Preheat a 12" cast iron skillet and melt 1 tsp. of bacon fat in the skillet over medium heat. Once steam is rising from the skillet, add half of the meat chunks and fry them for 3-5 minutes. Put them in a crockpot and repeat with the remaining bacon fat and meat chunks.
Prepare the vegetables how you like them, whether that's chopping them, shredding them, or slicing them. The vegetables include the onion, celery, carrots, and parsnips.
Combine the seared meat, vegetables, broth, tomato juice, and quinoa in a crockpot. Add the salt, pepper, and thyme. Crush the garlic into the stew. Stir to combine everything.
Set the crockpot on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Serve with your favorite grain-free or gluten-free bread product!