Robert Sikes

IN THE KITCHEN WITH ROBERT SIKES

2019 US Wellness Meats Featured Chef Q&A

Tell us about yourself:

I’m Robert Sikes, lifetime natural competitive bodybuilder! I’ve been Keto-adapted for the past five years after diving deep into nutrition and recognizing the physical and cognitive benefits that come with the Keto lifestyle. I’m the owner and founder of Keto Savage and the Keto Brick and I love sharing my knowledge with others interested in optimizing their health and nutrition.

I’m NOT a chef by any stretch of the imagination. However, I do love to eat great food and I love experimenting with different cooking techniques. My wife Crystal and I spend our time in the kitchen coming up with recipes that simplify the creation of nutrient dense, easily manipulated, high quality Keto foods!

How did you get involved in cooking?

I grew up on a farm with chickens, lambs, and other livestock. I was also raised to hunt and harvest my own food. Being able to properly butcher, process, and cook these home-raised delicacy’s was a natural progression.

Describe your cooking style:

My cooking style definitely puts an emphasis on efficiency.

As a bodybuilder, I like to meal prep my meals for the week and remove as many variables as possible. As such, the simpler the meal and the more efficient the creation, the better. Being a hunter who follows a Keto lifestyle, I obviously gravitate towards meat. I try and make the majority of my meals meat focused with a relatively high fat ratio relative to protein and carbs.

How did you learn about grass-fed meats?

Most people in the Keto community place an importance on food sourcing. It’s no surprise that grass-fed meat is significantly more nutrient dense than the alternative. It also has a favorable omega fatty acid ratio which is why I prefer it over grain-fed.

What is your favorite recipe featuring grass-fed meat?

Keeping consistent with my desire for utmost efficiency, I’m going to have to say the organ meat burgers. There’s no better way to incorporate organ meats and any venison I harvest during the year alongside quality grass-fed beef!

You’re stranded on a desert island; luckily, you’re stranded with your top 5 ingredients and one must-have kitchen tool:

Redmond Real Salt, US Wellness 75/25 Grass-fed beef, Liverwurst Sausage, Beef liver, and Sugar free/honey free pemmican. As far as the kitchen tool goes, I’m going to have to go with my hunting bow….that way I can get more groceries 😉

Best cooking secret tip or piece of advice you’ve learned:

Don’t rush it. Burning your food is going to decrease the flavor, ruin the nutrients, look terrible, and make a mess in the kitchen. Better to cook slowly and take longer.

What’s your favorite quote/song for culinary inspiration (if any)?

Not a particular song but I can get to cooking with some good ole Al Green playing!

Anything else you want to share?

You are what you eat! Don’t take for granted how important it is to fuel your body with the right nutrients. The fountain of youth looks something like this: A well formulated Ketogenic diet made with quality whole food sources. Do that and you’ll feel and perform better now and well into your later years!

Enter to win our August 2019 Featured Chef Contest for a chance to win! Contest runs from August 1 – August 15, 2019