I became interested in bone broth while researching joint health, before I had heard about Paleo. Although bone broth might appear to be the latest thing, it isn’t anything new, it is simply a stock made from animal bones and vegetables, and cooked for a long time (often in a slow cooker).
I make two kinds of bone broth. One version is made out of the bones left over from 3 roast chicken dinners – I throw the cooked chicken carcass into the freezer then later, when I have enough, I use them to make bone broth. Then there is this version, made out of beef bones from the local butcher.
Step 1
- I put the raw bones on a roasting tin, and roast in the oven (200 degrees C) for half an hour to brown.
Step 2
- I put the bones in the cooking pot, along with one onion, two cloves of garlic, one large carrot, and maybe a few pieces of swede if I have any.
- I add one tablespoon of fish sauce, one tablespoon of cider vinegar, one bay leaf, and some dried Arame seaweed (I don’t measure – I just take a pinch)
- I don’t add salt or pepper
- Then I cover the ingredients with water – and fill up to the maximum level allowed.
I either cook this in a slow cooker overnight, or in a pressure cooker for one hour.
You should choose the method that works best for you. Some people believe that cooking the bones for longer in the slow cooker ensures that you get more nutrients from the bones, but there are people who don’t like leaving the slow cooker on overnight or when they leave the house. Some people like the fact that pressure cookers are time saving and economical, but others are scared of pressure cookers and have never learned how to use them. So do your research before you make your decision and, whichever method you decide to use, make sure you know how to use your (pressure or slow) cooker safely.
I have made bone broth in a slow cooker and I’ve made it in a pressure cooker – and both worked fine. However I don’t like the way food tastes out of the slow cooker, whereas I like the taste of food made in a pressure cooker.
I just use a stove top Prestige Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker
When the bone broth has finished cooking, and has had a chance to cool down, I strain it through a stainless steel sieve into a large bowl. Then, once it is completely cold, I put the bowl into the fridge overnight.
In the morning the bone broth has turned into a jelly, and there is a layer of solid fat across the top of the bowl. I pick off the fat, it just lifts away from the jelly underneath, and I portion out some of the jellied bone broth into silicone muffin moulds to go in the freezer. I will leave the rest of the bone broth in the fridge ready to use.
I have no idea if bone broth actually helps with joint health, or whether any of the other health claims associated with it are true. I don’t drink bone broth on it’s own (ie. before it has been made into soup) nor do I use it daily.
I use bone broth as a base for soup, and I also add it to meat meals (eg. stew or chilli) where it adds an extra layer of richness to the sauce. I will write more about how I make soup with the bone broth in a future blog post.
I didn’t follow a particular recipe when I first made bone broth, most recipes online are very similar, and my version has evolved over time. It is what works for me. Michelle Tam’s book, Nom Nom Paleo
Step by step instructions – how to make bone broth in the Pressure cooker.
Step by step instructions – how to make bone broth in the slow cooker.