AYURVEDIC PERSPECTIVE ON MEATS
The Best Spice Combinations for Meat
Nordic countries seem to specialize in tasty, easily digestible roasts. My Norwegian grandma used rosemary, garlic, and mint jellies to make her roasts both delicious, and light on the stomach. Take a look at these lively spice combinations for your roasts.
Meat is heavy. That is why we like it when meat is tender and dislike a dried out steak or chicken breast. So, spice it while cooking to aid your body in digestion.
Here's how:
- Marinate with different vinegars, cooking wine, citrus or pineapple. This will tenderize and 'pre-cook' meat.
- Pineapple and papaya contain digestive enzymes that tenderize the meat. An overnight marinade with either of these two fruits makes the meat sweet, delicious. It will melt in your mouth!
- Sprinkle your meat with aromatic rosemary, parsley, sage, thyme, mint, cumin, black cumin, cinnamon, onions, or garlic before popping it on the grill or into the oven. Aromatic spices aid protein digestion. Sprinkle garlic powder over the meat for a savory feel.
- Add pungent digestive spices like cayenne, chili powder, black pepper, ginger, or hingvastak churna. These will stimulate blood flow to your digestive organs.
- Reduce the toughness of meat filets by pounding with a tenderizer.
Now that you know the basics, here are my favorite spice combinations for roasts:
- Cranberry sauce with rosemary, garlic and mint.
- Plum sauce with garlic & rosemary
- Orange marmalade with garlic & rosemary (as you can see I like rosemary!)
- Mint jelly with garlic
- Chopped onions washed with boiled water, mixed with cilantro, cumin, and chili powder (Latin American). You can also add pineapple to this.
- Garam Masala (coriander, cumin, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg)
- Ginger, cumin, coriander (Middle Eastern)
- Add garlic, onion, pickled lemon rind, & raisins for sour taste
Since the fruits use above are sour digestives, they generally won't cause food combination issues. Take more caution with the stewing raisins into the dish however.
How Much Meat Should I Eat?
A meatball size portion of meat (1/4c) eaten daily with vegetables and grains is an appropriate amount that your body can process fully.
Ayurveda gives many guidelines for eating meat. Meat consumption is also made more complicated by GMO, pesticides, hormone use, etc. Choose organic, hormone-free meat whenever possible.
Choose quality over quantity. In spending more money on less meat, you will find greater satiation because the food will have better taste, and a richer nutritional profile. Think of meat as a flavoring, rather than the main dish, and you will do fine.
When to Eat Meat
The best time of day to eat meat is lunch. Agni, the digestive fire, is strongest between 11am and 2pm. Your body can handle the heavy nature of meat most efficiently at this time of day. A simple dinner of vegetables and grains, with occasional light protein such as fish or chicken, will help you have a comfortable night's sleep, and you will wake up ready to hop out of bed in the morning.
Is Ayurveda Vegetarian?
A common assumption is that Ayurveda is
vegetarian. That is simply not the case. In Ayurveda, a little of anything is considered medicine and too much is considered poison. The ancient texts of Ayurveda give the usefulness of each product. Meats are recommended as therapy for many ailments. For example, bone marrow broth is helpful for rehabilitation after extended illness.
In general, meat strongly nourishes blood (rakta - the red part of the blood). It also provides protein - needed more and more as a person ages. Finally, meat products contain vitamin B12 - essential to avoid anemia.
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