Whatever you do, don't throw away the bones! This is heard throughout professional kitchens, homes and cooking shows. Why? Because the bones contain some of the best damn flavours in the whole meat and used wisely they can help make great stocks and, in this case, broths.
Bone broths are packed with minerals and are a breeze to make because you can use any type of left over bones and carcass. Combine those with onions, carrots, celery, herbs and water and let the stove do all the work.
The best thing is that once you know how to make a simple bone broth you'll never throw the bones away again.
How To Make Bone Broth: A Few Tips
Bones are rich in minerals, gelatin and collagen (which helps keep skin nice and plump). In order to extract the most amount of nutrients you'll want to add a bit of vinegar (apple cider vinegar works well) to bone broth.
You can customise it with different herbs, garlic and spices like whole peppercorns or turmeric for a burst of colour and anti-inflammatory properties.
The trick to making a rich and flavorful bone broth is to let it cook low and slow for as long as possible. If you are short on time you can try this slow cooker bone broth recipe.
How to Make Bone Broth: an Easy Recipe
This simple recipe is so easy to follow, anyone, no matter what their cooking level, can easily make it.
Ingredients
4 pounds (1.8kg) of beef bones (or veal, turkey or chicken bones)
1 bay leaf
4 whole peppercorns
2 celery sticks
1 large carrot
1 large unpeeled onion, sliced in half
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Place all the ingredients in a large stock pot and cover with water. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Remove the lid, lower the heat and simmer for at least four hours, remembering to skim any impurities that rise to the surface. If you can, try to cook it for 12 hours or longer. This will add richness and depth of flavour to the bone both. When it's ready just strain and store in a glass container. Let cool before refrigerating.
Want to see it in action? Watch this great recipe for chicken broth from Wendy Myers: