I just got home from a week in Washington state for my Nutritional Therapy class and boy am I exhausted! I took my midterms last weekend and had a total of four days of class all day long. So as I’m sure you can imagine, I’ve been a little busy and a little stressed. Good news is I aced my midterms! Bad news is, I’ve got a pretty nasty cold. I suppose that’s what a whole lotta stress and far too little sleep will do to you.
So since I’m not feeling well, I’m going to need some really easy, nutritious, and comforting meals. And this recipe for Braised Beef with Pancetta and Collard Greens totally fits the bill. Although it takes a while, the hands on time is actually pretty minimal. And with all that bone broth, its sure to cure me right up! At least that’s the hope.
- 2 Tbs cooking fat (lard, coconut oil, ghee)
- 2 pounds beef stew meat
- Salt & pepper (can omit pepper if strict AIP)
- 3 oz pancetta
- 1 bunch collard greens
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 cups broth
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- Place oven rack into the middle position
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees
- Heat fat in a dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat
- Pat meat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Brown beef on all sides, working in batches if necessary
- Remove beef from pot and transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon or tongs
- Reduce heat to medium and add pancetta
- Cook until fat is rendered and pancetta is crispy, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes
- Add collard greens and saute until greens start to soften
- Add rosemary, thyme, and another sprinkle of salt and pepper
- Add broth and vinegar, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pot
- Return beef to pot and bring to a simmer
- Cover pot with lid and transfer to the oven
- Cook until meat is tender, about 2-2/12 hours
- To make sauce, transfer meat to a plate and remove herb stems
- Boil cooking liquid on stove until reduced by about one third, about 5 minutes
- Add more salt and pepper to taste

Does anybody have any super awesome all natural cold remedies they could share with me? I’d love for the pounding in my head and the pressure in my sinuses to go away like right now!
In vibrant health,
Kiersten
Glad to hear your finals went well 🙂 And I really love the dishes you have this recipe served in! So pretty.
I’ve don’t think I’ve actually ever had collard greens, not good ones atleast. I’ll have to make this with some mashed potatoes for my family sometime!
Kirsten! I love this…. I was searching the Web for a way to use up some pancetta, and your recipe caught my attention….didn’t even realize it was you! Then I read your blog post about your midterms last year, and thought about how wonderful it was to have you in my classroom. Amazing student and NTP, so proud of you!
Rachel
PS-What kind of puree did you serve this over?
Aw thanks Rachel! It was amazing to have you as a teacher.
I served it over mashed parsnips 🙂