Gradually, gradually I hope I’m getting you all used to cooking with secondary cuts of meat…yes? The secondary cuts are the ones that can often be discarded because they’re not as fashionable. Which is a waste. The dumb thing is, these secondary cuts – chuck, shanks, cheeks, offal, shin, blade, brisket – taste infinity better than the primary cuts if they’re simply cooked a little differently.

Slow cooked cinnamon beef cheeks, recipe below. Image from Eat Drink Paleo

Dumber still, these different cooking methods (slow and long) make the meat much better for you (the slow temperatures don’t destroy as many of the enzymes).Make a difference and vote with your dollar: buy secondary and learn to cook differently!

I’ve been playing with a few different cuts…gradually moving us all via this series of slow-cooked meals (you can check out my lamb shanks with lemon and cinnamon here and my beef with coconut curry here) to cooking with offal. We’re not there yet. But stay tuned.

Today, it’s beef cheeks. These are the facial cheeks of cows (not the bum cheeks!) and are very lean and tough if not cooked nice and slow and languidly.

Some quick pointers before we start…

* You can use a heavy-based casserole pot instead.

No need to buy a special electric slow cooker if you don’t want. You can use a Le Creuset casserole pot or dutch oven on the stove top or in the oven instead. You generally have to add liquid if you do (see below) and reduce cooking time from 8 hours (on low) or 4 hours (on high) to 1-2 hours.

* It doesn’t have to be a big one.

I use a 4.5L one. It’s big enough to make 6-8 portions.

* Halve the liquid if you’re using a slow cooker

If you’re converting a recipe from a standard (oven or stove-top) recipe, halve the amount of juicy stuff and do things

I’m going to take a step or two back. And explain the “simple” in the My Simple Home experiment. I’d like to be clear.

Image by Maxwell Holyoke-Hirsch

You’ll notice the series is not called “My Minimalist Home”. Minimalism is a righteous aesthetic, but not always practical. All those ardent minimalists out there can be painful. And their all-in-one gadgets can cost a bomb. I really enjoyed reading this Slate article on how minimalism isn’t sustainable….and how the original minimalist zealots have backed off on their message to something…simpler. You might like this fresh perspective too.

I don’t call it “My Green Home” either. Sustainable timber and chemical-free options are great. But generally green home features and rants suggest more buying…More Stuff, albeit derived from new-growth shrubbery. It’s consumerism dressed up in hemp clothing.

You’ll also notice I don’t speak of “Decluttering”. Decluttering denotes chucking stuff out, and often perfectly good things that are then replaced by a less cluttery version of the original. And complemented by a visit to The Storage Shop to buy a whole heap of containers and filing solutions. Which is More Stuff.

Instead, I’ve gone the simple slant. Simple is minimalist, green, decluttered, low waste, practical, economical and all the rest of that good stuff rolled into one. Well it should be.

Simple has as its mantra one word: less.

Go to the shops less. Buy less. Consume less. Recycle less (recycling should be a last resort). Less furniture. Less gadgets. Use up what you have first. Improvise. Make do. Use the same thing for two purposes. Need less.

Recently Leo Babauta listed what he didn’t own over on mnmlist. I’ve decided to do the same, as prompted by his

Drum rolls and fanfare be silent. The day has come. Yep, the I Quit Sugar Chocolate Cookbook is available today. And thank you for being so patient!

My love of chocolate has seen me experiment madly with different densely nutritious and satiating recipe ideas for two years now. It’s not a bad experiment to sign up for, mind you. This cookbook, as with my previous books, evolved as an experiment as I explored sugar-free living for myself. I say this often: I’m not a scientist. I don’t pretend to be. I’m someone who gave this way of living a crack, found it did great things for my wellness, and now I love sharing what I’ve learned.

To grab the Chocolate Cookbook, click on the button below. If you’ve pre-ordered, your copy will be delivered to you today via email. Stay tuned!

I’m hoping you’ll love it. Here’s what you’ll find inside: