Alaskan Slow Cooker Caribou Thai Stew

I'll be the first to admit that, although I am a tried and true Alaskan, caribou has never been my favorite meat.  I always grab for moose in the freezer when cooking, but have found that once the moose runs low I am faced with at least a few packages of caribou meat just begging to be used.  Well, I have some good news for those of you in the same boat!  Give the caribou a chance on this recipe and I guarantee you'll not only be licking your bowl, you'll be going back for seconds and thirds.  It's just that good :)  Give it a try and let me know what you think!  And, of course, if you don't have caribou you can substitute moose or beef.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
• 2-3 lbs caribou stew meat or roast cube into 1 inch cubes
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 4 T curry powder
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cups julienned carrots
• 1 green pepper, diced
• fresh cilantro, for garnish

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meat evenly on all sides.  I browned half of the meat at a time so the pan didn't get overloaded.  Transfer meat directly to the slow cooker.
2. Wipe out the skillet and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Saute the onion and garlic over medium high heat for 5 minutes.  Add ginger powder during the last minute of cooking.
3. Pour in the coconut milk and stir continuously to release the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the tomato paste, curry paste, fish sauce, lime juice, and salt, then pour the mixture over the caribou in the slow cooker. This is the curry powder I use - it's delicious! It doesn't look like much, but your nose in heaven as this cooks for hours!
5. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Add the broccoli, carrots, and green pepper during the last 30 minutes if cooking on high, or the last hour if cooking on low. Add in the carrots, broccoli, and green pepper.

   6. Serve over rice (in this case we used cauliflower rice) and garnish with fresh cilantro.