Beef Bone Broth

This bone broth is nutrient dense and collagen rich – it can be sipped as a restorative broth on its own or used as a base for sauces, soups, or for cooking grains. The longer you cook this nourishing broth, the more savory and concentrated it will become!

Recipe and Photos Contributed by Ada Smith

Ingredients:

4 pounds beef bones, preferably a mix of marrow bones and bones with a little meat on them, such as oxtail, short ribs, or knuckle bones

2 medium unpeeled carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 medium leek, end trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 medium onion, quartered

1 garlic head, halved crosswise

2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Special equipment:

6-quart (or larger) stockpot, a large slow cooker, or a pressure cooker

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place beef bones, carrots, leek, onion, and garlic on a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Toss the contents of the pan and continue to roast until deeply browned, about 20 minutes more.

Fill a large (at least 6-quart) stockpot with 12 cups of water (preferably filtered) . Add celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, and vinegar. Scrape the roasted bones and vegetables into the pot along with any juices. Add more water if necessary to cover bones and vegetables.

Cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to a very low simmer and cook with lid slightly ajar, skimming foam and excess fat occasionally, for at least 8 but up to 24 hours on the stovetop. It is ok to turn the broth off, cool, and continue simmering the next day. Don’t want to simmer for as long? If you have an instant pot pressure cooker you can reduce time to a few hours! https://nomnompaleo.com/20120117quick-pressure-cooker-bone-broth

Add more water if necessary to ensure bones and vegetables are fully submerged. Alternately, you can cook the broth in a slow cooker on low for the same amount of time. The longer you simmer your broth, the better it will be!

Remove the pot from the heat and let cool slightly. Strain broth using a fine-mesh sieve and discard bones and vegetables. Let continue to cool until barely warm, then refrigerate in smaller containers overnight. Remove solidified fat from the top of the chilled broth.

Broth can be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.