As I begin my yearly spring leaning I realize I need to dial my macros back into the 33’s that worked so well for me last year.  Of course those macros can be used in both the bulking and leaning protocols boiling down to portion sizes and total caloric intake.

Like a bear that hibernated in her sweats all winter eating waaay too much my conundrum was how can I make some of my favorite recipes a little on the leaner side without losing all semblance of flavor.  As dedicated as I am I was not looking forward to boneless skinless chicken breasts and white fish day in and day out for several weeks. That’s no way to live — long term.

Soooo I trimmed up my brisket recipe (literally) and canned the usual creamy mayo based sides without sacrificing taste.  I served up the brisket up with a baked sweet potato and fresh steamed green beans with a tad of butter which rounded out the meal.

Nutritional Information per serving which includes:
5 oz. brisket, 6 oz baked sweet potato, 1 cup steamed green beans, 1 tsp butter (for your potato or beans)
5-6 pound brisket yields approximately 10 servings
Calories:  510, Protein 44 g, Fat 18 g, Carbs 43 g (33/33/33%’s)

Ingredients

1, 5 – 6 lb grass fed beef brisket
1 tablespoon coconut oil, lard or tallow
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt
2 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
2 1/4 teaspoons onion powder
2 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 1/4 teaspoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 bay leaf, crushed
2 cups homemade beef stock (sub is organic beef broth)

Preparation

Mix the spices together in a small bowl.  Cover the meat on all sides brushing the rub in well.  Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to refrigerate for 2 – 4 hours.  Take brisket out 1 hour before cooking.

Melt the tablespoon of fat in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat; brown the meat well on all sides.  If you’re like me this will make a bit of mess on your stove. Such is life and easy enough to clean up.

Place the brisket in a large roasting pan.  Deglaze your skillet by pouring about 1/4 cup of the stock or broth in the pan and scraping up any browned bits; pour that and the remaining liquid into the roasting pan, put a lid on it and slow cook at 275 degrees for 5 – 6 hours or until fork tender.

Let the brisket sit for about 20 minutes before carving.  Much as I hate to do it, I also trimmed the ‘blanket’ of fat off each slice.  Leaving it on during the cooking process allowed the meat to end up really, really tender.

For more Power Athlete friendly recipes check out my blog Paula Lean Primal Queen!

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