question about nom nom paleo's slow cooker recipes

[TheBeeGirl]

Hi All,

 

So far, I have made two of nom nom paleo's slow cooker recipes- 

 

Korean short ribs: http://nomnompaleo.com/post/3762844557/slow-cooker-korean-grass-fed-short-ribs

 

Kahlua pig: http://nomnompaleo.com/post/10031990774/slow-cooker-kalua-pig

 

Both recipes came out really, really greasy- to the point where I can't eat very much and feel poorly afterward. The cuts of meat I purchased are similar in appearance to those in the photos (though conventional meat, not grass fed, as I don't have access to grass fed meat). When draining the crock, both recipes produced about a cup of liquid fat! 

 

Am I doing something wrong or are those cuts of meat just naturally fattier than what I'm used to? It was the first time cooking both kinds of meat for me, so I am not sure. 

 

Thanks!

[Vian]

I have made both recipes. Short ribs are a very fatty cut, so i'm not surprised you found a lot of fat in it, however, the kahlua pig I didn't have an issue with. I mostly got a lot of juice with some fat. The bacon is probably producing most of the fat you are finding. You can trim the fat cap off your pork butt or have your butcher do it, which will help. I also have used the kahlua pig method with different seasonings (no bacon) and it works great. My favorite is a handful of whole peppercorns, a tablespoon of juniper berries, lots of fresh cracked black pepper and salt, a few bay leaves and fresh thyme. It tastes just like Chipotle's carnitas.

 

I wasn't a big fan of the korean short ribs myself...they just tasted like beef. All of the marinade ingredients just dissapeared after I cooked it and I couldn't taste any of them. There was also a LOT of fat and connective tissue I had to pick through because they all just completely fell apart.

[TheBeeGirl]

Vian,

 

I agree with your observations- they match my experience. Thank you for confirming that it wasn't a beginner's mistake! 

[Bet]

I saw this in the comments:

 

These ribs are so delicious that I make this recipe at least twice a month. After I pull out the meat and bones, I pour the liquid into a 2 cup measure, refrigerate until the fat hardens, and remove it in one big disc.

 

if you like the recipe you could try doing that. I do a lot of slow cooker recipes and my probably is usually too much liquid. I have a pork butt to do the khalua pig, but haven't tried it yet. I do trim most excess fat off any meat I put in the slow cooker. A little goes a long way.

[Vian]

Also, I highly reccomend Nom nom paleo's Slow cooker roast chicken with gravy. I've made it several times and it's fantastic every time. Actually making it for dinner tonight. I'm AIP, so I modify it a bit. I don't use black pepper and use a diced carrot instead of tomato paste. It's great with roasted brussels sprouts or cauliflower mash.

[AllyB]

Short ribs are really fatty.  So it's best to strain the fat out.  I've found that I get more fat out by putting the liquid in the fridge and letting the fat float to the top and harden.  If you try to use a fat separator while the liquid is still warm, sometimes it's not as effective because little fat droplets are still floating around with the rest of the liquid.  You have to give them time to rise up to the top.

[wendelina]

The short ribs were so awesome they were totally worth skimming the fat off of.  She even says to ladle off the fat in the recipe.  But, definitely, the fridge is the way to go.  The sauce was not appetizing with the fat (like you, I could not stomach much), but the meat was amazing, and so was the sauce after skimming!

 

I 2nd the nomination for the slow cooker chicken w/ gravy recipe.

[jent103]

I've made that short ribs recipe with a roast instead, and liked it better for exactly that reason - short ribs are just a fatty cut of meat (no getting around it), and that's not my thing. I didn't have as much of an issue with the kalua pig, but I probably trimmed off any excess fat. The fridge trick is a great one.

 

I haven't done the same comparison with beef or pork, but I know that I've made the same chicken recipe with both a free range pastured chicken from my CSA and one from the grocery store, and the one from the store was much greasier. I saw a segment on America's Test Kitchen about it too. Again, no idea if that applies to beef and pork as well, but that could be part of it.

 

I third the slow cooker chicken! It's so good.

[TheBeeGirl]

will do! =)