Korean Beef Bowls - AIP, paleo, sesame-free

Sesame oil is the first thing most Korean marinades reach for, and it is also excluded on AIP elimination, taking a chunk of that flavor family down with it. Coconut aminos, fresh ginger, and orange juice rebuild the savory-sweet balance from scratch, close enough that the bowl reads as the real dish.

A pound of ground beef holds a meaningful dose of iron, the mineral your red blood cells rely on to ferry oxygen where it needs to go, and zinc, which your immune system leans on to keep its response regulated rather than overreactive. Chronic inflammation quietly drains both. Eating beef with any regularity is one of the more direct ways to keep the tank from running low.

Grass-fed, grass-finished beef costs more for a real reason: what the animal ate and how it lived shows up in the meat itself, and choosing it well is one way of not looking away from where dinner came from. Slice the green onion thin, scatter it heavy-handed over the top, and actually sit at a table to eat this instead of standing over the stove finishing the dishes.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup carrots, julienned into matchsticks
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp tapioca starch
• Green onion, sliced, to serve
• Cauliflower rice, to serve

*Note: Sesame oil is omitted here - it is a seed oil and excluded on AIP elimination. Serve over cauliflower rice rather than grain rice to keep this elimination-compliant.*

Method

Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browning.

Add the ground beef. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned through, about 6 to 8 minutes. If there is excess fat, tip the pan and spoon most of it off, leaving a small amount for flavour.

In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, fish sauce, and orange juice. Pour this over the beef and stir to coat. Add the julienned carrots and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until the carrots are just slightly softened but still have a little bite.

Mix the tapioca starch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until dissolved, then pour into the pan. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the meat.

Serve over cauliflower rice and top with sliced green onion.

Instant Pot variation

Set the Instant Pot to saute. Add the oil, garlic, and ginger and cook 30 seconds. Add the ground beef and break it up until mostly cooked through. Add the coconut aminos, fish sauce, orange juice, and carrots. Seal the lid and cook on Low pressure for 2 minutes. Quick release. Set back to saute, stir in the tapioca starch slurry, and cook until the sauce tightens. Serve as above.

*Adapted from lichenpaleolovingaip.com*