Alright, this is a no-brainer, as long as you went and picked up my recommended Asian condiments at your local grocers. I’ve been cooking several varieties of this dish using differing amounts of peanut butter and rice vinegar, and also substituting cashew butter, (yum!) for the PB, and changing the ground meat. Today I wanted a much leaner broth, so I chose cheval, or local horse meat, which is incredibly lean and delicious…I am in Quebec, so remember, for those of you a bit squeamish about eating horse, it’s common to french cuisine. For another lean cut of meat, you can also try x-lean beef or caribou.
How do I know this recipe will be another home-run? I always run my recipes past my Coach, Jean-Jacques Barrett, and this one will be on the menu for his dial-in for the WBFF World Championships held in Toronto this August, on his high-calorie days, or a smaller meal on his lower days. The two of us are a bit unusual in the body-building world in that we like to keep a lot of flavor and fat in our meals right up to the last week before a show. I’m stepping on stage in just 10 days, and I plan on eating like this right up to the show. As long as you have your macros balanced appropriately, and your calories and training are adjusted for fat-loss, why shouldn’t you eat flavorful food while getting lean? 😉
What you’ll need…
2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
2 tsp Coconut Oil
1/2 small white onion, small dice
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Grated Ginger
2 tsp Mirin
2 tsp Thai Fish Sauce
1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 tsp or more of Sea Salt
2 tsp Honey
1 tsp Sambal
1 tsp Red Curry Paste
2 tsp of Chinese 5 Spice mix
1 4-oz can coconut milk
1 Tablespoon Organic Peanut Butter
1/2 cup broth, (chicken or vegetable, whatever is handy)
1/2 red and yellow pepper each, small dice
1/2 cup water chestnuts, rough chopped
roasted peanuts and chopped cilantro for garnish
2 lbs worth of Asian Lamb Meatballs
Get a large, wide-bottomed skillet on medium heat, and put the oils in first. Once they are hot, add the onion and cook for about 1 minute covered, then add the garlic and ginger, stirring often to prevent burning, and start to add the rest of the ingredients one-by-one, stirring thoroughly, until all the spices are in, and you’re ready to add the peanut butter, coconut milk and broth. Whisk in the PB with a fork, adding the coconut milk right away if it’s too thick, and when smooth, pour in the broth, add the vegetables, and let simmer for about 2 minutes, no more. Lower the heat and add the meatballs one-by-one, cover, and let steam for about 3 minutes. Then uncover, take two spoons, and methodically turn all the meatballs over, cover and poach for another 3 minutes. Taste the broth for doneness, and adjust the flavors if necessary by adding more salt, or more rice vinegar.
If you are on a low carb day, have it as is. In the above picture, I had 3 meatballs and some sauce served over about 1/4 cup of flat rice noodles, topped with peanuts and cilantro after my workout, and it was killer! JJ agrees. Enjoy!
