Recipe

January 29, 2016

Trending Now: Bone Broth

Recipe: Kristen Eppich

On a harsh, wintery day, there’s nothing like a pot simmering away on the stove to turn your house into a cozy refuge. If there’s anything to warm the cockles and please the soul, it’s bone broth.

What is bone broth? Commonly confused for stock, it’s actually an intensely flavored soup that can be enjoyed all on its own. It’s typically cooked for anywhere between 6-16 hours and the ratio of bones to water is much higher than in stock, resulting in a higher concentration of collagen, amino acids and minerals in the liquid. All of which makes it extremely good for you.

Here are some tips for making bone broth:

  • Make sure to purchase inexpensive cuts of meat for bone broth as you’re just looking for flavor. The ratio of bone-in meat to bones is 2:1. Therefore, for every 2 lbs of bone-in meat, there is 1 lb of bones.
  • When possible, request joint bones from your butcher. Their high levels of collagen are great for bone broths.
  • Remember that the purpose of the long simmer is to extract as much nutrition as possible from the bones – so the bones you use are very important. When possible, look for bones from high quality farm-raised animals.

Here I have adapted the House & Home Beef Stock recipe to a bone broth.

Ingredients

  • 2 kg bone-in meat bones (such as short rib or shank)
  • 1 kg mixed bones (knuckle, neck, shank)
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 small Spanish onions, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
  • 1 large sprig thyme
  • 1 large sprig flat-leaf parsley
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 bulb garlic, cut in half horizontally (reserve other half for another use)
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Yield:

 

  1. Preheat oven to 475ºF (240ºC). If bones are large, use a cleaver to chop into smaller pieces. Place bones and bone-in meat in a shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Roast, turning occasionally, until bones are fragrant and dark, 30 – 40 minutes.
  2. Transfer bones to a stock pot. Drain and discard fat from roasting pan. Pour a little water into hot roasting pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits and add to pot. Pour in enough water to cover bones by 3 to 4 inches.
  3. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer as low as possible for 3 hours to develop flavor. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Add remaining ingredients except salt and pepper and continue gently simmering for a minimum of 3 hours, up to 10 hours. The larger the bones and joints the longer you will need to simmer. Continue tasting the broth to determine its doneness – you are looking for a rich depth of flavor.
  4. Spoon out and discard bones. If desired, use meat for another use. Strain broth through a large mesh sieve. Season with salt and pepper to taste.