Korean Style Kung Pau Chicken or Korean Spicy Chicken Stir Fry

It's funny, but I cooked in the restaurant for more than 18 years and we have been eating low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) for more than a year, and still my wife brings me new recipes to try. Heck, I think she has looked at just about every LCHF / Keto blog but mine when she is looking for recipes. Many of the recipes she brings me claim they are “low carb”, but when I look at the nutritional information (if it's there) I am often disappointed. So I am left to go and modify these recipes to make them fit our unique nutritional needs.

This particular recipe started out as 'Kung Pao Chicken' from the keto blog 'Ruled-Me'. They actually do a pretty good job presenting a variety of low carbohydrate recipes, so go and check them out. Having said that, there were quite a few ingredients that were in the original recipe from their blog that we did not have, but have no fear, as a former professional chef, being able to make substitutions to form variations of specific dishes is something I was trained to do.

While I have quite a good stock of basic Asian ingredients in my pantry, I did not have and garlic chili paste, so it was time for a substitution. because my niece is from Korea, I have built quite a good stock pile of Korean spices and seasoning's. I mention this because while this recipe started out as 'Kung Pao Chicken' it morphed into a Korean spicy chicken stir fry version of this dish. In Korea, this dish would be similar to 'Dak Galbi' or spicy chicken stir fry. A traditional version of this dish would have quite a bit more red pepper paste (gochujang) and more red pepper powder (gochujang) but I have toned down this dish to make it more agreeable to my wife's particular tastes. So let's get on with making a spicy Korean style Kung Pao Chicken.

The Recipe

As mentioned, the original recipe for this dish came from the keto site Ruled Me, and you can find their recipe by clicking on the link at the end of this article. I have added a few vegetables and of course the sauce has been changed by the substitution of Korean red pepper paste as well as tomato sauce for the garlic chili sauce and the reduced sugar ketchup. While the changes may seem minor, they change the flavor profile of the dish entirely. This dish calls for 16 ounces (1lb) of de-boned chicken thighs so the number of thighs required varies between 4 to 6 thighs. The nutritional information however is for 16 ounces of thigh meat with the skin on.

4 chicken thighs (16 ounces), deboned, skin on

2 green onions

1 medium carrot, julienned

½ cup green bell pepper, large dice

½ cup onion, large dice

¼ cup peanuts, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

The Sauce

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar with the Mother

1 teaspoon Korean red pepper paste (gochujang)

1 teaspoon ginger paste

½ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

½ teaspoon maple extract

3 drops liquid sucralose

Combine all the ingredients for your sauce in a small bowl and set aside for later use.

De-bone and cut up the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat, then add the chicken and saute until the chicken has browned and is thoroughly cooked (this should take about 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the chicken pieces). Remove the chicken from the heat to a plate or bowl and begin to stir fry the vegetables.

Chef's Note: If you do not have any ginger paste, you can season the chicken thighs with powdered ginger or Chinese five spice powder, or you can simply omit this if you wish. If you like your food with a bit more bite, increase the red pepper paste (gochujang) to 2 teaspoons, and or season the chicken with some red pepper powder (flakes). Just note that increasing the amount of red pepper pastes or adding red pepper powder it will change the nutritional information of the dish.

If you left the skin on the thighs (which you should), then there should be plenty of good delicious fat in which to stir fry the vegetables (onions, bell peppers, and carrot). If you did not leave the skin on, or you decided to use chicken breast instead, then add a small amount of coconut oil and stir fry your veggies just until the onions begin to turn translucent. Then remove the cooked vegetables to the plate or bowl which contains the chicken.

Once all of your vegetables are cooked, examine your skillet or saute pan, remove all of the fat except for 1 teaspoon. Then return the chicken and the vegetables to the pan and add your sauce and the peanuts and stir everything together. Bring the dish to a slight boil and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce is reduced slightly. Garnish with spring onions and serve.

Chef's Note: Sesame oil can be overpowering for some palates, and a little goes along way. The original sauce recipe called for 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, but we have found that we like a little less sesame oil in our sauce. If you like the smoky flavor of sesame oil, then remove all of the oil from the pan except ½ teaspoon and increase the sesame oil in the sauce to 1 teaspoon.

Total Recipe

Calories – 1746, fat 110 grams, protein 156 grams, carbohydrates 22 grams

Per Serving (4 servings)

Calories – 436, fat 28 grams, protein 39 grams, carbohydrates 5.5 grams

Making Your Dish Go Farther

While we generally just make this dish as is, and eat it without noodles. If you want to increase the bulk of this recipe without adding a significant amount of carbohydrates or calories, then you can add ½ head of a small cabbage shredded to the dish when you cook the other vegetables. Adding cabbage does increase the bulk or amount of the dish giving you more servings, but it also increases the overall carbohydrate count.

Cabbage (½ Head)

Calories – 109, fat 0.5 grams, protein 6.5 grams, carbohydrates 15 grams

Total Recipe w/Cabbage

Calories – 1855, fat 111 grams, protein 162 grams, carbohydrates 37 grams

Per Serving w/Cabbage (6 servings)

Calories – 309, fat 18.5 grams, protein 27 grams, carbohydrates 6.1 grams

Per Serving w/Cabbage (8 servings)

Calories – 235, fat 13.8 grams, protein 20.25 grams, carbohydrates 4.6 grams

Conclusion

Many times a recipe starts out as one thing and slowly morphs it's way into something else, that's how creativity in the kitchen works. This particular recipe that my wife loves started out as another version of Kung Pao Chicken, and it became an amalgam or fusion of Chinese-American and Korean food. Or in simpler terms, a Chinese-American recipe made with Korean ingredients. I realize that many of you will not have some of these ingredients in your pantry, but if you have the opportunity to visit a local Asian market that carries a variety of ingredients from other countries, I encourage you to purchase and try Korean Red Pepper (gochujang) paste in some of your recipes.

Eating a LCHF / Keto diet never has to be boring. What you do need to know how to do is make simple substitutions that can change a recipe that is high in carbohydrates to one that is low in carbohydrates, and that is the goal of most of my articles. For Chinese-American foods, most often this is a matter of finding a substitute for the sugary sauces used in their preparation. This recipe is no different, omitting the sugar for liquid sucralose removes the majority of the carbohydrates in this dish. The only carbohydrates remaining come primarily from the vegetables (12 grams) and the peanuts (4.95 grams). The sauce for the whole recipes only contains 5.3 grams of carbohydrates (tomato sauce 1.5 grams, red pepper paste 3 grams, soy sauce 0.8 grams). Depending on the portion size this dish comes out to somewhere between 5 – 7 carbohydrates per serving. Remember we are eating low carb, not no carb!

Anyway, as always, I hope that you have found this information informative and useful. If so I ask that you share it with your friends and family as well as sharing it on other social media platforms. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook at CulinaryyouLCHF, or add us to your circle of friends on Google+. You can also click on the 'Follow Us' button on this blog page so that you will be notified when the newest recipes become available.

Final Chef's Note: The original recipe that I started with called for an 2 tablespoons of chili garlic paste, but I substituted Korean red pepper paste (gochujang) If you do not have any Korean red pepper paste, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper for the Korean red pepper paste.

Similar Articles On Our Blog:

LCHF Kung Pao Chicken

LCHF Beef Stir Fry

References:

Kung Pao Chicken, www.Ruled.Me.com,accessed October 1, 2017.

Calorie Count, There's Strength In Numbers, accessed October 1, 2017

Fat Secret, accessed October 1, 2017

Self Nutrition Data,Know What You Eat, accessed October 1, 2017

Xanthan Gum: A LCHF / Keto Thickener

 

When it comes to making sauces and soups at home, most home cooks use cornstarch (6 carbs per tablespoon), arrowroot (1 carb per tablespoon), and or potato starch (7 carbs per tablespoon) as thickeners. Of the three, cornstarch is the cheapest, most readily available, and therefore the most common. Made from corn, it of course contains carbohydrates, not a lot mind you, but enough to make a difference, especially if you are on a strict low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) diet. While there are a few slight instances when I will still use a minimal amount of cornstarch as a breading or coating enhancer, like many LCHF / Keto devotees, I stared using xanthan gum (7 carbs per tablespoon) as my thickener of choice. At first glance, xanthan gum seems like a poor choice for a LCHF / Keto diet thickener as 1 tablespoon contains 7 to 8 grams of carbohydrates, however, it also contains 7 to 8 grams of fiber, which means that it is not absorbed by the gut making it zero net carbs. Since it is zero net carbs, it is an excellent LCHF / Keto thickener. Having said that, what exactly is xanthan gum?

Xanthan gum is a thickener used in many commercial sauces that you find on your grocers shelves, most commonly salad dressings and sauces. It is very popular among the gluten free community to give some body to baked goods that are made with non-gluten flours (almond, coconut, etc.) for people who are gluten intolerant. Of all the common thickening agents it is probably the most expensive, but a little xanthan gum goes a long way. Most often xanthan gum comes in a powdered form, but a few manufacturers offer it in a granular form, but they are both used in the same fashion. The xanthan gum I use which I purchased at Walmart comes in small 1 tablespoon packets, but it is available in bulk on the internet.

In the medical field in which I work, xanthan gum is used in products designed to thicken liquids for patients with dysphagia (trouble swallowing). Two of the brands that I have personally seen are 'Thick-it Clear Advantage', and 'ThickenUp Clear'. It should be noted that these products also generally contain a small amount of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and maltodextrin (for bulk to make measurement easier), therefore larger quantities are needed to thicken liquids. You should not be using these thickeners, so if you have a family member that is using any of these, leave them alone, the maltodextrin contains too many additional carbohydrates. The xanthan gum that we will be using to thicken liquids should not have either of these ingredients. In fact, the only ingredients listed on the package should be xanthan gum. So now that you know what xanthan gum is, let's see how to use it.

Measuring Xanthan Gum By Weight (Most Accurate)

The most accurate way to add xanthan gum to a liquid is to do so by first weighing the amount of liquid you want to thicken, determine how thick you want the liquid, and then add the appropriate amount of xanthan gum by weight. Generally, less than 0.5% per weight of the liquid is required to achieve the desired thickness of most liquids. I have included the most common percentages per weight of the thickening power of xanthan gum to achieve a desired thickness of a sauce. This is of course subjective, but it is a good starting point.

An emulsion: 0.1% (0.225 grams of xanthan gum)

Light or thin sauce: 0.1 – 0.3% (0.225 – 0.675 grams of xanthan gum)

Medium or moderately thick sauce 0.3 – 0.6% (0.675 – 1.35 grams of xanthan gum)

Heavy or thick sauce: 0.7 – 1% (1.575 – 2.25 grams of xanthan gum)

For example: One cup of water (8 ounces per volume) weighs 8.3 ounces per weight or 225 grams. Therefore if you are making a light sauce, you would use: 0.225 – 0.675 grams (225 x 0.1% = 0.225) of xanthan gum. For a medium or thicker sauce, you would use: 0.675 – 1.35 grams of xanthan gum, and for a thick or heavy sauce, you would use 1.575 – 2.25 grams of xanthan gum.

Measuring Xanthan Gum Using Household Measurements (Least Accurate, but Most Common)

Because many home cooks here in the United States do not have a scale that weighs in grams and even when they do, many prefer to use common household measurements. I am no different, even though I have a scale that weighs in grams, I use common household measurements simply because it is fast and efficient and I have the experience of thickening liquids after cooking for eighteen years in a professional kitchen. Therefore, for those of you who want to use common household measuring spoons, I have included the following information to help give you a starting point to help you thicken your sauces using xanthan gum.

1 teaspoon weighs about 2.5 grams

¾ teaspoon weighs about 1.875 grams

½ teaspoon weighs about 1.25 grams

¼ teaspoon weighs about 0.625 grams

1/8 teaspoon weighs about 0.3125 grams

When using common household measuring spoons, I would start with the spoon size slightly smaller than the thickness of the sauce that you desire. This allows you to add some additional xanthan gum as needed just in case your sauce is slightly thinner than you desire. It is always easier to thicken a sauce by adding more xanthan gum, than it is to thin a sauce that is too thick. The following measurements will thicken 1 cup of liquid to the follow states. Keep in mind that the thickness of your sauce can be subjective, or a matter of perspective, but I have tried to include the best descriptors that I can.

1 teaspoon, really thick or heavy sauce, almost pudding like consistency.

3/4 teaspoon, creates a thick or heavy sauce, similar to a blond roux.

1/2 teaspoon, creates a medium thick sauce, that pours in dollops.

3/8 teaspoon, creates a medium sauce, similar to pancake syrup.

1/4 teaspoon, creates a medium thin sauce that just coats the back of a spoon.

1/8 teaspoon, creates a very light or thin sauce, similar to a lite syrup.

Using these household measurements may create a sauce that is slightly less thick than if you measured out the xanthan gum by weight, but you can always add a little more a pinch or sprinkle at a time depending on your preference. When using this method, whatever the size of the teaspoon (1, ¾, ½, ¼, or 1/8th), try and use a level amount of xanthan gum per measuring spoon to insure the most accurate measures.

Chef's Note: When using xanthan gum, I combine all of my sauce ingredients in the bowl first, then start adding the xanthan gum 1/8 of a teaspoon at a time. Allow the xanthan gum to sit for 1 – 2 minutes to give it time to come to it's full thickening potential before adding additional gum as needed.

Putting It All Together

While xanthan gum is a great thickener, but when not used carefully, your sauce can get lumpy. So in this section of the article I am going to share a few techniques that I use to avoid creating a lumpy sauce. First, and foremost, do not dump the entire contents of the xanthan gum into your sauce at one time as it will definitely clump, and leave you with little blobs of varying size ruining your sauce. Xanthan gum needs to be added in small amounts so that it can be totally incorporated into the liquid in order to reach it's potential thickening powder. The following steps or techniques are the ones that I use in order to make sure my sauces and soups are nice and thick and not clumpy.

Technique Number 1 – When making a small amount of sauce (1 to 2 cups) I mix my sauce by hand starting out using 1/8 measurements at a time. This may take more time, but it does help to get the xanthan gum more even distributed when mixing. I hold the measuring spoon with one hand at about a 45 degree angle over the bowl containing my liquid and lightly tap it with my finger, while mixing the sauce in the bowl with a wire whip. This method works almost flawlessly, but requires a little dexterity.

Technique Number 2 – When making large amounts of sauce, I prefer is to get my immersion blender and place it in the pot or saucepan of the liquid to be thickened and start the blender, then slowly add the measured out amount of powdered xanthan gum needed to thicken my liquid. Using this method, I have the least clumping issues as the xanthan gum generally gets totally incorporated before it has time to clump up, but it still happens on occasion. If you decide to use this method when blending hot liquids you must take extra precaution as you can easily get burned.

Technique Number 3 – Not really a separate technique, but more of a process. When making soups or stews which require thickening, I make a one cup batch of heavy sauce and add it to the soup or stew as opposed to trying to thicken the soup or stew after it has been cooked. This technique works especially well for gumbos and chowders which require thickening. The amount of heavy sauce that you add to the soup, gumbo, or stew depends on how thick you want your final product to be.

There are probably many other tips and techniques on the world wide web on using xanthan gum, but these three are the ones that I use whenever I need to use xanthan gum to thicken a liquid. While they work extremely well, I realize that they are not the only viable methods, so experiment and find out what works best for you.

Chef's Note: Almost all of the sauces that we made in the restaurant that required arrowroot, cornstarch, potato starch or other thickening agents were strained through a cheesecloth to ensure that it was super smooth regardless of the talent of the chef. At home I never do this, but comfort cooking is defiantly different than professional cooking. My point being, if your sauce has small lumps then simply strain them out with a small strainer, that's what the professionals do.

Gastrointestinal Discomfort (A side note)

Xanthan gum is an effective laxative (it has about 7 grams of fiber per tablespoon), and some people are more sensitive to it than others. Users on some of the gluten free and Ketogenic / LCHF forums mention it's laxative effect, and some have complained of a bloating feeling. Used in larger quantities, xanthan gum is defiantly an effective laxative, but when used in small quantities such as when making sauces, most people show not signs of these effects. Personally, I have, nor have any of my family had any of these experiences, but that doesn't mean that yours will not.

Conclusion

Used not only in commercial sauces as a thickening agent, xanthan gum has been used in the medical field for some time as a thickening agent for patient's suffering from dysphagia. Because all of the carbohydrates from xanthan gum come from fiber, it is not digested by the gastrointestinal (GI) system making it essentially carbohydrate free. So if you are looking for a LCHF / Keto thickening agent for your sauces, soups, chowders and stews that will not kick you out of ketosis, then xanthan gum just may be for you. While in rare cases some individuals may have some slight GI discomfort, the majority of people who use xanthan gum do not experience any of these effects.

As always, I hope that you have found this information informative and useful. If so I ask that you share it with your friends and family as well as sharing it on other social media platforms. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook at CulinaryyoULCHF, or add us to your circle of friends on Google+. You can also click on the 'Follow Us' button on this blog page so that you will be notified when the newest recipes become available.

References:

10 Facts About Xanthan Gum, www.foodeducate.com, Accessed May 10, 2017

How To Use Xanthan Gum, Amazing Food Made Easy, Accessed May 11, 2017

Instantpot LCHF / Keto Hot Wings

 There was a time when I was growing up that, chicken wings were the part of the chicken that no one wanted to buy. Like skirt steak (now used for fajitas), chicken wings were the cheap leftovers. Fast forward thirty years and chicken wings are as popular as hamburgers and french fries, and they now command a premium price as well. If you have read any of my articles and or recipes, then you know that we raise not only chickens but meat rabbits on our small homestead. And before you ask, no rabbit doesn't taste like chicken. Having said that, when you dress out a rabbit, each carcass presents you with two forelegs that are very similar in size and weight as a chicken wing.

In fact, you can cut the forelegs at the joint, and they are not only very similar in size to chicken wings, but they can be cooked in exactly the same way. So whenever we butcher some of our rabbits, we separate the forelegs and vacuum seal them by themselves so that we can prepare rabbit forelegs (hot wings) whenever we get the hankering for some hot wings. Having said that, if you do not raise rabbit and want to cook some great chicken wings, then you can follow this same recipe and simply substitute chicken wings in place of the rabbit forelegs.

As you may know, my wife and I have embarked on a low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) way of eating about a year ago. The great thing about this recipe is that is a great LCHF / Ketogenic way to cook not only chicken wings, but rabbit forelegs. Because we do not use any flour or other ingredients other than the sauce (hot sauce and butter) to coat the meat, they are virtually carbohydrate free! Keep in mind that if you use any commercially prepared sauces they may have hidden carbs in the form of sugar and or sugar alcohols. You can find a number of LCHF sauce recipes on our blog if you need a good LCHF / Keto sauce for your chicken wings or rabbit forelegs. If your not eating LCHF, then sauce them as you wish.

I will say this, I love my Instant pot electric pressure cooker. It is great for reducing the cook times for a wide variety of dishes, and it is perfect for this recipe. Start to finish you can have a mess of wings ready for your friends and family to enjoy in less than 45 minutes, or less than 30 minutes if you use the quick release cooking method. So grab your electric pressure cooker and let's go make some hot wings / forelegs.

Chicken / Rabbit Hot Wings

You will need 2 to 4 pounds of chicken wings or rabbit forelegs for this recipe. I like to keep it simple when I am making buffalo style hot wings and simply season the meat with salt and pepper, but you can use any number of flavored seasonings, just keep in mind the final flavor profile you are looking to present as some seasonings may not be compatible with your sauce of choice.

2 – 4 pounds of rabbit forelegs or chicken wings

½ cup hot sauce of choice (Franks' or Louisiana Hot Sauce)

½ stick of butter (melted)

salt and pepper to taste

Cut the rabbit forelegs at the joint so that you have two pieces similar to that of a chicken wing. Season with salt and black pepper. Place a steamer rack in your electric pressure cooker and add 1 cup of water. Add the rabbit forelegs on top of the rack and close your pressure cooker making sure that the vent is closed. Cook the forelegs on high pressure (manual mode) for 10 minutes and then quick release the pressure; or, you can pressure cook them for cook for 8 minutes and let the pressure come down naturally (about 15 – 20 minutes.)

Chef's Note: I personally like to cook my wings/forelegs for the 8 minutes and allow the pressure to release naturally. I find that this way the wings/forelegs are cooked to perfection and they are nice, tender and juicy. Using a steamer rack is an important step, I do not like my wings to sit in the bottom of the pressure cooker in the water, but this is just a personal preference.

While the wings/forelegs are cooking combine 1/2 cup of hot sauce with 1/2 cup of butter in a medium sized plastic bowl and heat in the microwave until the butter melts and them whisk until thoroughly combined. If you wish to melt the butter separately and them combine it with the hot sauce you can, but it does not really matter.

Once the pressure is released from your pressure cooker, remove the the wings or forelegs and pat dry with a paper towel if necessary. Place the wings/forelegs into the bowl with your wing sauce and toss them until they are totally coated with the sauce. Then remove them from the bowl and place them on a foil lined baking sheet.

Chef's Note: At this point the wings/forelegs are completely cooked, and you could eat them striaght form the bowl, and they would be quite good. However, broiling them for 5 minutes and then tossing them into the wing sauce a second time gives the final product a greater depth of taste as more sauce adheres to the wings/forelegs after they have been broiled and tossed a second time.

Once the wings/forelegs have been arranged on your foil lined baking sheet place it in your preheated oven and broil the wings/forelegs on high for about 5 minutes. Because every oven's broiler is slightly different carefully watch the wings/forelegs as they can quickly go from light brown to burned rather quickly. In my particular oven, 5 minutes is perfect.

Once your wings/forelegs have been broiled for 5 minutes and they are nice and brown, remove them from the foil and place them back in the bowl with the wing sauce and toss them one more time to re-coat the wings/forelegs. Then serve the wings on a platter, divide them onto equal portions, or simply eat them out of the bowl. 

Nutritional Information

The nutritional information for this recipe is based on a two pounds of rabbit forelegs and or 2 pounds of chicken wings. Farm raised meat rabbits like we raise are lean all white meat, and it is closer to chicken breast when you look at the fat content. Because of this, rabbit forelegs have quite a bit less fat than chicken wings with the skin on. However, the butter in the sauce does add a substantial amount of fat which still makes these rabbit hot wings a good LCHF option. Having said that, chicken wings with the skin on has almost six times more fat, so they are really a better choice if you need to increase your fat uptake.

Total Recipe

Rabbit Forelegs (2 lbs): Calories – 1682, fat 20 grams, protein 198 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams

Chicken Wings (2 lbs): Calories – 2091, fat 113 grams, protein 246 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams

Remember, if you are eating LCHF / Keto, the chicken wings would probably be a better choice if you had to choose between the two. Fortunately for us, we do not have to choose and all I can say it that the rabbit “wings” were fantastic.

Conclusion

As I have mentioned before, I love my Instantpot. Whether you have an Instantpot or other electric pressure cooker, you can make delicious hot wings in 30 to 45 minutes that both you and your family will love by following this simple recipe. Heck, you can have a big batch of LCHF / Keto friendly wings ready in less time than it takes to have a pizza delivered. So if you like hot wings, but have been missing out on them because those deep fried, flour coated deliciousness will blow you out of ketosis, then this recipe is for you. So fire up your electric pressure cooker, and turn on your broiler and let us know how you like this recipe.

As always, we ask that if you have found the information in the article enjoyable and informative that you share it with your friends and family. Don't forget to send us a friend request at CulinaryyouLCHF, or add us to your circle on Google+. You and also click on the follow button on our blog so that you will not miss any of our latest recipes or articles.

Sugar Alcohols: The Sweet Truth

If like me you are a diabetic, then you have seen a number of products that cater to diabetics that are labeled as 'sugar-free' the emphasis primarily being on candy and snack foods. In addition, over the last few years as low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) and ketogenic (keto) ways of eating (WOE) have become popular a number of companies have began to offer meal or energy replacement bars which are touted as being 'sugar-free' or 'low carbohydrate'. These products claim to offer all of the sweetness of sugar without the side effects of raising sugar levels and or low net carbohydrate counts to help keep you in ketosis. Essentially, the companies that produce these products are telling consumers “you can have your cake and eat it too” if it contains sugar alcohols instead of sugar. Unfortunately, its not that simple.

Just exactly what are these sugar alcohols that are being used to replace the sugar in these 'sugar-free' and low carbohydrate products? Sugar alcohols are created from a variety of fruits, berries, and even corn. These plants or plant products go through a chemical process in which the natural sugars (carbohydrates) in the plant are altered to form a sugar alcohol (polyol) that contains less carbohydrates than sugar, but still maintains it's sweetening power. The most common sugar alcohols derived from these plants that are found in commercially made products include: erythritol, lactilol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, isomalt, and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH). Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates are mixtures of high-order polyhydric sugar alcohols such as maltitol and sorbitol. The following table lists some of the most common uses of sugar alcohols in commercial products.

The Sugar Alcohols
Type	Calories Per Gram	Sweetness Compared To Sucralose	Typical Food Applications
Sorbitol	2.6	50 - 70%	Sugar-free candies, chewing gums, frozen desserts and baked goods
Xylitol	2.4	100%	Chewing gum, gum drops and hard candy, pharmaceuticals and oral health products, such as throat lozenges, cough syrups, children’s chewable multivitamins, toothpastes and mouthwashes; used in foods for special dietary purposes
Maltitol	2.1	75%	Hard candies, chewing gum, chocolates, baked goods and ice cream
Isomalt	2.0	45 - 65%	Candies, toffee, lollipops, fudge, wafers, cough drops, and throat lozenges
Lactitol	2.0	30 - 40%	Chocolate, some baked goods (cookies and cakes), hard and soft candy and frozen dairy desserts
Mannitol	1.6	50 - 70%	Dusting powder for chewing gum, ingredient in chocolate-flavored coating agents for ice cream and confections
Erythritol	0 - 0.2*	60 - 80%	Bulk sweetener in low calorie food
HSH	3	25 - 50%	Bulk sweetener in low calorie foods, provide sweetness, texture and bulk to a variety of sugarless products
* FDA accepts 0.2 kcal/g, but some other countries, such as Japan and the European Union, accept 0 kcal/g.

Blood Sugar Effects

There are a quite a large variety of candy and or sweet goods that are sold using sugar alcohols that are touted as being sugar-free and sold as diabetic friendly. My father who is a type two diabetic loves the little Russel Stover brand of chocolate candies which are of course labeled “sugar-free”, but contain large amounts of sugar alcohols. The question is are these products really sugar free, and if so, do they keep your blood sugar (insulin) levels from rising after they are consumed? According to the American Diabetes Association “sugar alcohols provide fewer calories than sugar and have less of an effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) than other carbohydrates.” According to the University Of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center, sugar alcohols may still have a significant impact of your blood sugar levels “don’t be fooled – sugar alcohols are still a form of carbohydrate, and they still affect your blood sugar levels, if not as dramatically.” The Harvard School of Medicine Joslin Diabetic Center on their website regarding sugar alcohols state “Many so-called 'dietetic' foods that are labeled 'sugar free' or 'no sugar added' in fact contain sugar alcohols. People with diabetes MISTAKENLY think that foods labeled as "sugar free" or 'no sugar added' will have no effect on their blood glucose. Foods containing these sugar alcohols need to have their calorie and carbohydrate contents accounted for in your overall meal plan, as it is carbohydrates that raise blood glucose levels.”

So what does this all mean? Well, sugar alcohols are not sugar, but, depending on the type they can still have a moderate effect on blood sugar levels. On their website for Diabetic Education the UCSF Medical Center states that in order to determine a more accurate impact of sugar alcohols on blood sugars “when counting carbohydrates, include half of the sugar from the sugar alcohol.” Therefore, when looking at nutritional labels of products that contain sugar alcohols you should take the total amount of the sugar alcohol and divide by two as about half of the sugar alcohols will be absorbed and impact your blood sugar levels. So let's take a look at the Millville Elevation Carb Conscious Caramel Chocolate Peanut Nougat Bar that I myself have eaten.

Elevation Carb Conscious Caramel Chocolate Peanut Nougat (2 Net Carbs per package)

Total carbohydrates – 20 grams

Dietary Fiber – 8 grams

Sugar alcohols – 10 grams

I have always learned that you should take the total number of carbohydrates and subtract the dietary fiber and all of the sugar alcohols to get the total net carbohydrate count of the end product (total carbs – sugar alcohols – fiber = net carbs). Following this formula, we see that the Elevation bar does equate to 2 net grams of carbohydrates per bar. According to the UCSF Medical Center, a more accurate way to determine the impact that sugar alcohols have on your blood sugar is to divide the total number of sugar alcohols by half, then subtract them from the total amount of carbohydrates to determine net carbs. So when we take the sugar alcohols which are listed as 10 grams and divide by half, we get a total of 5 grams (10 / 2 = 5 grams). Now lets re-work our formula to calculate the net carbohydrates of the Elevation bar in question. If the total amount of carbohydrates is 20 grams, and the fiber is 8, and revised sugar alcohol count is 5 grams, we get a total of 7 net carbohydrates (20 – 8 – 5 = 7 grams), not 2 net carbs.

So while the package of the Elevation bars lists net carbohydrates as 2 grams, according to UCSF Medical Center formula, it actually has an impact on your blood sugar as if you are consuming 7 grams of carbohydrates. While 7 grams of net carbs does not seem like a lot, it is still three times more than what is listed on the package. I must admit I was quite shocked, and felt somewhat deceived by the manufacturers package labeling. It's not just Millville and Atkins, it's all the manufacturers that produce 'sugar-free' or 'no-sugar added' products that contain sugar alcohols. They all follow the standard formula that total carbs – fiber – sugar alcohols = net carbs, even though they know that sugar alcohols have an impact on blood sugars.

Ketosis and Fat Burning

For those of us who have embraced a LCHF / Keto way of eating (WOE), the big question is will the consumption of sugar alcohols delay or interfere with ketosis and fat burning? According to 'Ask The Nutritionist' on the Atkins website, “Sugar alcohols are not fully absorbed by the gut, which means they provide roughly half the calories that sugar does. Thanks to this incomplete and slower absorption, there is a minimal impact on blood sugar and insulin response. Because of this, sugar alcohols don’t significantly interfere with fat burning.” What is missing from this statement is that roughly half the calories also means they contain roughly half the carbohydrates, and we know carbohydrates impact blood sugar levels as well as ketosis.

Dr. Andreas Eenfieldt from Dietdoctor.com during his communication with the Atkins company regarding one of there products that they clam is only 5 nets carbs responded “subtracting 100% of the sugar alcohol from “net carbs” is misleading to your customers as about half of the maltitol is absorbed.” So the answer to this question seems pretty straightforward, and that is that sugar alcohols can definitely blow you out of ketosis. This is because most people look at a nutritional label and think that sugar alcohols are carbohydrate free and as we have seen they definitely are not. It is this misconception or lack of dietary education that causes consumers to eat way to many hidden carbohydrates which in turn blows them out of ketosis.

Look, I admit it, I knew better, and I fell for the same marketing ploy and have on occasion eaten some of these products. The worst part is that I am not new to the LCHF / Keto way of eating. My wife and I adopted the ketogenic WOE more than a year ago, so if you are new to the LCHF / Keto way of life, take solace in the fact that even those of us who have been eating this way for a while can still make mistakes. My advice to you is to omit these products from your eating regimen, or at the very least, make sure that you count the carbohydrates correctly. A snack bar that contains 7 net carbs, may not seem like a lot if you are on a moderate carbohydrate eating plan (50 grams of carbs or less per day), but can definitely blow you out of ketosis if you are following a strict carbohydrate eating plan (20 grams of carbs or less per day).

Bloating, GI Motility, and Diarrhea.

My experience with sugar alcohols is somewhat limited, I generally do not eat sugar-free candies or products that contain sugar alcohols. However, I have on occasion eaten the 'Elevation Carb Conscious' bars made by Millville and sold at Aldi which are similar to the Atkins bars. Depending on the flavor of the bar, they contain 9 – 10 grams of sugar alcohols (primarily maltitol) giving them a net carbohydrate count of 7 – 8 net carbs per bar (see UCSF net carbs formula above).

As mentioned earlier, because sugar alcohols are not totally absorbed by the gut, they have less of an impact of blood sugars and the insulin response than sugar. It is because sugar alcohols are not totally absorbed by the gut, they can have some unwanted side effects which vary in severity depending on the person. According to Ask The Nutritionist, “since a portion of sugar alcohols aren’t fully absorbed in the gut, there is the potential that consuming too much may produce a laxative effect or cause some gastrointestinal problems. Most people can usually handle 20 to 30 grams a day.” Personally, I have found that while sugar alcohols do not cause me to have abdominal cramping or diarrhea, they do tend to cause me to have a lot more flatulence. My wife, however, who has mild irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) tends to have more complications with abdominal cramping and diarrhea as well as flatulence when she consumes products that contain sugar alcohols. According to the American Diabetes Association, “sugar alcohols can have a laxative effect or other gastric symptoms in some people, especially in children.” So my advice would be to avoid giving your kids products such as Atkins or Millville's low carbohydrate bars, or any candies that are labeled 'sugar-free' that contain sugar alcohols. So if you have any friends or family members who are diabetics make sure you educate them regarding the potential risks of children and sugar alcohol consumption.

The one sugar alcohol that does not seem to cause GI complications is erythritol. While erythritol is a popular powdered replacement for sugar in the LCHF / Keto community, it appears to be rarely used in commercial products. So why isn't erythritol used more often in 'sugar free' and 'low carb' products? Maybe it simply costs to much to be used as a primary sweetener in ready made products, or maybe it is the 'cooling effect' it has on the mouth which some consumers do not find appealing, I simply have no answer for that question.

Conclusion

The bottom line, sugar alcohols are safe in moderation, and while they have a lower impact on blood sugars, they still contain carbohydrates which can not only raise your blood sugar, but knock you out of ketosis if they are not consumed in moderation. I realize that not all sugar alcohols effect blood sugars or ketosis in the same way, but I believe the UCSF formula (total carbs – fiber – half of the sugar alcohols = net carbs) for calculating the 'net carbs' of any products that contain sugar alcohols is way more accurate than that proposed by food manufacturers (total carbs – fiber – sugar alcohols = net carbs). This is especially important for those of us who are on a strict low carbohydrate (20 grams or less a day) regimen. Heck, if you ate two of the Akins or Elevation bars each day you would have actually consumed a total of about 14 net grams (7 per bar) of carbohydrates as opposed to the 4 net grams (2 per bar) as listed on the package. That's more than three times the carbohydrates!

While consumption of sugar alcohols affects each of us differently, remember that when consumed in amounts of 30 grams or more a day they may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and or diarrhea. This is especially true for children, so my personal opinion would be to avoid giving products with sugar alcohols to your little ones. Look, sugar alcohols have their place, I am not saying you should avoid them, but I am advising you to take care when consuming them in certain products. Of all the sugar alcohols erythritol, and xylitol seem to have none or at least minimal GI side effects (gastrointestinal discomfort, and or diarrhea), but at the end of the day, they are still sugar alcohols so you should use them sparingly until you can determine how they will affect you and your family. 

As always, we ask that if you have found this article informative and useful that you share it with your friends and family, as well as sharing it on other social media platforms. Don't forget to check out of Facebook page CulinaryyoULCHF and send us a friend request, and or add us to your circle of friends on Google+. You can also simply click the 'follow us' button on the left hand corner of our blog page so that you will not miss any of our latest articles.

References:

Ask The Nutritionist: The Scoop On Sugar Alcohols, www.Atkins.com, accessed October 24, 2017.

Diabetes Education Online, University Of California San Francisco Medical Center, 2007-2017. Accessed October 1, 2017.

Diaz, Jessica, RD, What Do Sugar Alcohols Mean In Carb Counting, www.livestrong.com, October 3, 2017.

Eenfeldt, Andreas, MD, Atkins, Greed And The Fairy Tale Cookies, www.Dietdoctor.com, April 4, 2014.

Gunnars, Kris, Bsc, Are Atkins Low-Carb Bars Healthy? A Critical Look, Authority Nutrition, October 3, 2013.

Modderman, JP., Safety Assessment Of Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysates, US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, August 1993.

Sisson, Mark, Sugar Alcohols: Everything You Need To Know, Mark's Daily Apple, February 15, 2011.

Sugar Alcohol Facts, Ketogenic Diet Resource, accessed October 20, 2017.

Sugar Alcohols, The American Diabetes Association, May 14, 2014, accessed September 17, 2017.

Sugar Alcohols Fact Sheet, Food Insight, October 14, 2009, Updated April 24, 2017, accessed October 25, 2017.

The Best And Worst Low Carbohydrate Sweeteners, Ruled Me, accessed September 1, 2017

What Are Sugar Alcohols? Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, accessed October 24, 2017.

The Health Benefits Of Pink Himalayan Salt: Fact or Fiction

During my eighteen years in the restaurant business I used a wide variety of salts, salt products, and salt substitutes in countless recipes for a variety of reasons. Depending on the particle or size (coarse, fine, finishing) and type of grain of salt used, the amount has to be adjusted in order to season the dish correctly. In addition, some salts have a unique flavor profile depending on the sea in which they come from (sea salts), or the country and or area of the country in which they are mined (Hawaii, Himalaya, India, Italy, etc...). No matter the source, there is one thing that all of these salts have in common and this is of course sodium (Na). In fact, almost every salt product available commercially contains about 97 – 99% sodium. Unrefined salts, tend to be on the lower end, but overall the difference in sodium between commerically available products is generally less than 1%. For some reason, it is this other 2 – 3% that makes up salt that seems to have caught America's attention and fueled a fire for “the pink stuff” or 'Himalayan Pink Salt'.

Anyone who embarks on a LCHF / Ketogenic way of eating (WOE), will experience some form of diuresis, this is especially true during the early part of the process when your body is adapting from burning carbohydrates to burning fat as it's primary fuel source. Because diuresis can cause you to lose a fair amount of sodium and potassium in your urine, it is important to make sure that you eat foods that supply your body with an adequate amount of sodium and potassium to replace that which you will lose in your urine. This is especially true for those of you who may be practicing some form of intermittent fasting (IF).

To combat this, there are a wide variety of 'drinks' and or bone broth recipes that can help you stay hydrated and help you to replenish your sodium and potassium stores as well as add some trace minerals back into your bloodstream. Some of these remedies, drinks, or bone broths make some quite specific health related claims which have not been scientifically proven, and that is what brings me in a round about way to the topic of this article regarding the benefits or so called benefits of 'Himalayan Pink Salt'.

Pink Himalayan Salt And The 84 Trace Minerals

Mined in the Punjabi region of Pakistan as well as some other regions of the Himalayas, Himalayan pink salt (PHS) is all the rage right now. So let's look at the chemical breakdown of PHS which is 98% sodium (Na) and 2% various trace minerals. One of the biggest claims made by almost all sellers, advertisers and proponents of pink Himalayan salt is that it is better for you because it contains 84 trace minerals that are essential to proper bodily function as well as promoting health and well being. Keep in that only 2% of the total makeup of PHS contains these 84 trace minerals that are claimed to be so beneficial. Logic would dictate that in order to get that many minerals in such a small percentage of salt, they must be pretty small amounts right? To find the answer to this question, I decided to do some research on the subject.

When examining the benefits of PHS, Dr. Harriet Hall from Science Based Medicine stated in her article on Himalayan pink salt that “the amount of minerals in it is too minuscule to make any difference, and we already get plenty of the same trace minerals from other foods.” In addition TIME Health a subsidiary of TIME magazine interviewed Dr. Andy Weil program director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine about the benefits of PHS. In this interview he stated, “All salts vary somewhat with respect to trace mineral content and texture. Proponents claim that pink salt has more minerals than typical salt, but you aren't likely to get any extra health perks from eating it. Pink Himalayan salt is nutritionally very similar to regular salt. It's just prettier and more expensive”.

Finally, 'Medical News Today' in their article 'Pink Himalayan Salt: Does It Have Any Health Benefits' concludes “At present, there is no scientific evidence to show that pink Himalayan salt provides more health benefits than regular table salt. Although pink salt contains several minerals, they are present in such small quantities that they are unlikely to bring any notable health benefits. It is also lower in iodine than iodized table salts, which may cause health issues for those who do not get enough iodine from other sources. Replacing fine-grain table salt with crystals of pink Himalayan salt may help to reduce sodium intake, but, as with any other salt, it should be enjoyed in moderation”.

I have read all the claims from a variety of authors, trainers, fitness gurus and or medical professionals, and watched hundreds of videos touting the same rhetoric. My personal opinion is that there is simply not enough of the 84 trace minerals in PHS to justify the claims that it promotes health and well being more so than any other salt. So, should the 84 trace minerals in PHS cause you any concern? Well, no. However, the science does not appear to back up any of the health benefits of PHS either.

The Sodium / Potassium Pump (Potassium in Pink Himalayan Salt)

The electrolytes sodium (Na) and potassium (K+) work hand in hand as part of the sodium-potassium pump. This sodium-potassium pump helps to move sodium ions from inside your bodies cells to the outside of the cell. In turn, this same sodium-potassium pump moves potassium ions from the outside of the cells to the inside of your bodies cells. So why is this transport of sodium and potassium so important? Because the sodium-potassium pump helps to regulate nerve impulses in both skeletal and cardiac muscle as well as helping to maintain proper fluid balance in the body. The only reason I wanted to mention this in this article is because I have seen several proponents of PHS claiming that it is a good source of potassium, and is a crucial component for proper sodium-potassium pump function. The funny thing is that none of the Himalayan salt products that I could find on the internet, list the amount of potassium in one serving of PHS. If the potassium content of PHS was so important, you would think that the amount of potassium contained in PHS would be listed on the nutritional label wouldn't you? This lack of information was a problem for me, so in order to try and validate some of these claims I decided to look at the on-line results of the spectral analysis of PHS.

According to the spectral analysis, Pink Himalayan Salt contains 3.5mg of potassium per kilogram (3.5mg/Kg) of weight. So, in order to find out how much potassium is actually in 1 teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt, I had to do a little basic math, and here are my results.

1 kilogram = 1000 grams

Potassium 3.5gm/kg or 3,500mg/kg = 3,500mg/1000grams or 3.5mg/gram

1 teaspoon HPS weighs 4.4 grams

Therefore, if 1 teaspoon of Himalayan Pink Salt weighs 4.4 grams, and there is 3.5mg of potassium per gram of PHS, then the total amount of potassium in one teaspoon of PHS is 15.4mg (3.5 x 4.4 = 15.4mg). Since the recommended daily intake of potassium for an adult is 4,700mg/day, I think it is safe to say, that PHS is not a good source of your required daily potassium intake. Heck, one avocado contains about 700mg of potassium. I am not refuting the fact that PHS has potassium, just the fact that it is a good source for added dietary potassium as some so-called health advocates claim. Just for comparison, below I have listed the sodium and or potassium content (if any) for 1 teaspoon of some of the more common salts available at your local supermarket.

Kosher Salt – Sodium (Na) 1,800mg

Morton Lite Salt – Sodium (Na) 1,160mg, potassium (K+) 1400mg

Pink Himalayan Salt – Sodium (Na) 2,000mg, potassium (K+) 15.4mg

Sea Salt (fine grain) – Sodium (Na) 2,360mg

Sea Salt (coarse grain) – Sodium (Na) 1,600mg

Table Salt – Sodium (Na) 2,325mg

If you are worried about a electrolyte imbalance between sodium (Na) and potassium (K+) during the induction phase of a LCHF / Keto diet when you are diuresing (having frequent urination) or during intermittent fasting (IF) when you are consuming large amount of water; then from a purely chemical composition standpoint, Morton Light salt would be a better option than pink Himalayan salt. So what we see is that the science simply does not validate the fact that PHS is a good source of dietary potassium as many have claimed.

The Cost Benefit Ratio

Just looking at the various purchasing options at your local supermarket, or even online, you will see that PHS is quite a bit more expensive than regular table salt, sea salt, or Morton Lite Salt. Depending on the brand, and whether you get the fine or coarse grind, the price varies quite a bit. You can of course save quite a bit of money by purchasing in bulk, but are you gaining any real benefit from spending your hard earned money on PHS? That is a question you will have to answer for yourself, but to help you form your own conclusion I have listed some of the more popular brands of PHS found at not only my local Walmart, but the best selling brands on Amazon as well just so that you can see the variation in the prices of PHS.

Olde Thompson Fine Pink Himalayan Salt (12.5 ounces) $4.93, or $0.39 per ounce

Olde Thompson Coarse Pink Himalayan Salt (12.5 ounces) $3.83, or $0.31 per ounce

McCormick Grinder Coarse Pink Himalayan Salt (2.5 ounces) $2.71, or $1.08 per ounce

Sherpa Extra-Fine Grain Pink Himalayan Salt (5lbs) $14.24, or $0.18 per ounce

The Spice Lab Coarse Pink Himalayan Salt (2.2lbs) $8.55, or $0.24 per ounce

Wild Fine Himalayan Pink Salt (1 lb) $12.95, or $0.80 per ounce

Morton Kosher Salt (3lbs) $3.23, or $0.07 per ounce

Morton Lite Salt (11 ounces) $2.12, or $0.19 per ounce

Morton Iodized Salt (26 ounces) $1.48, or $0.06 per ounce

The problem is, there is so much hype surrounding the claims and benefits of consuming PHS, however, according to science, the benefits are actually minimal or none at all. I know this statement will not make some people happy, and yes, I understand that know one can place a price on your health, but to pay exorbitant prices for a product that has little or no real benefit to your health is in my opinion wasteful, especially if you are on a budget and trying to maximum both your health and food dollars.

The Conclusion

If you have read this far, then I applaud you for your strength of will. Many who would not agree with my conclusions would have simply stopped reading by now, or sent me a scalding email or response without reading the complete article. The bottom line is that I started my research in order to better educate myself regarding the use of pink Himalayan salt to determine whether it could help me to meet my health goals. What I found along the way was a lot of claims and hype, but very little science to back up any of those claims. Am I telling you to stop using PHS? No, what I am telling you is that if you continue to use PHS in your diet, just be aware that many of the so called health benefits of using such are unconfirmed if not over inflated.

It is my personal opinion that if you are worried about a sodium-potassium electrolyte imbalance, you would be better off using something like Morton's Lite salt, which has about a 45 – 55% ratio of sodium to potassium, as opposed to using PHS. Keep in mind that while sodium replacement is important, consuming to much sodium can be a problem for people who have high blood pressure, chronic kidney problems, and or congestive heart failure. The best solution would be to simply increase the amount of potassium rich foods in your eating plan. As always, we ask that if you have found this information beneficial and or helpful, we ask that you share this with your friends and family as well on sharing it on other socail media platforms. Do not forget to send us a friend request on Facebook at CulinaryyoULCHF, or add us to your circle of friends on Google+.

References:

Gunnars, Kris, BSc, Types Of Salt: Himalayan vs Kosher vs Regular vs Sea Salt. Healthline Newsletter, June 4, 2017.

Hall, Harriet, MD, Pass The Salt (But Not That Pink Himalayan Stuff) Science-Based Medicine, August 19, 2014.

Leonard, Jayne, Pink Himalayan Salt: Does It Have Any Health Benefits? Medical News Today, January 8, 2017

Minerals In Himalayan Pink Salt: Spectral Analysis, The Meadow. Accessed October 8, 2017.

Sifferlin, Alexandra, Does Pink Himalayan Salt Have Any Health Benefits? Time Health, June 28, 2017.

Instant-Pot Bone Broth

There are a lot of different approaches to making bone broth. The most common is either cooking the broth on the stove on in a slow cooker for 8 to 24 hours. Heck, a friend of mine cooks his bone broth in the slow cooker for two days. The idea behind the length of cooking bone broth is to get all of the goodness (minerals, gelatin, marrow, vitamins) out of the bones and vegetables and into the liquid. While both of these methods are simple, time tested, and effective, they are painfully slow. There is however a faster and more efficient way, and that is to use a pressure cooker.

As a homesteader, gardener, and canner, my wife and I have a variety of pressure canners, however most of them are quite large, 12-quarts or larger. However, a few years ago we bought a 6-quart Instant-pot electric pressure canner. This is our go to bone broth making machine as it allows us to make awesome, nutritious, and delicious bone broth in about 2 hours. So, in just two hours, (after the pressure cooker gets up to pressure) the pressure will leech out all the collagen, marrow, minerals, and vitamins locked into the bones and veggies that would typically take a stockpot or slow cooker 24 hours. So for us, using the Instant-pot is optimum choice.

Typically, whenever we roast a chicken, or buy a rotisserie chicken from our local supermarket, I save the bones and put them in the freezer, once I get about two or three pounds of bones, I put them in my Instant-pot pressure cooker and make bone broth. The best bone broth however comes from when we butcher an old laying hen which is no longer productive. Typically and older hen is a “tough old bird” hence the saying, and they are relegated to the crock pot or slow cooker in order to make them edible. In addition, an older chicken tends to have more fat (at least ours do) which is something we are looking for in a low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) / Ketogenic (Keto) bone broth. Having said that, if all you have are bones, and or a couple of whole chickens you got on sale at your local supermarket that will work as well. Anyway, let's get on with making some awesome bone broth.

My Recipe

I will say upfront, the best bone broth comes from cooking one or two whole birds and reserving the cooking liquid and then after you have deboned the carcasses for other meals, add the bones back to the cooking liquid and add the remaining ingredients. Making bone broth this way gives the final product a depth of flavor that cannot be beat. However, many people make excellent tasting bone broth with just leftover bones.

2 to 3 pounds beef, chicken, pork, or rabbit bones

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar, with the Mother

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

mirepoix, optional (see below)

Place bones in your electric pressure cooker and add the remaining ingredients. Add enough water until the pot is ¾ full (my instant-pot holds 4 liters, so I fill it with liquid to the 3 liter line).

Chef's Note: Typically, you should allow the bones to sit in the water with the vinegar for 30 minutes. The idea is that this allows the vinegar to begin to soften the bones and helps to leech out the minerals into the broth. This increases your cook time, and to be honest, I do not think that it matters when you are using a pressure cooker, so I generally skip the additional wait time.

If you are using an Instant-pot electric pressure cooker, Select the 'Soup' button and change the pressure setting to 'low'. Then set the cook time for 2 hours (120 minutes). When the timer is goes off, unplug your Instant-pot and allow it to depressurize naturally.

All that is left to do is to strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer and discard the bones and or any vegetables or herbs that you may have added to the pressure cooker. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. We like to store some of our bone broth in individual one cup portions and the remaining in glass Mason canning jars. (Yield: 2 quarts)

Chef's Note: Most of my bone broth comes from chicken or rabbit bones (we raise both for meat). If you have a good supply of beef, lamb, or pork bones, then roasting them in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes really kicks up the flavor profile. To see how to roast bones for bone broth see below.

Roasting The Bones

Beef, pork, and lamb bones when roasted in the oven adds a depth of flavor that you just do not get from simply boiling the bones. The great thing is that it only takes about half an hour to take your bone broth to the next level. To roast the bones, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees then place the bones in a roasting pan in a single layer, and lightly coat them with olive or canola oil and place them in the oven and set your timer for 25 minutes. When the timer goes off check the bones, they should be a deep rich brown color. If they are not, then roast for another 5 – 10 minutes.

Once the bones have been roasted to perfection, toss them in your stockpot of pressure cooker. Now another key to developing great flavor is to take a small amount of hot water and add it to the roasting pan after you have removed the bones. Then take a wooden or plastic spoon and carefully scrap all the bits from the pan (aka fond) and add them to your stockpot or pressure cooker.

Mirepoix (The Vegetables)

I will be honest, I keep my bone broth pretty virgin, just bones, water, salt, pepper and a basic mirepoix. However, if you want to throw in some additional odd vegetables or herbs please feel free to do so. In classic French cuisine, the way I was trained, when making beef, chicken or fish stock you would use a mirepoix (combination of onions, carrots, and celery). Which you would either roast with your bones or not, depending on the type of stock you were making. The amounts of vegetables used varies depending on the amount of stock or broth you are making, but the ratio stays the same, 2 part onions, to 1 part celery, and 1 part carrot. So for this recipe, my mirepoix contains a variety of leftover vegetables (ends and pieces) of onions, bell pepper, carrots, and celery that I keep in a plastic one gallon zip lock bag in my freezer. These are the trimmings from when I do any prep for our family meals (waste not want not). If you do not have any trimmings, then for this recipe I would suggest 1 cup diced onion, and ½ cup each diced carrots, and celery (a total of 2 cups of vegetables)

Of course, you can leave the veggies out and just make the bone broth without them and you will still have a delicious and nutritious broth. Having said that multiple studies show that the majority of the minerals found in bone broths come from the vegetable matter, not the bones that is in the broth. So while bones alone are good, bones and veggies are better.

Think of this base recipe as a blank canvas and you are the artist. You can add so many different vegetables, herbs and aromatics to this basic bone broth depending on your personal tastes. Some of my favorite additions in no specific order are: garlic, ginger, lemongrass, cilantro, red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, kombu (dried seaweed), and Korean red pepper paste (gochujang). The skies the limit, so experiment and enjoy your creations.

What If Your Bone Broth Tastes Weak?

Well, the simple answer for a basic stock would be to cook it down until the water content is reduced to about one-third, or one-half. The quick solution however, is to enhance your bone broth by adding some powdered chicken or beef broth. I can hear you now, some of you are screaming 'NO!!!!!!', but yes, I will on occasion add a small amount of powdered bouillon to my bone broth if it needs it. I prefer the Knorr brand, but use whichever brand you prefer. If the idea of adding powdered bouillon offends you, then do not add it to your bone broth and simply simmer your broth until it reduces enough to concentrate the flavors to your liking.

Conclusion

There you have it. My fool proof recipe for a delicious and nutritious bone broth that you can make in less than three hours from start to finish. Not only is it great for those of you who are on a schedule of intermittent fasting, it is an excellent source of fat which helps you to increase your fat intake while you are on a LCHF / Keto diet. Bone broth contains electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus), and collagen (which contains the proteins glycine and proline), which are found in all land animal bones. There is, still no specific scientific research that supports the many of the health claims made about bone broth. In fact, the current limited scientific evidence suggests that many of the health benefits that are attributed to bone broth are simply false. As I often do, I have included many of the references I examined while writing this article so that you can go and do the research the possible benefits of bone broth and come to your own conclusions.

The bottom line, I like bone broth and it is a good source of natural fat, and if like me you are on a LCHF / Keto diet, or do any intermittent fasting (IF) then bone broth is an excellent way to add fat to your diet without any unwanted carbohydrates. In addition, many proponents of IF advocate and or allow the limited use of bone broth during the fasting period. And last but not least, bone broth is an excellent base for making homemade LCHF soups. As always, we ask that if you have found this article interesting or helpful, that you share it with your friends and share it on other social media outlets. Don't forget the checkout our Facebook page at CulinaryYouLCHF, or add use to your circle of friends on Google+. You can also check out all of our articles on Pintrest.

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Resources:

Christ, Scott, Is Bone Broth Good For You? Here's What Science Says, Pure Food, 2017. Accessed October 3,2017.

Kresser, Chris, The Bountiful Benefits of Bone Broth: A Comprehensive Guide,

February 21, 2017. Accessed September 22, 2107.

McCance, R.A., Sheldon W., Widdowson, E.W., Bone and Vegetable Broth, Kings College Hospital, 1934.Accessed September 28, 2017.

The Health Benefits Of Bone Broth: Science or Science Fiction? Lifetime Daily, 2017. Accessed September 25, 2017.

Heid, Markham, Science Can't Explain Why Everyone is Drinking Bone Broth, Time Magazine, January 6, 2016. Accessed October 2, 2017.

What's The Scoop On Bone Soup?, Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, September 2015. Accessed October 1, 2017.