tomato-based sauce, but in Italy it often refers to a seafood sauce. The term tomato sauce can refer to any tomato-based sauce, except in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, where it refers to ketchup (pasta sauce is the proper term in those countries). Neapolitan is a meatless tomato sauce linked to southern Italy. A ragù is a tomato sauce with meat (often referred to as Bolognese sauce outside of Italy).

YIELDS:
1 QUART  
PREP TIME:
10 MINUTES  
COOKING TIME:
2 1/2 HOURS

1 TBSP. OLIVE OIL

1 CARROT, MINCED

2 STALKS CELERY, MINCED

1/2 ONION, MINCED

4 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED

1/2 TSP. SEA SALT

1/2 TSP. BLACK PEPPER

1 TSP. CHOPPED FRESH OREGANO

1 TSP. CHOPPED FRESH BASIL

1 TSP. CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY

1/2 TSP. DRIED OREGANO

1 (28 OZ.) CAN DICED TOMATOES

1 (8 OZ.) CAN TOMATO SAUCE

1 (6 OZ.) CAN TOMATO PASTE

1/4 CUP CABERNET SAUVIGNON OR OTHER FULL-BODIED RED WINE

1 BAY LEAF

1. In a stockpot, warm the olive oil on medium-low heat for 1 minute, then add the carrot, celery, and onion (called a soffritto, the Italian mirepoix). Sauté until softened and the carrot starts to lose its color, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, fresh herbs, and dried oregano; sauté until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, raise the heat to medium, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. Add water if the sauce gets too thick for your liking. Toss with rice pasta, vegetable noodles, or gnocchi (as pictured; recipe 
see here
).

Variations:

• Add 1 tsp. chopped red chile peppers with the garlic and herbs to make a spicy arrabbiata sauce.

• Add 1 lb. ground beef, pork, sausage, or a beef/pork mixture to the soffritto (be sure to drain off most of the extra fat before adding the garlic and herbs) to make a Bolognese sauce.

• Add a can of chopped clams (juice included) when adding the tomatoes to make a more traditional marinara sauce.

• Add chopped mushrooms and/or zucchini slices with the garlic and herbs for texture.

• Add another 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or oregano a few minutes before serving to make a more distinctly flavored sauce.

• Substitute 2 Tbsp. vodka for the red wine, and add 1/4 cup heavy cream during the last few minutes of simmering to make a vodka sauce.

• Stir in 2 Tbsp. Simple Basil Pesto (
see here
) or grated Parmesan cheese during the last few minutes of cooking for a little added tanginess.

• Gently blend the sauce with an immersion blender near the end of cooking to make a chunk-free sauce (which goes great on Pizza,
see here
).

Simple Basil Pesto

The name pesto comes from a Genoese (northern Italian) word that means “to crush” or “to pound,” implying the use of a mortar and pestle. In fact, the English word pestle has the same root. While pastes have been used in Italy since the Roman era, basil wasn’t introduced until later, from Africa (by way of India). The modern interpretation of basil pesto dates back only to the 19th century, with the paste gaining widespread popularity during the latter half of the 20th century.