Triple-Meat Sweet Potato Poutine

Poutine is one of those comfort foods people assume they have to leave behind on AIP. This version shows that is not true. Japanese sweet potato fries stand in for white potato, and a bacon-beef-prosciutto gravy replaces the cheese curds. What comes out is something genuinely satisfying, not a pale shadow of the original. If you grew up eating poutine, this will feel familiar in the right ways. If you did not, you are about to understand why it has such loyal fans.

Japanese sweet potato is one of the most nutrient-dense root vegetables on the AIP plate. It is a rich source of beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, and vitamin A is involved in regulating immune cell function, including the T cells and dendritic cells relevant to autoimmune activity. The beef in the gravy is a source of zinc and heme iron, two minerals that are often depleted in people managing chronic inflammation. Zinc in particular is directly involved in immune signaling pathways, and getting enough of it from whole food sources matters during recovery.

Gravy over fries on a cold day is one of the great simple pleasures. Make this when you want something warm, rich, and genuinely nourishing. Sit down and eat it while it is still hot.

Ingredients

Sweet potato fries

• 1 lb Japanese sweet potato (white-fleshed)
• coconut oil, enough to coat
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary
• sea salt, to taste

Triple-meat gravy

• 2 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 8 oz ground beef
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried marjoram
• 1 to 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 oz prosciutto, slivered
• sea salt, to taste

Method

1. Heat your oven to 425 F. Cut the sweet potato into even fry-shaped batons. Toss with enough coconut oil to coat well, add the rosemary and a generous pinch of salt, and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet without crowding the pieces. Bake for 15 minutes, flip each fry, then bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the edges are browned and crisping.
2. While the fries bake, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon and set it aside on a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
3. Add the shallot and garlic to the bacon fat and cook over medium heat, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the ground beef, thyme, and marjoram. Cook, breaking the meat up as you go, until fully browned.
5. Whisk the arrowroot powder into the hot water in a small cup until dissolved. Pour the slurry into the beef mixture and stir as the liquid tightens into a gravy. If you want it thicker, mix a second teaspoon of arrowroot into a splash of additional hot water and add it. Season with salt.
6. Crumble the cooked bacon into the gravy and fold in the slivered prosciutto. Stir once to combine.
7. Pile the hot fries onto plates and spoon the gravy over the top. Serve immediately.

*Adapted from grazedandenthused.com*

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*Provenance: method rebuilt in ARM's own words from the ingredient list in /Users/Christopher/Documents/Claude/01-Projects/ARM/aip-source-archives/grazed-and-enthused/triple-meat-poutine-aip-friendly.md (grazedandenthused.com, author Alaena Haber). Ingredient quantities used as factual reference. Introduction and health framing written fresh from ARM's food-as-medicine framework. No third-party method text reproduced. No nightshade, grain, dairy, nut, or seed swaps were needed - recipe is elimination-phase AIP as written. Japanese sweet potato specified because its white flesh most closely mimics the texture of white potato fries.*