Beef Bone Broth

The best thing that’ll simmer in your kitchen this season. There are countless recipes for bone broth to choose from; this one is my favorite because the long, simple process creates a wonderful smell like no other, & the end result is a highly concentrated broth with big, rich flavor. If you’re not in a hurry to make the perfect broth, this is the one for you.

• 5-6 pounds beef bones (oxtail, marrow bones, neck bones, knuckles)
• 4-5 whole carrots, scrubbed, cut into halves or thirds
• 1 whole onion, quartered
• 2-3 celery stalks, cut into thirds
• 8 whole garlic cloves
• fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary – any or all)
• seasoning (I use Five Mary’s Spice Rub)
• salt
• apple cider vinegar

Coat the bottom and sides of a heavy Dutch oven with a thin layer of olive oil. Add beef bones, sprinkle with seasoning, and roast at 400, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven & turn over bones using tongs; tuck carrots, onion, celery, garlic, & fresh herbs around bones. The pot will be pretty full. Sprinkle with more seasoning, return to oven and roast 30 minutes longer.

While bones & veggies are roasting, I coat a second Dutch oven with oil to increase the yield of broth. You can do this or continue with one pot. When done roasting, I divide everything out between 2 pots & cover the contents of each with water to about 2 inches above the beef & veggies. Add 1 t. salt & 2 T. apple cider vinegar to each pot. Bring just to a boil on the stovetop, cover, & return to the oven (reduce temp to 250) for 1-2 hours. Cool completely, then refrigerate until a layer of fat has hardened on top. Remove fat – with a spoon, fork, or even clean hands (it will break off into chunks).

*You can finish with the last step here, OR continue on as I do.*

Optional shortened version: Reheat broth over low-medium until it liquifies; pour through a strainer to separate out all meat, vegetables, and herbs. Store in refrigerator up to one week or freezer for much longer than that. 🙂 I store mine in mason jars.

Here’s where I continue: After removing the layer of hardened fat, also remove whatever cooked herbs are floating around and replace with more fresh herbs. Sprinkle with seasoning and salt and return to a 250 oven for 1-2 more hours. Cool completely, refrigerate until remaining fat has hardened, remove fat, and continue as above – heating until liquified and then straining.

The second step at the end increases your overall prep time but adds very little work. It leaves you with a pure, concentrated broth that contains very little fat. I tend to think soups and stews are better on the second day, and the same applies to this bone broth recipe; I think it’s best with the additional step. Remember you can adjust beef, vegetable, herb, & seasoning quantities as desired. I make mine slightly different each time, but you’d think it was just the same.

Yields vary; I get about 8-10 16oz jars using this recipe.

Bone broth is full of goodness. Its healing nutrients are known to reduce inflammation, improve gut health, serve as a sleep aid, and much more. Bone broth is one of the best things you can have on hand during cold & flu season, but I think you’ll also find yourself looking for a reason to make it all year long.