Russ Crandall has a knack for bringing out the cultural flavors in local dishes. His Heritage Cookbook features many of his favorites from around the world. Many of these you may not have heard of, but once you try them, they’ll likely end up on your family meal plan.
From the small Pacific island of Guam, Beef Tinaktak is one of their signature comfort foods.
“Beef Tinaktak’s pairing of ground beef, tomatoes, green beans, and coconut milk sounds a little strange on paper, but the resulting flavor is anything but; it’s immediately comforting, while wholly unique.” ~ Russ Crandall
Beef Tinaktak
Recipe and photos by Russ Crandall, The Domestic Man
Servings: 4
Time: 25 minutes
US Wellness Shopping List: Grass-fed Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 onion)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
- 1/4 tsp salt, more to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper, more to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 cup coconut milk (about 1/2 can)
- 1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, fire-roasted preferred
- 1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 2″ lengths
Instructions
- In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and sauté until browned and slightly crispy, breaking up chunks with a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. Add the tamari, salt, pepper, ginger, and garlic; stir to combine and allow the tamari to caramelize, about 1 minute.
- Add the coconut milk, tomatoes, and green beans, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low; simmer until the beans are soft and bright green, about 5 minutes. Uncover, add more salt and pepper to taste, then serve with white rice or cauliflower rice.
** For added heat, serve with chopped jalapeno pepper or add a few squirts of hot sauce.
Explore more of Russ’ recipes on the Discover Blog.
Meet The Chef
A big US Wellness thank you goes out to Russ Crandall, The Domestic Man. At his blog, you’ll find gluten-free and Paleo-friendly recipes. His recipes focus on classic, traditional, and international dishes from a historical, linguistic, and cultural perspective.
Check out his cookbooks! Russ released his debut cookbook, The Ancestral Table: Paleo Recipes for a Traditional Lifestyle, in February 2014, and his second cookbook, The New York Times-bestselling Paleo Takeout: Restaurant Favorites without the Junk, in June 2015. His most recent cookbook was released May 1, 2019, The Heritage Cookbook.