This Homemade Beef Bone Broth is a savory, nourishing, and therapeutic liquid as a foundation for soups, sauces, and gravy or to drink on its own. Homemade beef bone broth is affordable, nutrient-dense, and full of aroma flavors. Bone broth is incredibly easy to make.
What is Bone Broth?
Bone Broth is made by simmering bones, cartilage, and other connective tissue in a liquid. Vegetables and scraps like celery and carrots, herbs, and spices are added for an extra boost of flavors and aroma. An acidic ingredient like apple cider vinegar helps break down the animal proteins and connective tissue that produces higher protein and collagen which is converted into gelatin that thickens the liquid. Vinegar is very important because it helps to pull all of the important nutrients out of the bones and into the water. Stock made from bones needs to be simmered for an extended period of time in a stovetop or slow cooker (12 hours or longer); pressure cooking methods shorten the time necessary to extract the flavor from the bones.
What is the difference between bone broth, regular broth and stocks?
Bone broth, regular broth, and stocks are very similar. They are slightly different in terms of ingredients and cooking methods.
- Bone Broth - It is made from different variety of bones, joints and cartilage that is simmered for a long period of time to produce protien and collagen.
- Regular Broth - It is a thin liquid and doesnt contain collagen. It is typically made from regular meat and boil for a short period of time.
- Stock - Regular stock can be quite gelatinous after simmering for an extended period of time compared to regular broth.
Ingredients
- Beef Bones with cartillage, joints and bone marrow
- Vegetables and vegetable scraps
- Vinegar or wine
- Herbs and spices - I love peppercorn, cinnamon, bay leaves and star anise combination.
- Water
How to make beef bone broth?
- Roasting the bones - Preheat your oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit. Start by roasting the bones in the oven for 25 minutes to caramilized the bones, breakdown and release fats. This step gives extra rich flavor to your bone broth. If you don't want to use oven, you can toss the bones in boiling water for a minute or 2 to remove impurities.
- Combining all the ingredients - In a slow cooker or pot, place your roasted bones, vegetable and vegetable scraps, herbs, spices, and apple cide vinegar.
- Water - Pour enough water to cover all the ingredients and leave about 1 inch on the top.
- Cover and cook - Cover with a lid on and start to cook by simmering the bones with all the ingredients in water. If using a stovetop, let it boil and simmer in a low heat for 10-12 hours or longer (do not leave your stovetop on overnight), turn it off bring the pot in the fridge and continue simmering the next day. If using slow-cooker, cover with a lid and cook on low for 24-48 hours. Add extra water if necessary. The longer it simmers, the more intense the flavor becomes, the more collagen is extracted and more nutritious it will be. We find 24 hours to be the perfect cook time in a slow cooker.
- Strain - Allow the broth to cool down. Strain the liquid using fine strainer and transfer into a clean container like a glass jar with a lid and discard the solids.
How often to drink it?
It depends on individual needs. Everybody's body is different. Some people recommend drinking one cup a day for the maximum health benefits. You can drink it as much as you needed. During the cold season, I love to make egg drop soup or just sip and drink on its own more often than on the warmer days.
Bone Broth Benefits
Bone broth is a very healthy and nutrient-dense liquid that you can drink anytime. I am not an expert but research shows that drinking homemade bone broth is so beneficial for overall health. I personally grew up consuming bone broth. Here are some health benefits;
- It is rich in many important vitamins and minerals that helps build and strengthen our bones. It also contain a lot of healthy nutrients, including vitamins, amino acids and essential fatty acids.
- It may helps to soothe digestive issues. Drinking homemade bone broth is beneficial for individuals with leaky gut problem, irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease.
- It is an anti-inflammatory drink that helps fight inflammation in the body. In Asian Country, we sip bone broth when we are sich with a flu or cold.
- Collagen found in bone broth helps support joint health and improve skin elasticity. Many beauty products nowadays contain collagen which is proven to be effective as anti-aging.
- It helps you to loss weight. It is low in calorie but it is still satisfying. It improves your appetite and increase weight loss.
- It is nourishing, therapeautic and savory.
STORAGE AND REHEATING TIPS
Refrigerator - While it is easy to make bone broth in large batches, it can only be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days to be safe. Kepp it in an air-tight container.
Freezer - My favorite way of storing bone broth. Keep your homemade bone broth in the freezer for about 3-4 months. You can freeze it in a freezer-friendly container and thaw in the fridge overnight or on the countertop until it reaches room temperature. My favorite container is a wide-mouth mason jar with a lid. Reheat as needed.
Beef Bone Broth
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 large pieces beef bones
- 3-4 cups vegetables with scraps
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 3 pieces star anise
- 2 pieces bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon peppercorn
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- few cups water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast the bones for 25 minutes. You can also put them in boiling water for 2-5 minutes to remove impurities.
- In a dutch oven or slow cooker, combine all the ingredients and pour enough water and let everything submerge into the water leaving 1 inch on the top.
- Let it boil then simmer for 10-12 hours if using a stovetop. Cook in a slow cooker for 12-24 hours. The longer it simmers, the more flavor and collagen it produces.
- Let it cool, strain the solids and discard. Transfer in a clean container.
Cristina
This homemade bone broth is so easy to make and perfect for all the soups, gravy and sauces I make.