Bone Broth Recipe: The New Superfood

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Bone broth has been around for centuries as a healing tonic. Recently it’s made a comeback as the new superfood. Make no bones about it, it’s loaded with vitamins A & K and minerals such as iron, selenium, zinc, and manganese. It has amino acids, collagen, and gelatin. Some people say it’s better than botox for the skin, reduces cellulite and decreases arthritis. I personally love it because it soothes the stomach, relaxes the nerves and boosts the immune system.  Plus, I generally feel better when I drink it.

The popularity of diets like Paleo, Whole 30 and Keto, makes it easy to find bone broth in most grocery stores. But it’s more economical to make it at home, and it’s so simple. You can use chicken, turkey, beef or lamb bones or a combination. You can also use fish bones and shells to make a rich seafood stock. I’ve provided a recipe here for beef stock, but the method is the same for any type of bones. 

How to Make It

Let’s begin! You’ll need 3-4 lbs of bones. Adding a foot or hoof to the mix will up the collagen content of your broth so use one if you can.  Place the bones in a large pot or slow cooker along with one onion, a whole head of garlic, half a fennel bulb, carrots, rosemary (or any herb you like), whole peppercorns, salt, and apple cider vinegar. 

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When prepping your vegetables, don’t be too fussy. Leave the skins on the onion, garlic, and carrots. They will add extra flavor and give the broth a deeper, color. If you don’t like the flavor of fennel add a few stalks of celery instead. Don’t skip the vinegar! The acid will help remove the minerals from the bones and marrow. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use white or red wine vinegar.

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Once your ingredients are in the pot, add water to cover by an inch. If you’re making the broth on the stove top, bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer.  If you’re using a slow cooker, cover with water and set to low. Regardless of the cooking method, simmer the bone broth for 12-24 hours. The longer the better, you want to get every bit of the nutrients out of the bones. I’ve left mine simmering in a slow cooker for 48 hours.  

When you feel the broth has cooked long enough, strain it into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Place the cooled broth in the refrigerator overnight. The fat will rise to the top and solidify, making it easy to remove. That’s it! You now have a nutritious, comforting broth to use in soups, stews, and sauces, or heat it up and enjoy with fresh herbs. 

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Bone Broth Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3-4 lbs animal bones

  • 1 onion, halved, skin on

  • 1 garlic bulb, halved, skin on

  • 3 carrots, unpeeled, cut into large chunks

  • ½ a fennel bulb with fronds (or 3-4 celery stalks)

  • 2 large sprigs of rosemary (or herb of choice)

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (red or white wine vinegar will work too)

  • 5 whole peppercorns

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • Water to cover

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a large pot or slow cooker. Cover with water one inch above the ingredients

  2. If cooking on the stove-top, bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered for 12-24 hours

  3. If cooking in a slow cooker, set to low and cook for 12-48 hours

  4. Strain the broth, discarding the solids, and cool to room temperature

  5. Place cooled broth in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the solid layer of fat and use within 5 days or freeze up to 4 months

Kristen Bala