MAKES: 10 servings
PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes
COOKING TIME: 51/2 hours
When the weather turns colder, we reach for woolly sweaters, autumn spices, and plenty of comfort food, like this beef stew. It’s an all-time slow-cooker favorite in my house, and it’s perfectly balanced for a keto diet: it’s high in fat, low in carbs, and rich in electrolytes.

Ingredients
3.3 pounds (1.5 kg) beef chuck or shin steaks
11/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
Ground black pepper
1/2 cup (110 g/3.9 oz) ghee or other healthy cooking fat, divided
1 medium (110 g/3.9 oz) white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (400 g/14.1 oz) chopped tomatoes, unsweetened
1 cup (240 ml) bone broth, vegetable stock, or water
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
1 large (600 g/1.3 lb) rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
4 or 5 medium (1 kg/2.2 lb) zucchini or marrow squash, diced
Fresh parsley or cilantro

Instructions

Preheat a 5- to 6-quart (4.7- to 5.7-L) slow cooker. Using a paper towel, pat dry the beef, and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place 2 or 3 steaks at a time in a hot pan greased with half of the ghee and sear until lightly browned all over. When done, transfer to the preheated slow cooker.
Grease the saucepan with the remaining ghee. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic, tomatoes, broth, cumin, paprika, ginger, chili powder, coriander, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, and then pour into the slow cooker over the meat. Add the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 5 to 51/2 hours.
After the meat has been cooking for 3 hours, use a spatula to push the meat to one side of the slow cooker and add the rutabaga and zucchini next to it. Cover and cook in the juices for another 2 to 21/2 hours. The stew is cooked when the rutabaga and zucchini are fork-tender. Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Season with more salt and pepper, and serve with fresh herbs. To store, let it cool, and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
NUTRITION FACTS PER SERVING:
Total carbs: 12.7 g / Fiber: 3.6 g / Net carbs: 9.1 g / Protein: 31.9 g / Fat: 39.5 g / Energy: 534 kcal
Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (7%), protein (25%), fat (68%)