Eat Fat, Lose Fat (31 page)

Warm lard in a large pot over medium heat. Add meat and sauté, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until meat has browned. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Tenderize the roast with a home tenderizer (available in hardware or kitchen stores). Rub red wine into roast. Place roast, along with remaining marinating liquid, in a shallow dish. Cover and keep in refrigerator several days, turning occasionally, or at room temperature for several hours. Preheat oven to 300°F. Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate. Discard marinade from roast, dry roast well with paper towels, and dredge in flour mixture. Heat oil blend in a large, ovenproof casserole over medium-high heat and brown roast on all sides. Remove to a plate. Add remaining flour mixture to oil and stir until well blended and browned. Add 1 cup red wine to pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add stock, tamarind, and roast, bring back to a boil, cover, and place in oven for about 2 hours. Add carrots, parsnips, and potatoes, and cook another 2 hours, or until vegetables are very tender.

To serve, remove roast and vegetables to a platter. Add coconut milk to sauce and bring to a boil, reduce to desired thickness, and season with salt and pepper. Serve sauce separately in a gravy boat.

Heat lard in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion slices and garlic and sauté 5 minutes, or until soft. Add beef and sauté, stirring, until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in spices and cook 2 minutes. Stir in coconut, sugar, lemon juice, and beef stock. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced and meat is well coated. Garnish with slivers of bell pepper, green chiles, and small onion slices.

Place oil blend, onion, garlic, jalapeño, macadamia nuts, turmeric, ground ginger, and lemon rind in a blender or food processor and process into a paste. Fry paste in a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Dry off chops, add to pan and fry on both sides until brown, about 5 minutes each side. Add lemon juice, sugar, coriander, coconut milk, and stock and stir well. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chops are almost tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Place pork in a large bowl, cover with vinegar, and marinate for several hours at room temperature. Place eggplant in a colander, toss with salt, and let sit for 1 hour. Rinse and drain eggplant, wrap in a kitchen towel, and squeeze out moisture. Drain pork from vinegar and pat dry. Warm lard in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add pork and sauté until moisture evaporates and pork browns, about 10 minutes. Remove pork with a slotted spoon. Add eggplant and sauté in remaining lard. Return pork to pan, add remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes, or until eggplant is tender.

Place pork in a large bowl, cover with vinegar, and marinate at room temperature for several hours. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Put pork in a large bowl and stir in chiles, garlic, ginger, sugar, and salt. Marinate in this mixture at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat lard in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Add pork and marinade. Stir-fry mixture for 3 minutes. Add lemon peel, lemon juice, and coconut milk. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until pork is tender and sauce has thickened, about 40 minutes.

Vegetables

Peel potatoes, place in a large pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and simmer until potatoes are soft. Pour water out of pan and mash potatoes coarsely with a potato masher. Add coconut milk and butter and beat until smooth with a handheld electric beater. Season with salt. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with parsley or cilantro.

Blanch carrots in a large pot of boiling water until just tender. Drain and pat dry. Place in a large pan with ghee, water, and honey. Boil vigorously to reduce the liquid to a glaze, stirring frequently. Transfer to a serving dish and toss with Coconut Sprinkles or freeze-dried coconut.

Peel eggplants and cut into ¼-inch slices. Rub each side with salt, place in a bowl, cover loosely with a kitchen towel, and leave for about 1 hour. Rinse eggplant slices in a colander and pat dry with paper towels. Heat lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Mix together flour, salt, and pepper on a large plate. Place pancake batter in a medium bowl. Dredge eggplant slices in flour mixture, then dip into batter. Fry on both sides until golden, about 5 minutes each side. Remove to paper towels and drain.

Warm ghee in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add peppers and onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder. Add corn and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt.

Cut string beans lengthwise with a knife, or use a food processor to make a French cut. Place in top of a two-part vegetable steamer and steam about 10 minutes, until bright green and just tender. Meanwhile, warm butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add coconut and sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer beans to a serving dish and toss with the coconut-butter mixture.