Ingredients:
1-1.5kg Regenerative Farms beef bones
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Bay leaves (optional)
Whole black peppercorns
Whole star anise (optional)
Cinnamon sticks (optional)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Salt to taste
Water
Instructions:
Blanch
Put the bones in a stock pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes before draining and rinsing the bones with water.
You don't have to blanch the bones, however beef bones really benefit from this extra step, especially if you want a clear stock.
The purpose is to remove impurities, coagulated protein, and blood which ultimately results in a cleaner, better tasting broth.
The nutrient loss is too small to justify not blanching.
Roasting
Preheat the oven to 230°C. Place the bones and vegetables on a baking tray and roast them for 30 minutes. Toss and roast for a further 15-30 mins
Simmering: Stove top. (slow cooker instructions below)
Wash the stockpot that you used to blanch the bones, add the roasted bones, vegetables and any bits left on the bottom of the pan.
Pour enough water into the pot to cover the ingredients. Add any herbs you are using - bay leaves, peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and apple cider vinegar.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, with the lid slightly ajar, skimming any foam or excess fat, as needed.
Simmer for at least 8-12 hours or up to 24 hours
(do not leave the stove running overnight. Simply cool and store in the refrigerator and continue to simmer the next day).
Add more water if needed to make sure bones and vegetables remain fully submerged.
The longer you simmer the broth, the more flavourful and nutritious it will be. But there is no need to simmer it for longer than 24 hrs.
If the vegetables (particularly the carrots) turn too soft and mushy at any point throughout cooking, use a slotted spoon to remove. Enjoy as a delicious snack or discard.
Once the broth has cooked for the desired amount of time, remove the pot from the heat and strain it through a fine mesh strainer. For an extra clear broth, strain a second time through a food-grade cheesecloth.
Transfer your broth to the refrigerator and allow it to cool completely.
The result will be a hard, thick layer of fat and a bottom layer that is your bone broth (which should look like gelatinous brown jelly).
Use a fork to scoop off the top layer of fat. This will leave behind the healthy bone broth, minus the fat.
Store the broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze it for longer storage.
Notes:
You can customize this recipe by adding different herbs and spices, such as thyme, or rosemary, to enhance the flavor of the broth.
Your beef bones want to be fully submerged in water. If your pot isn’t big enough, use two pots.
There is no need to simmer your bones for any longer than 24 hours.
Why vinegar? Since bone broth is often graded by how gelatinous it is upon cooling, sometimes apple cider vinegar or white vinegar is added in small amounts to help break down the animal proteins and connective tissues. This aided breakdown helps provide a broth higher in protein and collagen.
Any meat from the bones can be used for soups, sandwiches or as pet food fo your furry friends. The vegetables can be blended together and added to cooked rice, mashed potatoes, or, add a little broth and make it a delicious blended soup.
Simmering: (slow cooker instructions)
Instead of transferring the roasted bones, veggies, herbs, and spices to large stockpot, put them into your slow cooker or divide them among two slow cookers, cover with cold water, and cook on low for 24-48 hours with the lid slightly ajar. Add additional water, as needed, to keep the bones covered.
Adapted from The Forked Spoon with thanks.
