AIP Sweet-and-Sour Meatloaf

Cooking for a day you are not having yet is a strange kind of discipline. Slicing this meatloaf once it has cooled, layering the pieces between parchment, and stacking them in the freezer means spending a little extra time on a good day, preparing for a day when you will not have the time, the energy, or maybe even the will to cook anything at all. That is not pessimism. That is the same instinct behind keeping a first-aid kit in the house: you hope you do not need it, and you are relieved when it is there.

Ground ginger is doing more than balancing sweetness here. Compounds in it called gingerols and shogaols have been studied for a possible role in lowering inflammation markers, though results vary widely by person and condition, so hold this as a real but modest contribution, not a treatment. Pineapple also contains bromelain, an enzyme thought to support protein digestion, though evidence specific to autoimmune disease is still limited.

Let the top brown properly and the pineapple caramelize at the edges before you pull it from the oven; that extra color is where a lot of the flavor lives. Slice it once it has rested and cooled, and take a minute to actually look at what you just made before half of it goes into the freezer. You built a safety net out of dinner. That is worth a moment of notice.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or maple sugar)
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 14 oz canned pineapple chunks, juice drained
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground beef

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly combined. Work the meat for about 2 minutes until the coconut sugar, vinegar, pineapple, and celery are evenly distributed throughout - you want no pockets of seasoning.

Transfer the mixture to a standard loaf pan. Press it down gently to create an even surface with no air pockets. Bake for 1 hour, or until cooked through with an internal temperature of 160 F. The top will brown and the pineapple pieces will caramelize at the edges.

Allow the loaf to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

To freeze: Slice the fully cooled meatloaf and layer between sheets of parchment in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat individual slices in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of water, or in the oven at 300 F for 15 to 20 minutes.

*Adapted from Thriving On Paleo*