How to Make Beef Broth

February 11, 2024

This is a recipe for creating a rich, dark brown beef bone broth that is delicious, and also incredibly nutritious. This broth is good for making soups, sauces, and all sorts of other dishes. It is rich in minerals from the bones and connective tissue, and I originally developed it to help restore bone density to my husband's jaw, which was damaged from a serious infection. If you are trying to fast or lose weight, this broth will keep you going in good health.

Rich beef bone broth
Beef Broth

Nutritious and Delicious!

Ingredients

  • Mix of beef with bones. Suggestion: 1 ox tail, 1 piece of shank, beef ribs
  • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2-3 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Place the meat and bones with carrots and onions in a roasting pan. I usually rub the meat with a couple of cloves of garlic, and add a little salt and pepper. You can also season with herbs such as thyme and rosemary, but I prefer the broth plain, without any additional herb flavors. I can always add them later if I use the broth as a base to make something else such as spaghetti sauce or meatball stew.

  2. Roast the beef bones uncovered in the oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, then turn the pieces of meat over and cook another 30 minutes so it is browned evenly on both sides.

    3. Before

    Start bone broth by roasting oxtail bones and shank pieces in the oven.

    After

    Beef for bone broth after roasting in the oven.


  3. When done, transfer everything in the roasting pan to a stock pot or crock pot, and fill with boiling water.

  4. add the juice of half a lemon for acidity and the stalks of celery, then cover with water (boiling works best), and simmer on low heat for 12-24 hours, skimming the fat off of the top. Using a crock pot works best. When it's done, strain it into a large bowl, and then pour into storage containers. Makes 3-4 quarts.

Notes on Basic Technique

Meat/Bones Mix: I like to use a mix of meaty bones, including oxtail, shank, and ribs. If you are making this for health, such as recovering from a broken bone or surgery, you need to include bones with meat and connective tissue, and eat the meat - not just the broth - by adding it to soup and other dishes such as beef stroganoff, chili, BBQ sandwiches, etc.

Pork Broth: This recipe also works well for pork broth: I like to use a rack baby-back ribs. Pork broth can be used with chicken broth to make delicious soups.

Marrow: If you used a large marrow bone, save the marrow after roasting the meat and use it like butter to brown meat and/or onions. It freezes well, too.

Pot Roast

This technique also works well for making pot roast using short ribs or a chuck roast or something similar. After the meat has browned in the oven, fill the pan with hot water until the meat is covered, then cover the pan with a lid, turn the oven down to 350, and cook it slowly for 3-4 hours. Check occasionally and add more water to keep the meat covered. By the time it's done, the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender.