The following Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson, and is narrated by Tina Lehman.

Eight kitchen hacks every primal cook should know.

A big part of the Primal Blueprint 21-day Challenge happens in your kitchen, which is a good thing.

Preparing your own meals is the best way to ensure you're eating real food that your body needs to thrive.

It takes the guesswork out of what is or isn't primal in a world of ready-made meals.

But if you don't approach cooking three-plus meals a day with a strategy,

you'll start feeling like you'll never get out of the kitchen, which isn't such a good thing.

A collection of primal recipes right at your fingertips definitely helps,

and you can find a link to that on today's post at marksdailyapple.com. But if you really want primal cooking to be easy, convenient, and

manageable in the long haul, then what you need most are some kitchen hacks that every

primal cook should know. Number one, how to cook with a cast iron skillet. If you're going to invest in one new piece of

cooking equipment, buy a cast iron skillet. Cast iron is a safe, indestructible cooking surface that

puts a crispy sear on meat like no other. It can go from stove top to the oven, and even on the

hot grates of a grill.

The last option makes for awesome burgers, because allowing them to bask in the glory of their own fat

rather than dry up while the precious drippings fall beneath the open grating is just brilliant.

Cast iron pans cook best when really hot, so heat up the pan, add some fat, and throw in whatever

you're cooking, be it meat or vegetable. Cast iron retains heat well even when cold food is added,

so expect ingredients to cook a little faster than usual. Finish cooking on the stove top,

put the pan in a preheated oven to finish cooking meat all the way through, or cook vegetables until tender.

To season your new cast iron pan, which helps create a fairly non-stick surface, heat the pan up on the stove top until it's really hot,

then rub a little neutral flavored oil, coconut oil, or lard into it, and let it cool.

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