Sunday, July 23, 2017

Eating LCHF And Keto On A Budget: Vegetables


If you are new to the low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) or Ketogenic (Keto) lifestyle, I am going to encourage you to do one thing for the first three or four months until you have developed good eating habits, and that's follow the 'KISS' principle. Of course 'KISS' is normally an acronym for 'keep it simple stupid', but I also like to think of it as meaning 'keto is simple stupid'. Now, before anyone gets riled up, the point is that following a keto “way of eating” (WOE) is really easy if you purchase the correct foods and prepare them properly. My advice is that you stay away from the LCHF and Keto dessert recipes as much as possible as overeating of these so called “fat bombs” and other low carb treats can blow you right out of ketosis. Once you have the basics of the Keto lifestyle down and have been doing it for several months, then slowly start adding some “treats” to your eating plan.

In my two previous articles on this subject, I talked about strategies you can use to help stretch your food dollars when you embark on a low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) or Ketogenic (Keto) lifestyle. While it might cost a little more to eat LCHF and Keto due to the increased amount of fresh protein, dairy, seafood and vegetable sources, money should not be your biggest hurdle, most people fail because they purchase the wrong foods, or do not prepare enough ready meals during the week for those hectic days. Now that you know where to buy food and how to store it, let's examine what to buy in order to help you meet your weight loss goals. BTW, If you haven't read my previous article 'Money Saving LCHF and Keto Strategies', you can find it by following this link.

I mentioned earlier that Keto is simple, well it is, you have only one goal, and that is to keep your total carbohydrate intake less than 20 grams per day for a strict LCHF diet, or 50 grams per day for a moderate LCHF diet. Sounds hard right? Well actually it is pretty simple, and I am going to show you how to accomplish this goal without breaking the bank and help you to stay “keto strong”. Let's face it if you do not have LCHF and Keto friendly foods in your home, then you are destined to fail, and no ones wants that. So, in this article we are going to look at some of the basic types of vegetables that you should be growing and or looking for on sale when eating LCHF and Keto.




Choosing The Right Vegetables

I have seen the following questions many times on LCHF and Ketogenic forums and Facebook groups “So I can eat all the vegetables I want right?” or “Vegetables are great for keto right?”. Well no, and yes. While vegetables are an essential part of a LCHF and Keto WOE, they do contain carbohydrates, and while the majority of the carbohydrates from your diet should come from vegetables, not all veggies are created equal. In fact, some vegetables contain a large amount of carbohydrates and this small, but important fact can derail your LCHF / Keto WOE.

When it comes to carbohydrate content, the one thing you should keep in mind is that in general vegetables that grow above the ground have fewer carbohydrates than those grown underground (aka root vegetables). If you are on a moderate LCHF / Keto diet (50 grams or less per day), then you can generally eat all of the above ground vegetables you wish, but if you are on a strict LCHF / Keto diet (20 grams or less per day) then you have to be more selective. So let's take a look at the most common vegetables available for LCHF / Keto eaters.

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables – I put this classification of veggies in a separate category because dark green leafy vegetables are an excellent way to get fiber, nutrients (folate, cartenoids), minerals (iron, and calcium), and vitamins (C, and K) as well as cancer fighting antioxidants into your diet. For the LCHF / Ketogenic eater with a minimal carbohydrate footprint. Like many who have embarked on this WOE, we prefer to get our dark leafy green veggies in salads although there are a variety of different ways they can be prepared. In fact, on the days that I work (3 to 4 days a week) I eat a chef salad for dinner. The following nutritional data is for raw, uncooked leafy vegetables, In this article, I have included both volume (1 cup serving) and weight based (100 gram serving) nutritional information for your convenience. Adjust the portion size as necessary, for your WOE, but I needed a standard in which to compare vegetables. Note that for some vegetables the carbohydrate is higher for the weight based portion versus the volume based potion, and some are the same. It just depends on the vegetable being compared.

Arugula
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 6, protein 0.6 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 0.4 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 30, protein 3 grams, fat 1 grams, carbohydrates 2 grams

Bok Choy (Shredded)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 9, protein 1.1 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 0.8 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 13, protein 1.5 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 1.2 grams

Collard Greens
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 11, protein 1.1 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 0.6 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 33, protein 3.3 grams, fat 0.6 grams, carbohydrates 1.8 grams

Kale
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 33, protein 2.9 grams, fat 0.6 grams, carbohydrates 5.4 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 44, protein 3.86 grams, fat 0.8 grams, carbohydrates 7.18 grams

Leaf Lettuce (Green, Red, Romaine, and Iceberg)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 5, protein 0.49 grams, fat 0.05 grams, carbohydrates 0.5 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 15, protein 1.36 grams, fat 0.15 grams, carbohydrates 1.43 grams

Mustard Greens
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 15, protein 1.6 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 0.8 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 30, protein 3.2 grams, fat 0.6 grams, carbohydrates 1.6 grams

Napa Cabbage
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 13, protein 1.2 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 1.2 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 12, protein 1.1 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 1.1 grams

Spinach
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 7, protein 0.9 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 0.4 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 22, protein 2.9 grams, fat 0.4 grams, carbohydrates 1.5 grams

Swiss Chard
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 7, protein 0.6 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 0.7 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 21, protein 1.8 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 2.1 grams


Veggies That Grow Above The Ground – In addition to leafy green vegetables, most vegetables that grow above the ground are preferred over vegetables that grow below the ground (root vegetables), and even some vegetables that grow above the ground contain quite a bit more carbohydrates than others, especially those that contain natural sugars. This is where some people unknowingly get tripped up as they assume that all vegetables that grow above ground are safe to eat when on a LCHF / Ketogenic WOE. If you are on a strict LCHF / Keto WOE, then you really need to examine the individual carbohydrate count of the type and amount of vegetables that you add to your eating program or you can quickly blow yourself out of ketosis.

Asparagus
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 27, protein 2.9 grams, fat 0.16 grams, carbohydrates 2.4 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 20, protein 2.2 grams, fat 0.12 grams, carbohydrates 1.8 grams

Avocado (Sliced)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 234, protein 2.9 grams, fat 21 grams, carbohydrates 2 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 160, protein 2 grams, fat 15 grams, carbohydrates 2 grams

Bell Peppers (Sliced)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 28, protein 0.8 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.7 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 20, protein 0.9 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.9 grams

Brussel Sprouts
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 38, protein 3 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 4.7 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 43, protein 3.4 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 5.2 grams

Broccoli (Chopped or diced)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 30, protein 2.4 grams, fat 0.4 grams, carbohydrates 3.6 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 34, protein 2.8 grams, fat 0.4 grams, carbohydrates 4.4 grams

Cabbage (Shredded)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 17, protein 0.9 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 2.3 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 22, protein 1.17 grams, fat 0.13 grams, carbohydrates 3 grams

Cauliflower
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 27, protein 2.1 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 2.9 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 27, protein 2.1 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 2.9 grams

Celery
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 16, protein 0.7 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 1.4 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 16, protein 0.7 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 1.4 grams

Cucumber
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 16, protein 0.6 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 3.2 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 16, protein 0.6 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 3.2 grams

Green Beans
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 31, protein 1.8 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 3.6 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 31, protein 1.8 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 3.6 grams

Mushrooms, White (Sliced or Pieces)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 16, protein 2.2 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 1.4 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 22, protein 3.1 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 2.3 grams

Olives, All Varities (Whole)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 160, protein 1.6 grams, fat 14.4 grams, carbohydrates 3.2 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 115, protein 0.8 grams, fat 11 grams, carbohydrates 2.8 grams

Patty Pan Squash (Cubed or sliced)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 23, protein 1.6 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 3.4 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 18, protein 1.2 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.6 grams

Spaghetti Squash
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 31, protein 0.6 grams, fat 0.6 grams, carbohydrates 5.5 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 31, protein 0.6 grams, fat 0.6 grams, carbohydrates 5.5 grams

Summer Squash (aka Yellow), (sliced)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 19, protein 1.4 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.6 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 16, protein 1.2 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.3 grams

Tomatoes (Chopped or sliced)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 32, protein 1.6 grams, fat 0.4 grams, carbohydrates 4.8 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 18, protein 0.9 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.7 grams

Zucchini
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 19, protein 1.4 grams, fat 0.4 grams, carbohydrates 2.4 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 17, protein 1.2 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 2.1 grams

Although they fall into the category of vegetables that grow above the ground, the following vegetables should be consumed sparingly due to their high carbohydrate content. I have included these vegetables because they are a popular part of the American diet, but due to their high carbohydrate content it is best to avoid adding these vegetables to your diet on a regular basis. If you want to eat them then it is important to plan ahead so that you can make adjusts to the rest of the carbs you are going to be consuming that day in order to stay under your carbohydrate goal.

Butternut Squash (Cubbed)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 63, protein 1.4 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 13.2 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 45, protein 1 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 10 grams

Corn (Kernels)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 132, protein 4.96 grams, fat 1.82 grams, carbohydrates 25 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 86, protein 3.22 grams, fat 1.18 grams, carbohydrates 16.5 grams

Green Peas (English, Sweet)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 118, protein 8 grams, fat 0.6 grams, carbohydrates 14 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 81, protein 5 grams, fat 0.4 grams, carbohydrates 9 grams

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 000, protein 0 grams, fat 0 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 000, protein 0 grams, fat 0 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams




Veggies That Grow Below The Ground – These are the vegetables that usually have a higher concentration of carbohydrates (related to starch and sugars) than those grown above the ground. That is not to say that they should be totally avoided when on a LCHF / Keto WOE, you simply need to make the necessary adjustments when planning your meals to keep your total carbohydrates below your daily goal. Remember the lower your carbohydrate restriction, the more care you must take when adding root vegetables to your eating plan. Not listed are starchy vegetables that should be avoided as they simply have to much starch or natural sugars, these include: dried beans (pinto, kidney, black, garbanzo, navy, lima, etc...) and dried peas (black-eyed, purple hull, split, crowder, zipper, cow etc...), potatoes (all varaties), sweet potatoes (all vararities), acron squash, and pumpkin to name a few.

Beets
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 59, protein 2.2 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 9.2 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 43, protein 1.6 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 7.2 grams

Carrotts (Strips or Slices)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 50, protein 1.1 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 8.6 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 41, protein 0.9 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 7.2 grams

Onions (Sliced)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 48, protein 1.3 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 9 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 40, protein 1.1 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 7.3 grams

Radish (Sliced)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 18, protein 0.8 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.2 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 16, protein 0.7 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 1.8 grams

Turnips (Cubed)
Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 36, protein 1.2 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 5.7 grams
Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 28, protein 0.9 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 4.2 grams

Veggies: Fresh, Frozen, or Canned

Obviously, one of the best options for adding fresh vegetables into your diet is to grow your own. Having a small to moderate size garden is an excellent way to stretch your food dollars. Each year we have a pretty substantial garden, this year it was destroyed by a hurricane on April 29th so we are having to rely on purchasing the vegetables we like from our local supermarket. Even if you have the time and the space for a garden, sometimes it is simply cheaper to purchase those vegetables that you use quite frequently from your local supermarket, especially if you are a savvy shopper and purchase them on sale.

Many believe that purely from a nutrient standpoint, fresh vegetables are a better choice than canned, or frozen vegetables, but this may not always be the case. According to 'About The Buzz' “The nutrient content of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables is comparable to fresh and, in some cases, it may be higher than fresh. Produce to be canned or frozen is processed immediately after harvesting, so nutrient losses after picking are minimal. The canning or freezing process may cause some loss of nutrients which can vary by nutrient.” The University of Minnesota concluded in their study of nutrient loses in fresh versus frozen and canned vegetables “once canned veggies go through the necessary heating process to be packaged, about one-third to one-half of vitamins A, C, thiamine and riboflavin are lost. And about 5 to 20 percent of vitamins are removed after each year, depending on just how you’re storing the vegetables. So if you compare the nutritional value that’s lost between canned and fresh vegetables, the numbers are pretty even, which proves the difference between the two types of veggies are very small.”

So when it comes to vegetables, my advice is to eat what you have available or what you can afford. After all, if you adhere to the concept that you must only eat fresh vegetables, but you cannot afford to purchase such for your family, or they are not readily available then both your WOE and your family will suffer. While fresh vegetables still may be preferred by many consumers, it should not be a “fresh or nothing” option when it comes to preparing and eating vegetables.


Conclusion

So as you can see there is a wide variety of vegetables that are available to you when you are on a LCHF / Ketogenic diet, but care must be taken as not all vegetables are keto friendly. The stricter your carbohydrate allowance, the more care needs to be taken when adding any of the starchy vegetables to your diet. This is where meal planning really becomes an important part of your LCHF / Keto eating regimen. If you do not take the time to plan your meals ahead of time, you may find that over time you slowly begin to develop bad eating choices without even knowing it. I am sure there are a lot of veggies that are LCHF / Keto friendly that are not listed in this article, what I have tried to include are the most commonly consumed as well as our favorites. As for those that got left behind, there is always next time.

So while my research may indicate that there is little or minimal nutritional difference between fresh, frozen or canned vegetables, my preference is still to eat fresh first, then frozen and lastly canned. In fact, we generally try and grow as much fresh vegetables as we can, but this year is a total loss. As always, we ask that if you find the information in this article informative and enjoyable, that you share it this post with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend request on our Facebook page 'CulinaryyouLCHF', and/or add us to your circle of friends on Google+ CulinaryyoU.


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References:

About The Buzz: Frozen And Canned Fruits And Vegetables VS Fresh, Accessed June 12, 2017.

Jennings, Kerr-Ann, M.S., R.D. Fresh vs. Canned vs. Frozen: What's the Best Produce to Buy? Food Network's Healthy Eats. April 1, 2016

Nelson, Daryl, Fresh, Frozen and Canned Vegetables: Is There Really A Difference in Nutrient Levels, Consumer Affairs. September 29, 2012.

Friday, July 14, 2017

Refrigerator Pickles Keto Style


Each year we have a pretty prolific garden, and making pickles is one of my favorite pastimes when we have an abundance of cucumbers. This year however, at the beginning of the spring gardening season, our homestead was struck by a tornado, which not only destroyed our home, but pretty much left us without a spring vegetable garden for the first time in about 10 years. Fortunately, my friend Steven Coyne, author of the 'I Grow Vegetables' blog has quite the huge garden, and he has more cucumbers than he and his wife can eat, so we were fortunate enough to share in his bounty.

So last week we stopped over for the day and got into the kitchen to make a couple batches of pickles primarily dills, and some refrigerator pickles. Steven has a great refrigerator pickle recipe and you can read all about it on his blog 'I Grow Vegetables: Refrigerator Pickles'. We made refrigerator pickles last year as well, but that was before my wife and I embarked on a LCHF / Ketogenic way of eating (WOE). Steve's original recipe called for sugar, but I substituted liquid sucralose (25% concentration). Therefore, all of the carbohydrates in this recipe come from the vegetables, which is where the majority of your carbohydrates should come from when you eating LCHF.

So in this article, I will be teaching you how to make delicious LCHF / Ketogenic refrigerator pickles that everyone in your family will enjoy. The best part is that they will be ready to eat in a week, and you do not have to have any fancy canning equipment to make them.


The Recipe

As I mentioned, this recipe originally came from my friend Steve, but I made some small changes in order to suit not only my personal tastes, but to make it keto friendly. The biggest change is of course the substitution of liquid sucralose for the granulated sugar. I also changed some of the quantities of the spices in the pickling brine. To find put more about liquid sucralose, check out my article 'Liquid Sucralose: A Great LCHF Sweetener'.

8 cups of sliced cucumbers (about 3 large)
1 ½ cups onion, sliced thin
¼ cup red bell peppers, sliced thin
¼ cup green bell peppers, sliced thin
1 recipe pickling liquid (see below)

Chef's Note: Personally, I also like a bit more bell pepper, not only for color, but because I like their flavor when they are pickled. If you grow them or can get them on sale, zucchini makes a good substitution for the cucumbers and as a bonus 1 cup of zucchini only contains 2.4 net carbs, whereas 1 cup of cucumbers contains 3.2 net carbs.


Pickling Liquid (The Brine)

3 cups of white vinegar (5% acidity)
4 teaspoons pickling salt
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon liquid sucralose (25% concentration)

Place all of the ingredients for the brine in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil and simmer for 3 – 5 minutes.

Chef's Note: Personally I like my cucumber pickles for this recipe to be cut about the same thickness as dill pickle chips, and I usually cut them by hand. Steve likes the thinner slices and cuts his on a mandolin. You can also cut them into spears, just keep in mind that the thicker the cut of the veggies, the longer they take to brine. For spears, it may take 10 to 14 days before they are ready.


Putting it all Together

While the brine is coming to a boil, slice the cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers and place in a large bowl. When the pickling liquid is ready, remove from the heat and pour the hot mixture over the sliced cucumbers, onions, and bell peppers and allow to cool to room temperature (about 20 minutes).

Pack the vegetables in pint or quart jars and top off with pickling liquid. Attach the lids and place the jars in the refrigerator and chill. Allow the pickles to sit undisturbed for 3 – 5 days for thin sliced cucumbers, and 7 – 10 days for thick sliced cucumbers to allow the brine to work it's magic. (Yield: about 2 quarts)

 

Total Recipe
Calories – 233, protein 7.9 grams, fat 2 grams, carbohydrates 45.4

Per Quart Jar (2 pints)
Calories – 116.5, protein 3.95 grams, fat 1 grams, carbohydrates 22.7

Per Pint Jar (2 cups)
Calories – 58.25, protein 1.97 grams, fat 0.5 grams, carbohydrates 11.35

Per Cup
Calories – 29.12, protein 0.99 grams, fat 0.25 grams, carbohydrates 5.67

Chef's Note: Because I have them, I use canning jars for my pickles, but you could place them in any glass container with a lid. Remember we are not processing these pickles, they will be kept in the refrigerator. Because we are not processing them, I use clean, old lids from previous jars that have been opened and the contents eaten. No since in wasting new lids on refrigerator pickles.


 
Conclusion

We opened the first jar of these pickles today five days after they were canned up, and they taste fantastic. The veggies are crisp and crunchy, and sweet, just as if they were made with sugar. That's the great thing about liquid sucralose, you can use it in hot or cold conditions just like sugar. Not only does it taste the same as sugar, it has zero, yes I said it, zero carbohydrates. Keep in mind that because these pickles are not processed in a water bath or pressure canner, they only have a shelf-life of 60 days in your refrigerator. So while you could double this recipe, unless you eat a lot of pickles or intend to give them away to your friends and family, they may go bad before you can eat them all.

I hope that you will try out these pickles and I guarantee you that you and your family will love them. As always, we ask that if you find the information in this article informative and enjoyable, that you share it this post with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend request on our Facebook page 'CulinaryyouLCHF', and/or add us to your circle of friends on Google+ CulinaryyoU.


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References:









Friday, July 7, 2017

Super Easy And Amazing Keto Ribs


 
It has been two months since the tornado came through and destroyed our home. Two weeks ago we finally moved into the new place, but it is definitely a work in progress. Today is July 3rd and I decided that we would make some keto friendly ribs to celebrate Independence day. Primarily because they are on sale for $1.99/lb, which is about 50% off there regular price. Usually, I like to cook my ribs in the smoker or on the grill, but both of these are either MIA or out of commission at this time due to the tornado. That's Ok, even if you do not have a grill or a smoker, you can make delicious keto friendly ribs in your oven that you and your family will love, I promise!

In this article, I wil be talking about cooking baby back ribs. You may notice in the picture the packages are labeled 'loin ribs', which is the actual butcher's term for this cut of meat. Loin ribs are cut from where the rib meets the spine or backbone of the animal after the loin has been removed. Because they are a smaller cut than the 'St. Louis style (aka spare rib)' they have acquired the more common name “baby back ribs”.




The Ribs

When a pig is butchered, the complete rib cage (just below the spine to the ends) can be broken down into several options depending on the butcher or processor. When breaking down the rib cage to be sold as ribs, the most common cuts are back loin (baby back's) spare ribs, and rib tips. As previously mentioned, loin or back ribs are cut from where the rib cage meets the spine after the loin is removed. This upper portion of the ribs are more commonly called baby back ribs, not because they come from a baby pig, but because they are a smaller cut and are located closer to the spine or back. The larger portion or middle of rib, those that come in the big cryopack packages in your supermarkets meat department are spare ribs. Rib tips, are the small portions, or tips of the ribs that are cut from the lower part or bottom of the rib cage. When I worked in the restaurant, we purchased whole slabs of pork ribs and seperated the racks ourselves. These days, the ability of the home cook to purchase a complete rack of pork ribs (loin, spare, and rib tips) is pretty rare. So there you go, a small lesson in the way that pork ribs are cut and processed. Believe it or not, no baby pigs were hurt in the making of these ribs. Having said that roast suckling pig is quite a delicious dish if you ever have he opportunity to try it, I highly recommend that you do. Anyway, let's go cook some amazing ribs in the oven!


The Rub

As with my article 'Ketofied Texas Brisket' I will be using my all-purpose barbecue rub. I no longer add any sugar to my barbecue rubs, but if you can if you wish, just remember you have to account for the sugar in the nutritional information. If you like you can add a zero calorie sugar substitute such as erythoil (¼ – ½ cup) which is popular in the LCHF /Keto community, but I personally do not like the cooling effect that erythoil has on the palate. The following recipe yields about 1 1/3 cups of rub.

5 tablespoons chili powder
4 tablespoons garlic powder
4 tablespoons onion powder
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons red pepper
2 teaspoons cumin, ground
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Place the baby back ribs in a heavy-duty baking pan and sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub making sure to rub the spice mixture into the meat. Cover the pan with plastic and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Whole Recipe (1 1/3 cups)
Calories – 445, protein 19.4 grams, fat 10.9 grams, carbohydrates 57.8 grams

Per Serving (¼ cup)
Calories – 89, fat 2.18 grams, protein 3.88 grams, carbohydrates 11.6 grams


The Recipe

2 slabs pork loin (baby back ribs)
½ cup all-purpose barbecue rub
LCHF barbecue sauce of choice (optional)

Place the baby back ribs in a heavy-duty baking pan meat side down. At this point you should be looking at the inside of the rib cage. You will notice that there is a smooth, shiny membrane on the back of the ribs. This membrane is the lining of the pleural cavity (lung cavity) and needs to be removed before your rub is applied. It takes a little practice, but work at picking away the membrane until you can get a finger or two underneath the membrane and simply peel it off. It may take you a few tries until you get it all off, but it needs to be removed before your rub is applied and the ribs are cooked.




Once you have removed the membrane from the inside of the ribs, sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub making sure to rub the spice mixture into the meat. Cover the pan with plastic and place in the refrigerator overnight.



The next day, about three hours before you are ready to eat the ribs, remove the pan with the ribs from the refrigerator and place each rack on a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil about four inches longer than the slab of ribs. Wrap the ribs tightly in the aluminum foil making sure to fold the ends tightly to seal the packet. While you are wrapping the ribs, do not forget to pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees.



Once the oven it has reached the desired temperature of 250 degrees, place the foil wrapped ribs on a baking sheet and bake for 3 hours. No muss, no fuss, and no need to baste, as the sealed foil packages will use the meats own moisture to keep the ribs nice and juicy. After three hours, remove the ribs from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before opening the foil packages.


Chef's Note: If you like, once the ribs are done, you can immediately open the foil packages and lightly brush them with your favorite warmed barbecue sauce, increase the heat of your oven to 350 degrees and cook the ribs for an additional 15 more minutes to slightly thicken and carmalize the sauce. Just be careful as the steam released from the foil packets when opened is very hot and you can burn yourself easily. Usually, I let the foil packages cool for about 10 minutes before opening and brush them with warmed barbecue sauce and serve as is.


Nutritional Data

Determining the exact nutritional data for baby back ribs is somewhat an art form rather than a science as each slab of ribs will have a slightly different amount of fat on the rib cage. I have done my best to give you a general idea of the amount of fat and protein that you can typically expect in one pound of uncooked ribs. By adding this to our all purpose rub, I have come as close as possible to providing you with the most accurate information that I can. The average size of a cryopack loin or baby back ribs before cooking is 2.5 pounds, which is what the following nutritional values are based on. I use about ¼ cup of rub per rack of ribs.

Whole Rack Baby Back Ribs (2.5 lbs, no rub)
Calories – 2025, fat 163 grams, protein 133 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams

Whole Rack Baby Back Ribs (2.5 lbs, with rub)
Calories – 2114, fat 165.18 grams, protein 136.88 grams, carbohydrates 11.6 grams

Half Rack A Of Ribs (1.25 lbs, with rub)
Calories – 1057, fat 82.6 grams, protein 68.44 grams, carbohydrates 5.8 grams

Third Of A Rack Of Ribs (0.83 lbs, with rub)
Calories – 704, fat 55 grams, protein 45.6 grams, carbohydrates 3.8 grams




Conclusion

That's all there is to making delicious, tender, and juicy baby back ribs that you and your family will enjoy. Best of all you did not have to pay restaurant prices for this fabulous meal. So go ahead and sing to your hearts content “I want my baby back, baby back, baby back ribs” with the satisfaction of knowing you saved a ton of money by making them yourself without having to leave the comfort of your home. If you need a good LCHF / Keto barbecue sauce to pair with your ribs, check out the variety of barbecue sauces from our blog by clicking on one of the links below. As always if you and your family have enjoyed this LCHF / Keto recipe and you have found the information useful, we ask that you share it with your friends on Facebook, Pintrest, and Google+. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, or add us to your circle of friends on Google+.


Related Article On Our Blog:

Condiments, The Diet Killers: Making Your Own LCHF Condiments (This article contains recipes for making Texas and Carolina Style LCHF / Keto barbecue sauces).