Paleo Beef and Sweet Potato Stew

Ingredients

• 12 ounces sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise
• 4 fresh sage leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 4 pieces uncured, nitrate-free bacon, cut across in 1/4-inch strips
• 1 1/2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 2-inch chunks
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
• 2 cups 1-inch diced onions
• 1 cup 1-inch sliced carrots
• 1 cup 1-inch sliced celery
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons cashew butter
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Poke holes in the sweet potato halves with a fork. Place on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet and bake until fork tender, about 1 hour. Alternatively, microwave on high until the flesh is fork tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.60 min timer
3. Tie the sage, thyme and rosemary sprigs together with kitchen twine or a clean rubber band and set aside.
4. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the bacon, stirring often, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the pan drippings.10 min timer
5. Pat the beef dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return the Dutch oven to the stovetop on medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the broth, onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, garlic and herb bundle. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour on low heat.7 min timer
6. Uncover and cook at a low simmer until the meat is tender and the vegetables are cooked through, 45 minutes.45 min timer
7. Scoop out the flesh from the cooked sweet potatoes and place in a blender. Carefully add 1 cup of the stewing liquid and the cashew butter to the blender, then puree until smooth. Add the puree to the stew and stir well. Simmer to thicken, 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Remove the herb bundle and serve the stew garnished with the bacon bits and parsley leaves.5 min timer