Alpaca Skillet with Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Charred Broccolini, and Ají Verde
Lean ground alpaca seared with garlic, cumin, and oregano until crisp at the edges, served with crispy roasted Brussels sprouts, charred broccolini, and a vibrant Peruvian-inspired ají verde, a creamy green chile sauce made with cilantro, lime, and avocado.
Yield: Serves 4 · Active: 30 min · Total: 40 min · Best in North America from fall through winter, when Brussels sprouts and broccolini are at their sweetest · Best eaten: early evening
About alpaca: Alpacas have been raised in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia for thousands of years, mostly for their fleece, and their meat has long been a traditional Andean food. It's mild and slightly sweet, and remarkably lean, with very little fat and plenty of protein and iron. I sourced mine from a farm while I was in Oregon. It was my first time trying alpaca, and I loved it
Can't find alpaca? Use ground bison, elk, or pasture-raised turkey for an equally lean skillet, or grass-fed beef or lamb for a richer, juicier one. The method stays the same.
Ingredients
Ají verde
1 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
1 ripe avocado
1–2 jalapeños (seeded for milder heat), or 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste
1 garlic clove
Juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp crumbled queso fresco or chèvre (optional, but traditional for creaminess)
1 tsp dried huacatay (Peruvian black mint, optional) or a few fresh mint leaves
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
2–4 tbsp water, to thin
Crispy Brussels sprouts and charred broccolini
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 bunches broccolini, trimmed
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or melted ghee, divided
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt, divided
Squeeze of lime
Alpaca
1 lb ground alpaca (or ground bison, elk, pasture-raised turkey, grass-fed beef, or lamb)
1 tbsp ghee or tallow
1 small red onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp smoked paprika (or ají panca powder)
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
¼ cup bone broth (to keep the lean meat juicy)
Juice of ½ lime and a handful of fresh cilantro
Method
Roast the Brussels sprouts. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss them with 2 tbsp oil and half the salt, and roast cut-side down 20–25 minutes, until deeply browned and crispy.
Make the ají verde. Blend everything until smooth and creamy, adding water until pourable. Taste and adjust the lime and salt.
Char the broccolini. Toss it with the remaining oil and salt, and roast on a second pan 12–15 minutes (or sear in a hot cast iron skillet), until charred at the tips.
Cook the alpaca. Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion 3–4 minutes, then add the alpaca, breaking it up, and let it sit undisturbed for a minute or two at a time so it browns. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, and salt and cook 1 minute, then add the broth and simmer 1–2 minutes, until the meat is cooked through (160°F) and juicy. Finish with lime and cilantro.
Plate. Spoon the alpaca into shallow bowls with the Brussels sprouts and broccolini alongside, drizzle generously with ají verde, and finish with lime wedges.
Make it into patties instead: Mix the raw alpaca with an egg, the garlic, and the spices, shape into 8 small patties, and sear 3–4 minutes per side.
Storage: Cooked alpaca, up to 4 days refrigerated; ají verde, up to 2 days (press wrap onto its surface); vegetables, up to 4 days.
Nourishment Notes
Alpaca — lean complete protein, heme iron, zinc, and B12, with very little fat.
Brussels sprouts and broccolini — glucosinolates (the precursors to sulforaphane and DIM), vitamin C, and vitamin K.
Avocado — monounsaturated fats and potassium.
Cilantro — chlorophyll and vitamin K.
Jalapeños — vitamin C and capsaicin.
Garlic, cumin, and oregano — allicin, cuminaldehyde, and carvacrol.
For your cycle: The brassicas support estrogen metabolism through Phase 2 liver detoxification, making this a great ovulatory- and luteal-phase plate, and alpaca's iron helps replenish you during your period.
Sourcing
Ground alpaca — pasture-raised, from a small U.S. alpaca farm or a specialty meat purveyor (or grass-fed bison, elk, beef, or lamb, or pasture-raised turkey)
Brussels sprouts, broccolini, avocado, cilantro, jalapeños, onion, garlic, and limes — organic, from a farmers' market
Ají amarillo paste, ají panca, and huacatay (optional) — from a Latin American grocer; choose pastes made with just peppers, salt, and vinegar
Queso fresco or chèvre (optional) — organic, from a local dairy
Bone broth — homemade, or Bonafide Provisions (organic, sold frozen)
Ghee or tallow — Ancient Organics ghee, or tallow rendered from grass-fed suet
Spices (cumin, oregano, smoked paprika) — organic and non-irradiated
Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass
Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall