Beef Broth

Don’t forget your bone broth! There are so many benefits to bone broth. It is one of the most economical nutritionally rich foods to include in your weekly plan. Make a big batch, freeze it and enjoy it all week. There is no comparison between homemade bone broth and the broth on the shelves in the grocery store. Find a farmer or ask your butcher if they can get you grass-fed beef bones.

Broths or stocks contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur and trace minerals. Below is a recap fromDavid Perlmutter’s blog on the importance of bone broth: 

• Collagen is one of the most important proteins for our joints, gut, skin, and cartilage.
• Glycosaminoglycans is key for supporting skin health and keeping the joints well-lubricated.
• Proline is an amino acid that supports the formation of collagen and plays a role in regulating apoptosis, which is an important mechanism in the body for getting rid of defective cells.
• Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid and serves as a fuel for enterocytes, which we depend on to maintain the integrity of the gut lining.
• Glycine plays a key role in the production of glutathione, which is one of the most powerful antioxidants for the body.

Benefits of including beef broth in your regular diet:

• Helps heal and seal your gut, and promotes healthy digestion
• Fights inflammation
• Chondroitin, sulphate, glucosamine, and other compounds are rich in a well cooked stock, and help reduce joint pain and inflammation.

Find a weekly routine:

Simmer bones on a low heat for an entire day with loads of vegetables. It is safe to slow-cook the bones anywhere from 12 to 48 hours. As the bones cook, they release nutrients and minerals. Nutrient-rich collagen, gelatin, and glucosamine are easier to digest with heat. This will create one of the most nutritious and healing foods there is.

If you want to make stock with an extended simmering time, you may find it necessary to add water during the process. Just keep an eye on it and if the water level drops below the bones, simply add enough hot water to get everything submerged again.

This broth can be used as a base for soups and stews, or you can sip it straight. Freeze the stock in glass containers (leave 3” at the top to allow for expansion) for future use.

Bone Broth

• 4 pounds of beef marrow, knuckle bones
• 3 pounds meaty rib or neck bones
• 4 or more quarts cold water
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 onions, coarsely chopped
• 3 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 whole fennel bulb, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• Celtic sea salt (only after broth is cooked)

Soak cold bones in water for 10-15 minutes. Water should cover the bones. This removes the impurities. Then cook your beef bones in water before making the stock. Bring a pot of water to boil with the bones. As soon as the water boils, turn off and drain completely.

To make the stock: In a large pot, place the boiled bones, cold water, vinegar and vegetables. Do NOT skip the vinegar step—it draws the minerals out of the bones. Bring the pot to a simmer and reduce the heat to the lowest temperature. Let the pot sit for longer than you think is possible. It will be fine 4-6 hours or even overnight (on super slow simmer) with the lid off. Once it reduces, you can see what the flavor is really like and then add some sea salt to bring out the flavors.

Added kombu and herbs (thyme, bay, garlic, star anise, cinnamon or ginger) make for a richer stock, but be advised that if you add the bolder spices and/or ginger, this will flavor all of your stock.

Turmeric, Lemongrass and Ginger are great additions for both flavor and health: Add a 4” piece of smashed ginger and/or lemongrass and 1 Tbsp. of turmeric to a quart of bone broth and simmer slowly for 30 minutes.

Additional notes on beef broth: We have a 8 ½ quart Crock-Pot and use about 3 lbs. of bones. If you find a farmer, they may require that you purchase 24 lbs. of bones. If you wish to make a stock with this quantity, it will require a very large pot! Try to use several types of bones, but always include the large knuckle that has a lot of cartilage. These can be bought from your butcher. Grass-fed beef only!

Save any vegetables that will not keep until the day you make stock. Freeze your carrots, garlic, onion and celery trimmings in a bag until the day you will be making your stock.

Bones should not be disintegrated. A pressure-cooked stock should take about an hour or so. Using a pressure cooker should not make any difference in flavor, but the mineral content of a slow cooked stock will be better than one made from a pressure cooker. Pressure cooking will break down some of the proteins into individual amino acids, like glutamic acid. It is best to go with the slow cooked method over pressure cooker, but that being said, if you are short on time, go ahead and make your stock in a pressure cooker.

Get into the habit of making a stock each week. Fish bones make for a great fish stock and a whole organic, PASTURED chicken carcass will also make for a terrific broth. As for the beef bones, always choose grass-fed because the grass-fed animal is higher in omega 3 and vitamin A and D. Grain-fed beef is higher in omega 6.

The house will smell great each time you slow-cook a stock — added bonus!