What is bone broth good for? Bone broth benefits can include helping leaky gut, joint problems and even common skin concerns like wrinkles and cellulite.
Making this homemade beef bone broth recipe is one of the best ways you can reap all of those benefits. Plus, making beef bone broth is a lot easier than you might think and is far healthier than store-bought versions.
What Is Bone Broth Good for?
Bone broths have been staples of traditional diets around the world for centuries. Not only are they both flavor- and nutrient-dense, they’re also easy to digest and able to boost internal healing thanks to key components like gelatin, which research shows can help support intestinal health and integrity.
In addition to gelatin and collagen, the long simmering of the beef bones and ligaments also releases beneficial amino acids like proline, glycine and glutamine. These amino acids are key to metabolic processes, including the support of bone mineral density, muscle tissue creation and repair.
In case you were wondering, the benefits of beef bone broth and chicken bone broth are very similar, so you really can’t go wrong choosing either one!
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What is the difference between bone broth and stock? They’re usually very similar or even exactly the same in terms of ingredients, and it’s more of the naming convention. That being said, bone broths are typically cooked significantly longer than a beef or chicken broth. Bone broth contains more protein, collagen, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals than a beef or chicken broth.
Beef Bone Broth Recipes
People are sometimes at a loss for the best way to consume bone broth on a daily basis. Do you just drink bone broth? You certainly can, but there are so many ways you can use bone broth. Whether you choose chicken or beef bone broth, the options are pretty endless.
But wait, which is better: chicken bone broth or beef bone broth? That mainly comes down to personal taste preference. Choosing between the two can also be based on what goes better with a recipe.
Some recipes like Vietnamese pho or beef bone vegetable soup are clearly best with a beef bone broth. For other dishes like Baked Chile Relleno Casserole or Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo, chicken bone broth is the perfect addition.
Here are some other mouthwatering ways to use beef bone broth:
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- Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
- Onion Soup Recipe
- Bone Broth-Braised Short Ribs Recipe with Garlic and Thyme
Nutrition Facts
If you use all organic ingredients, you’ll be making a delicious organic beef bone broth recipe. It’s especially important to opt for organic bones to avoid factory-farmed meats. If you’re really short on time, you can always purchase high-quality bone broth from your local health food store, or try a protein powder made from bone broth.
The exact nutrition facts for beef bone broth will vary from batch to batch because it depends upon the exact ingredients you choose to use, how long you cook the broth for, how much fat you skim off the top, etc.
In general, homemade beef broth is low in calories and fat, contains a notable amount of protein and zero grams of sugar and carbs. The amount of sodium depends upon how much sea salt you use.
Is this a beef bone marrow broth recipe? Yes, and we recommend opting for beef bones with marrow, which are naturally rich in collagen. To maximize beef bone broth nutrition and quality, the best bones for bone broth come from organically-raised and — in the case of beef — grass-fed animals.
How to Make Beef Bone Broth
Making beef bone broth is just as easy as making our chicken bone broth recipe. All you have to do is combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and let it simmer for at least 36 hours (that might require you to run three cycles on your slow cooker unless you have one that allows you to set it for 36 hours). This is truly a pretty effortless beef bone broth slow cooker recipe.
Otherwise, you can also cook on the stovetop in a large stock pot. (See below.)
Why so much more time than a chicken bone broth? It’s because the beneficial components of beef bones take longer to release.
First, preheat the oven to 450 degrees to roast the bones and vegetables later.
While the oven heats up, it’s a good idea to blanch the beef bones. Ideally, as said above, these bones are from organic, grass-fed, free-range beef cattle. Blanching the bones will help create a clearer broth without any impurities. Simply place the bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse the bones with cold water.
Place bones and vegetables in a roasting pan, without piling them on top of each other (you may need two pans). Roast for 30 minutes before turning over bones and veggies, then roast for 20 minutes more.
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Place the beef bones and other ingredients in a 10-quart capacity slow cooker.
Add cold water so all the contents are submerged by about an inch. For the stovetop version, bring to a boil over high heat while covered, then reduce heat and simmer gently, with lid slightly ajar. For the slow cooker version, simply turn it on and set to 12 hours (be ready for two more cycles, so set your timer on your watch or in house).
If you’re doing on your stovetop, do not keep in on the flame overnight. Instead, remove from stovetop in the evening, allow it to cool and refrigerate overnight. Repeat the process the next day.
For either version, skim the fat that rises to the surface occasionally. Simmer for 12 to 24 hours.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Discard all solids. Strain the remainder through a colander.
After straining, let stock cool to room temperature (add some ice cubes to quicken this process if you want), cover and chill.
Place in the refrigerator and allow to completely cool. A few hours later, you can use a spoon or fork to remove the top layer of fat.
Use within a week. Otherwise, you can freeze your homemade beef bone broth for up to three months.
Precautions
If you have a histamine sensitivity, you should avoid bone broth. While it can reduce gut inflammation, bone broth also is rich in the amino acid glycine. And unfortunately, glycine can be converted to oxalates and glutamate in the body.
Beef Bone Broth Recipe
(2018)
- Author: Dr. Josh Axe
- Total Time: 13 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 20 cups (approximately) 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Making this homemade recipe is one of the best ways you can reap all of the awesome beef bone broth benefits. Plus, making beef bone broth is a lot easier than you might think and is far healthier than store-bought versions.
INGREDIENTS
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- 5 pounds beef bones with marrow and bones with meat on them (oxtail, short ribs, knucklebones) — ideally from grass-fed, free-range cattle
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 medium onions, peel on, sliced in half lengthwise and quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, peel on and smashed
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 sprigs parsley
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
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INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Blanch the bones by placing them in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse the bones with cold water.
- Place bones and vegetables in a roasting pan, without piling them on top of each other (you may need two pans). Roast for 30 minutes before turning over bones and veggies, then roast for 20 minutes more.
- Place the blanched beef bones and other ingredients in a 10-quart capacity slow cooker.
- Add in cold water so all the contents are submerged by about an inch.
- Turn on the slow cooker and prepare to cook for at least 12 hours at the low setting. For 24 hours, you may need to re-run the cycle twice or three times, depending on the slow cooker.
- If cooking on a stovetop, bring the large pot to a boil over high heat with lid on; reduce and simmer gently with lid slightly ajar but on.
- In slow cooker or pot, skim the fat that rises to the surface occasionally.
- Simmer for 12 to 24 hours. If using stovetop, cool at evening and refrigerate overnight. Put back on the stovetop the next morning.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. (Use any of the meat for soups or sandwiches, or just eat by itself.)
- Discard solids and strain remainder in a bowl through a colander. Let stock cool to room temperature, cover and chill.
- Refrigerate for a few hours before removing the top layer of fat with a spoon or fork.
- Consume within a week. Or freeze in containers for up to 3 months.
