There’s nothing that compares to homemade broth or stock. It’s full of nutrients and minerals that are easily assimilated by the body. And not to mentions it’s just delicious – on it’s own or as the base for any homemade soup, stew, or sauce.
Broth is very easy to make at home with a little time and a few ingredients. And just think of all the chemicals and preservatives, along with “hidden” MSG, that you will be avoiding by making your own stock.
- 4 pounds meaty beef soup bones (grass-fed)
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 to 4 carrots, cut into chunks
- 2 to 3 stalks of celery, cut into chunks
- 6 large garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 1 cup dry red wine
OR 1/2 cup raw vinegar - 4 quarts (16 cups) filtered water, or more as needed
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste, optional
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
OR 2 fresh thyme sprigs - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
OR 2 fresh oregano sprigs - 1 teaspoon peppercorns (green, black, or multi-colored)
- unrefined sea salt, to taste (optional)
Roast beef bones in 350F oven for about 1 hour, or until they are nicely browned.
Place bones in the bottom of a large stock pot, laying as flat as possible, adding any fat that may be left in the baking pan after roasting.
Add the wine (or vinegar) to the pot along with filtered water. Water should completely cover the bones by a couple of inches, add additional water if necessary. Cover pot with lid and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes, preferably up to 1 hour.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any scum or foam that rises to the surface.
After skimming add in the tomato paste, vegetables, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, and peppercorns.
Bring back to a boil, covering pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 12 hours or more (the longer you let it simmer, the richer your stock will be). I allow mine to simmer for 24 hours.
After desired amount of simmering, remove the bones with tongs or a slotted spoon. Strain the stock into a large bowl, discarding all the vegetables and other bits of bone, etc.
Place broth in the refrigerator to cool.
Once completely cooled, skim off any congealed fat from the surface. Do not throw away this fat, it is good for you and great to cook with. So, save it in the refrigerator for several days or freeze for longer storage.
Note: The stock may be used immediately or packaged in desired portions and frozen for up to six months.
Makes 1+ gallon.
I recently made my first batch of beef stock and it was wonderful. I used both stock bones and ox tail. And I didn’t take the time to add carrot and celery with the bones, but i did add two onions. I cooked it in the crockpot on low almost 48 hours. The resulting stock was rich and wonderful. I then froze some, but used most of it for soup right away because it smelled and looked so wonderful. I added carrots, onion, celery (from my garden), and potatoes. Then when it was done I added fresh parsley and celery leaves. It was heavenly. The kids LOVED it. I was amazed at how it looked. I have made soups lots of time and have even used bones before, but this time the soup was shiny. Like the soups you see in magazines or on TV. And all that I needed was a little bit of salt for flavoring. AMAZING. I will definitely be making stock on a regular basis now especially since my kids mainly drink broth when we have soup.
That is great Waggie! Homemade broth really is so easy to make — plus it’s super nutritious, full of minerals, and tastes great!
A cup of hot homemade broth is also excellent when one is feeling under-the-weather or out of sorts. It is very soothing and healing.
Preface:
Just beginning to change the way I cook. Focusing on healthy (healthier) – so I’m a newby to making my own stock.
Questions:
Why do you skim the ‘scum’ off the top?
What’s bad about it?
What IS the scum?
Thanks so much for helping educate! 🙂
Lori, the scum is made up of many things, mostly impurities and such that can make your broth cloudy and also give it an off taste. So skim this off as best you can. You may have to check on it a few times in the beginning, skimming off any new scum that may rise to the surface.
Congratulations and good luck on the healthier eating! It’s not really hard, just some new things to learn. I hope you find Cooking God’s Way to be a great resource for you in the new walk. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions as you need. If they are personal or you don’t want to post them out in the open, use the contact form to email us directly.
Why do you add tomato paste? Do you add it for flavor, or is there a health reason for adding it?
I add the tomato paste just for flavor. You can omit it if desired. (I went ahead and put a note that it was optional in the recipe above.)
Actually I just made the broth again the other day and omitted the tomato paste, and it still turned out good. So it’s totally up to your tastes if you add it in or not.
Do you think this can be done in a crock pot?
It is possible, and I’ve done it before. But I do not do it anymore.
Here are 2 reasons why.
1. You really should bring everything to a boil so the scum can rise to the top and be scraped off.
2. You won’t get as much broth out of the crock pot, as the bones take up so much space that you can’t add enough water to the pot.
So I just cook it on the stove top, leaving the burner on very low (after the initial boil) for 24 hours. Hope I’ve been of help, let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Mmmm! Sounds good 🙂
got a pot of duck stock simmering on the stove right now! 🙂