Greek Stifado – a Keto Carnivore treat
Keto movement has grown! After the recent KetoCon held in Austin Texas, a certain branch of Ketogenic diet has grabbed my attention. It’s the fast-growing carnivore movement! Some call it Zero-carb diet, or animal diet. In general, it’s an approach to dieting that reflects the habits and eating patterns of prehistoric humans.
Carnivores eat predominantly meat, but they also include eggs, cheese, cream, butter, salt, some herbs and spices. Unlike classical Keto, carnivores don’t eat any vegetables or fruits! Now, some of them are still drinking coffee, but that would be it!
MDs promoting Carnivore diet?
A healthy approach to Keto includes eating 7-10 cups of vegetables per day – do you remember this sentence? Well, this might not be the case for everybody. There are people who report enormous success in health recovery after switching to a carnivore diet. The movement is rapidly growing and everyone in the Keto community talks about it.
I would like to present the two charismatic internet personalities who seem to be the evangelists of this movement. First, of course, is Dr Shawn Baker who is a rock-star among carnivores! A true celebrity and key influencer for people who decided to go all the way Carni! The second is Dr Ken Berry who runs a medical clinic in Tennessee, USA. He has a great approach to healthy and clean Ketogenic diet in general! Actually, in my opinion, by following dr Berry’s advice, you will be on the safest side of Low-Carb living. Not long ago, he announced that he switched to a carnivore diet and had some great results. You can hear his opinion about it in this video:
Greek Goes Keto opinion?
I will not judge it just yet. I cannot express my opinion or concerns before I actually try it. I admit, I already decided to give it a try and I will be writing several specific articles on my progress. I am looking forward to trying it! But for now, let’s just create a recipe that will fit nicely both into the Keto and Carnivore philosophes.
Making a Keto meal without vegetables is a bit unusual, but on the other hand, carnivores occasionally use some sauces and garlic/onion for their meat preparation. This reminded me of the most beloved Greek dish which can be prepared to fit the needs of both diets. Since I love challenges, this one was especially tempting! I created a recipe for Greek beef Stifado that melts in the mouth and gives you all the benefits of grass-fed meat, good fats and as little carbs as possible!
Keto Carnivore Stifado
Ingredients
- 800 g grass-fed beef cut into cubes
- 100 g goat butter
- 10 small onions The size of a cherry
- 2 tbsp tomato paste concentrate organic
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic whole
- 1 tbsp red paprika powder
- 2 tbsp vinegar for the marinade
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp sea salt
Instructions
- Cut the beef into 1 cm cubes and place it in a deep bowl. Add salt, vinegar, oregano, pepper, red paprika powder and mix well. Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- In a deep pot, melt the goat butter over medium temperature and add garlic cloves and onion. Don't cut them you need them whole. Saute for 4 minutes and then add the meat. Stir and cover. Cook for 5 minutes and then stir again.
- Add 2 tbsp tomato concentrate and again stir well. At this point, you might need a small amount of water. Add it every 5 minutes, stir and cover the pot. Repeat this 6-7 times until all the water evaporates and the meat is soft and ready.
Best Stifado rules
Wouldn’t this be a great dinner for Ketonians and Carnivores, they could sit at a table and discuss their success while enjoying a plate of nutritious food? A carnivore will be able to exclude the onion and garlic from their plate while having the great aroma. On the other hand, if you are on Keto, you’ll eat it all! In both cases, you’ll really have to be patient to enjoy stifado properly. The aroma will be inviting, but you want it to cool down so that you can enjoy it warm, but not hot! Have in mind, your beef has to be top-quality, grass-fed preferably. Stay strong and primal!
Hi! My whole family is Keto currently, but SIL is carnivore and especially avoids tomatoes (paste would be a big no for her). What are your thoughts on substituting bone broth for the tomato paste? Does that completely take away the ‘Stifado’ and greekness of the dish?
Hello Stephanie,
Well, maybe it will not look like original Stifado, but it will be delicious and nutritious. If your SIL doesn’t mind some spices, the red paprika powder can fix the colour and feeling of Greekness! 🙂
Another carnivore question — Dr Josh of Heart and Soil organ supplements eats fruit and honey and meat, organs and says he feels great on it. In nutrition school I learned veggies with seeds are a fruit like tomatoes and peppers, etc. So why wouldn’t that be the case on Carnivore? How about nuts?