Highly nutritious and easily digestible, bone broth just might be the best food for breakfast.
A steaming hot mug of bone broth will warm and fuel your body on a bone chilling, 10F morning. It is during the cold months of winter that I really turn my attention to broths and soups. Whether i'm having pho, chicken noodle soup, beef and barley or bouillabaisse, these warm and nourishing meals are always perfect. When I think specifically about drinking bone broth, I associate it more with medicine than with food. I think of it as insurance against getting sick. But, bone broth is the best tasting medicine.
When we are sick we drink chicken broth. I have always wondered why, once we are feeling better, that we stop drinking the broth?
Bone Broth Recipe
Bone broth is really the most simple and healthful food you can make. Simple put bones into a pot and cover them with water. Simmer the broth for 24 to 72 hours. If you are cooking poultry bones, then cook them for 24 hours. If it is a mixture of poultry and meat bones, then cook for 48 hours. And if it is just meat bones then cook for 72 hours. I use a slow cooker that has a 24 hour timer. The slow cooker makes the process easy because I do not need to worry about getting the stove to the perfect simmer. And I do not have to worry about the pot cooking on the stove overnight unattended.
In my broth below, I used oxtail, beef shank, chicken wings and chicken feet. I cooked this broth for 48 hours.
When the broth is done you can strain it and then let the broth chill in a refrigerator. This will let the fat solidify and then you can easily remove the fat. (Below is the all beef broth)
The finished broth when chilled should be solid and giggly when shaken.
here is another bone broth that is all beef and is roasted.
How do you know when the broth is done?
The broth is done when the bones are brittle. Below is a video that shows how brittle a marrow bone and the oxtail can be after days of simmering. All of the bones nutrients are in the broth when the bones are this brittle.
When you are ready to enjoy your bone broth you simply heat it up and add salt to taste. You can also add other flavorings as you wish. Some of my favorites to add are freshly grated ginger, turmeric or chilies.
Here is a toast to you and your health! I hope you have enjoyed this post and have learned something new. Please ask me any questions about bone broth in the comments section below.
-Chef Steve