Last Updated on March 30, 2023
Before you read this post…please oblige me by clicking on the cute little MP3 player above. You know me enough by now to know I like atmosphere, presentation, M-O-O-D. And I need to set the stage for you. So, go ahead. Click that play button. Turn up the sound. Then read on…
I got “the talk” from SupaDoc this past week. Without going into great detail, it went something like this. “Tests have confirmed you have autoimmune reactivity.” Then a lot of yada, yada, yada medical talk to fill in the gaps. He talked about leaky gut being healed and certain foods being okay to start re-introducing. Yada, yada, more medical talk. Then, he said these words…
“It looks like the AIP (autoimmune protocol) is a diet that would benefit you to stay on F – O – R (gasp) L – I – F – E.”
Everything stopped. Did he just say that in slow motion or was it just me? Suddenly, delightful food memories flashed before my eyes: crusty Italian bread dripping in my mom’s homemade meat sauce; Pecorino Romano cheese on everything from meatballs to veggies; Caprese salad with ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil; fresh roasted red peppers dressed in olive oil and garlic atop Italian bread.
After wallowing for a bit (every gal needs a good waller once in awhile), I started Fran talking. (Fran is my mom.) I give myself Fran talks every once in awhile. My Fran talks always involve a Long Island/Brooklyn accent: “Jennifah Marie! Fuggedaboutit!”
Then, I got to thinking. (Watch out! She’s thinking people!) AIP hasn’t been all that bad. I mean – really, I’ve made some yummy things from my own concoctions to delicious recipes from other bloggers and AIP cookbooks. I’m in the kitchen a whole lot LESS than I was when I did hard core SCD. AND – if staying on the straight and narrow to reduce triggers for autoimmunity means further reducing flare ups, having more energy, staying healthy for my family – then I’m in.
Now, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to sing the blues here and there. I don’t like feeling…well…weird, for lack of a better word. Some of you have known me long enough to think I’d be used to that feeling. But, frankly, I’m not. It feels weird to bring my own food to church gatherings and our family’s homes for dinner. It feels weird to give the waiter a long list of food allergies and ask a bunch of questions about how something is prepared and whether or not they use “pure” olive oil or an “olive oil blend”.
But a little weirdness is worth it to me. Maybe I’ll start a revolution and weird will become COOL. Weird eaters UNITE!
All right-y then. This mamma is pressing on and going to share with you a FABOO dinner of Carolina-ish BBQ Pork that I would serve to any guest. We’ve been eating it with an AIP coleslaw and either roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash. (sound familiar?)
The contents of this pot contain nothing but L-O-V-E. See that rich, dark sauce in the bottom? WUV, TWUE WUV…Wuv is what bwings us togevah…today… (name that movie)
Shared on Allergy Free Wednesday…
Carolina Style BBQ Pork (AIP, Paleo, GAPS, SCD)
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic power
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, or fat of choice
- 1 (3-5 lb.) pork shoulder roast or Boston Butt (with fat cap removed)
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey)
- 3 tablespoons stone ground mustard (omit for strict AIP)
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F.
- In a small bowl, mix first five ingredients together and set aside.
- Heat a dutch oven on medium.
- Meanwhile rub roast with spice mix. Once dutch oven is hot, add coconut oil to pan and sear roast on all sides.
- Add onion to pot and remaining ingredients.
- Cover tightly with lid and place in the oven.
- Bake for 3-4 hours, or until the meat falls apart when shredded with two forks.
- I usually check the roast at 3 hours. If it’s still feeling a bit tough, give it longer – trust me on this. These roasts are best low and slow.
- Once roast is tender, carefully place dutch oven on stovetop and remove meat. Shred meat, removing any fat, and set aside.
- Skim some of the fat off the remaining liquid. There shouldn’t be too much if the fat cap was removed.
- Boil the liquid on medium high until the sauce reduces a bit – this will depend upon how much juice it yielded. When it thickens a little, it’s ready.
- Serve the meat with the sauce poured on top and incorporated into the meat.
- NOTE: Alternatively, this recipe can be made in the crockpot. Skip the step that sears the meat. Just rub the roast with the spice mix and place in crock pot. Then add all ingredients and cook on low 6-8 hours, depending on your slow cooker. My old crock pot needed to cook overnight and the next day. My new crockpot would cook a roast in 6-8 hours. So plan accordingly.
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