Grass-fed Beef Bone Broth

Ingredients:

o  1 Bag of Beef Bones (approx. 9 lbs.); defrosted

o  2-3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

o  1 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns

o  Kosher salt to taste

o  1-2 Bay leaves

o  Cold, filtered water to cover bones

Optional ‘Add-Ins’:

o  1-2 onions, roughly chopped

o  4-5 carrots; scrubbed and roughly chopped

o  4-5 stalks of celery, roughly chopped

o  2-4 fresh garlic cloves, halved

o  Herbs, fresh or dried, such as: parsley, rosemary, thyme, etc.

o  [whatever your heart -or palate- desires!]

Directions:

1.   Preheat oven to 425-degrees.

2.   Place bone cuts onto a large baking sheet lined with foil and place into oven for 30-45 minutes, or until bone cuts develop a nice, deep-brown color.

3.   Transfer to a large stock pot on the stove-top and cover with water. Add ACV, peppercorns, salt and bay leaves; slowly bring to a slight simmer uncovered. *It is important to not allow the stock to come to a full boil if you desire a less-cloudy final product.

4.      During the first hour especially, scoop off any foam that rises to the surface of the water. (There is no need to stir the bones at any point during the cooking process)

5.      Continue to simmer, as low as possible, for the next 12-48 hours. You may choose to transfer to a large electric slow cooker after the skimming process. Simply set it to ‘Low’ and check the progress after 12 hours.

6.      Discard bones and pour broth through a strainer into a clean pot placed in an ice bath, stirring often to cool quickly (see notes)

7.      Once cooled, strain again – this time with the strainer lined with cheese cloth to remove sediment. 

8.      You may place into the refrigerator overnight, if you wish. This will make the fat to rise to the top and harden, allowing you to easily remove it. Wrap rendered fat and freeze for future use.

9.      Transfer to jars or other containers to store. Can be refrigerated for up to 7 days, frozen, or pressure-canned for 12-month shelf storage. 

Notes:

·      Beef bone broth is an excellent way to use up vegetable scraps! Tomatoes, leeks; really any veggie ‘ends’ or leftovers you have saved in the freezer – throw them in!

·      It is imperative to cool your broth as quickly as possible to prevent bacterial growth. The fastest way to do this is to strain broth into a [chilled, if possible] pot set into an ice bath or placed into a sink and surrounded with ice; stirring often. 

·      If freezing, remember to leave at least 1” headspace in the container.