Description
This is a perfect mix for a tasty bone broth or stock, so simple to make. A slow cooker is especially useful for this purpose but you can also use your oven. In fact, we think the bones give a better flavour if roasted first before adding into the water, but that is a personal choice. Here is a simple recipe idea for your broth, you can use some, or all, of the following in your broth and you will need a large stock pot or slow cooker:
Beef bones, carrots, onions, celery, garlic, bay leaves, whole black peppercorns, whole star anise, cinnamon sticks, apple cider vinegar. Take the bones and place them in a deep oven tray, mixing in the veg (carrots, onions and celery) Quantities can vary, depending on how much flavour / stock you wish to produce but you can be pretty ad lib. Roast for about half an hour on Gas Mark 7 or 200 degrees C and then give the bones and veg a turn over, followed by another 20 or so minutes. Simply add to the stockpot with all the herbs and spices, and cover with water. You can deglaze the roasting tin by adding a little water to get all the lovely bits up – and pour those in too. Bring to the boil, at which point you can skim off any fat or foam that you can see, and then simmer for a very, very, long time!
I leave my slow cooker on all day, but you can simmer on the hob for 4 – 6 hours and get a similar result, but keep covered and top up the water constantly. When you are satisfied that the broth has finished stewing, you can strain it through a fine mesh strainer and then discard the bones and vegetables. You can always use the meat from the bones (if there is any) to make a soup.
You can cool the broth down at the end of this process by adding a couple of handfuls of ice cubes, and when cool refrigerate. The fat will solidify and separate from the jelly like broth when cold, and you can then easily remove it (or leave it if you are happy). The remaining liquid can form the basis of soups, be used as stock or as a “beef tea” drink which will be very filling and can help with diet control. You can store it for up to five days in the fridge or freeze it in batches.
The list of the health benefits attributed to bone broth are seemingly endless, from boosting immunity, alleviating the common cold and bronchitis, to promoting weight loss and improving hydration. It is widely known now that the nutrients in it help your gut by supporting your digestion of fat, cutting down on inflammation and undoing intestinal wall damage.
