I love this Keto Low-Carb Roast Beef Spice Rub!  It’s sugar-free and salt-free.  Part of my cooking routine is to prepare Keto Low-Carb dishes that I can blog about and also meet my husband’s culinary desires and needs.  The protein I cook is often eaten in different ways.  For example, this roast will be enjoyed for dinner and over the next day, Shawn will have roast beef sandwiches to take to work for his lunch.

The roast can be boring after a while.  This spice rub will literally spice up the flavour and meal you are making.

Prime rib and tenderloin are tasty and popular cuts when the protein is the primary focal point of the meal.  Hunt for organic and grass-fed options if possible.

WHAT IS THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF BEEF?

I have pernicious anemia and so require sufficient doses of vitamin B-12 through food, vitamins, and shots. Once in a while, I crave beef.  The fact is beef contains high-quality protein and nutrients like Creatine and Carnosine, which are important for our muscles and brain.

We have a hefty beef farming industry in our community in Ontario, Canada. We also have very cold winters.  Around the world, there is much controversy over this term called ‘grass-fed.’  In our community cows are generally fed grass in the summer and finished on corn before processing.  However, we also have a few organic farms.  A local organic beef farmer feeds his cattle summer grass and in winter the cattle consume hay and legumes.  The legumes are grown in the field with the grass and so are mixed when the hay is harvested and wrapped. (Finishing is a term used to describe the time that the cattle are fattened before processing).  

I learned that cattle finished on corn and/or grain and given hormones can have a daily weight gain of up to three pounds.  Finishing on corn gives the beef more fat marbling. Cattle finished on hay and legumes are generally smaller animals that gain about one pound in weight per day.

As a food writer aiming to please my guests when entertaining, I’ve always advocated for cattle finished on corn because this method provides the beef with more marbling, and therefore fatter, and therefore more flavor.  And my adage has always been, “Where there’s no fat, there’s no flavor.” 

I love marbling! 

I’ve embraced and implemented grass-fed beef into our diet.  My naturopathic doc, who also happens to be a medical doc, Dr. Mordy Levy (Toronto, Canada) advocates the consumption of organic, grass-fed beef on occasion and in moderation.  Every country has its own ideas and regulations about cattle feeding.  I was told by this organic farmer that in Canada we have no organization advocating for organic, grass-fed cattle.

In the United States, cattle grazed on grass for the first six months to a year of their lives, but then are finished at a feedlot.  The cattle spend anywhere from 60 to 200 days at the feedlot where they are fed a concentrated combination of corn, soy, grains, supplements, as well as hormones and antibiotics.   Those in this industry may refer to this as a ‘balanced ration for optimum weight.’ 

During the 200 days at a feedlot, the cattle gain as much as 400 pounds.  If a cow can gain three pounds of fat per day and you multiply this by 200 days, it’s easy to understand how this much weight can be acquired over 200 days.  Once the cattle are fattened to their ‘finished weight’ they are transported to the slaughterhouse.

According to the American Grass Fed Beef Association, “an animal’s nutrient profile can significantly change at that time. During those months of grain finishing, levels of important nutrients like CLA and Omega-3 fatty acids decrease dramatically in the animal’s tissues.”

This is an important point when you are considering beef in your diet.  The more I can provide my husband and me with natural forms of Omega 3’s, the better the health of our bodies and brains. 

I personally believe that the way cows are treated and fed has an effect on the nutritional value of beef.  Many scientists agree.  (By the same token many cattle farmers and scientists disagree.)  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

As it was explained to me, cows naturally eat grass.  This affects their digestive track, PH levels, and the fatty acid composition of the meat.   

According to an article by Dr. Rekha Mankad, M.D. on the Mayo Clinic website, “grass-fed beef may have some heart-health benefits that other types of beef don’t have.”  Dr. Mankad goes on to say that grass-fed beef may have less total fat, more Omega-3 fatty acids, more conjugated linoleic acid (a type of fat that is believed to reduce heart disease and cancer risks), and more antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin E and others.

There are three main types of saturated fat found in red meat. They are stearic acid, palmitic acid, and mystristic acid. Grass-fed beef is believed to be consistently higher in proportions of stearic acid, which does not raise blood cholesterol levels.

If at all possible, buy beef directly from the farmer where you can witness first-hand how the animals live and are treated.

WHAT IS THE TASTE PROFILE OF KETO LOW-CARB ROAST BEEF SPICE RUB?

The predominant taste sensations of this Keto Low-Carb Roast Beef Spice Rub are salty and spicy.  These qualities will nicely offset sweet potato or butternut squash.

WHAT WINE HARMONIZES WITH KETO LOW-CARB ROAST BEEF SPICE RUB?

The predominant taste sensations of this Keto Low-Carb Roast Beef Spice Rub are salty and a smidgen of heat from the chili peppers.  Normally you would need a wine with some sweetness to offset the heat from the chili.  But in following a Keto diet or in living a low-carb lifestyle, we don’t want to use up carbs on a glass of wine with carbs.  Why add the carbs when you can find wines with zero carbs!  So, you have a couple of options:

1. Drink whatever wine you like (as long as it’s bone dry) and don’t worry about pairing the wine to the dish. Enjoy your wine the way you like it. 
2. If you like to create harmony between the wine and the food, you’ll need some sweetness in the wine to offset the heat.  Add a pinch of stevia or monk fruit to your glass of rose wine.  Why rose?  Because white wine generally doesn’t work well with beef.  And you certainly don’t want to add sweetener to a beautiful red!  Remember the old adage “red wine with red meat?”  Adding sweetness to a bone dry red with hefty tannin won’t work well and adding the sweetness cheapens the red!  So choose rose!  Rose can be enjoyed bone dry or sweet.  And it has enough weight to stand up to the weight of beef.   

*Wine Tips: To support your Keto diet or low-carb lifestyle, choose low-carb, low-sugar, and low-alcohol wines that are free of additives and artificial coloring.  Include your wine carb macros as part of your meal.  Remember, your liver will process alcohol before nutrients, pausing ketone creation and slowing the ketosis process. Your body will also metabolize alcohol as fuel before using food. This can slow fat burning and may cause your body to store carbs, fat, and protein as excess body fat.  Alcohol consumption also stimulates the appetite.  So, drink low-sugar, low-carb, and low alcohol wines in moderation.

WHAT OTHER KETO LOW-CARB HEALTHY HEART RECIPES CAN I ENJOY?

Keto Low-Carb BLT Tart (Heart Healthy)

Keto Low-Carb Cajun Salmon (Heart Healthy)

Keto Low-Carb Mama Meatloaf (Heart Healthy)

Keto Low-Carb Steak Marinade (Heart Healthy)

Keto Low-Carb Cinnamon Marmalade Chicken (Heart Healthy)

WHAT IS SHARI MAC’S PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION FOR YOUR KETO LOW-CARB DIET?

I wanted to share with you the BEST thing you can do for yourself to support your Keto Low-Carb diet.  Invest in a Vitamix Blender!  I stand behind this product 100%.  This Vitamix is a long-term investment worth every dollar! I use this Vitamix for almost daily all of my Keto diet needs – smoothies, ice cream blends, hot soups (made right in the Vitamix), sauces, and more!  Every other blender I purchased before my Vitamix failed within a couple of years.  This blender is a work horse. My best-friend has had her Vitamix for over 20 years with NO issues!  I just got my Vitamix this past year and LOVE IT!

HOW DO YOU PREPARE KETO LOW-CARB ROAST BEEF SPICE RUB?

This recipe is a delicious Keto Low-Carb seasoning for beef. However, it’s also healthy (Paleo) for those following this lifestyle.

 

Combine all spices in bowl.

Mix rub ingredients together.

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