Beef Bone Broth (Print Page)
Slow-simmered beef bones and veggies create a rich, nourishing broth ideal for sipping or using as a savory base.
# What You Need:
→ Meats & Bones
01 - 2.5 lbs beef bones (marrow, knuckle, and/or oxtail), roasted if desired
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
03 - 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
04 - 1 large yellow onion, quartered
05 - 4 garlic cloves, smashed
→ Aromatics & Seasoning
06 - 2 dried bay leaves
07 - 1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
08 - 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
09 - 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
10 - 12 cups cold filtered water
11 - Fine sea salt, to taste (added after cooking)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange beef bones in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes until deeply browned, turning once halfway through. This caramelizes the bones and develops a richer, darker broth.
02 - Place the roasted or raw beef bones into a large stockpot or slow cooker. Add the chopped carrots, celery, quartered onion, smashed garlic, bay leaves, parsley bunch, and whole peppercorns on top of the bones.
03 - Pour the apple cider vinegar over the bones and vegetables — the acid helps draw minerals from the bones. Add 12 cups of cold water, ensuring the bones and vegetables are fully submerged.
04 - Set the pot over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. During the first hour, use a skimmer or ladle to remove any gray foam, scum, or impurities that float to the surface. This ensures a cleaner, clearer finished broth.
05 - Reduce the heat to low and maintain a bare simmer, leaving the pot uncovered or partially covered. Cook for a minimum of 12 hours, checking occasionally and adding water as needed to keep the bones submerged. The longer the simmer, the more collagen and gelatin will be extracted, producing a silky, nutrient-dense broth.
06 - Remove the pot from heat and carefully strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a large heatproof bowl or container. Discard all spent solids. Season the hot broth with sea salt to your taste preference.
07 - Allow the broth to cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator. Once chilled, a layer of solidified fat will form on the surface — skim it off if desired. The broth will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently and enjoy as a warming beverage or use as a flavorful base for soups, stews, risotto, and pan sauces.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The gelatin from long simmered bones gives you a broth that actually jiggles when cold, which means you did it right and your gut will thank you.
- It costs a fraction of what store bought bone broth runs, and the depth of flavor is in a completely different league.
- Once you strain it, you have a liquid building block that improves literally everything from risotto to a simple mug of something warm before bed.
02 -
- A vigorous boil will emulsify the fat into the broth and leave it cloudy and greasy, so keep the heat low enough that you see only a few bubbles at a time.
- If your broth does not gel when refrigerated, it just means less collagen extracted, and it is still perfectly delicious and nutritious.
- The apple cider vinegar is not optional because without it you are leaving minerals behind in the bones.
03 -
- Save vegetable scraps like onion skins, carrot peels, and celery ends in a freezer bag over time and dump the whole thing in with your bones for an even more complex flavor at zero extra cost.
- Slightly under salt the finished broth because reduction during reheating or cooking will concentrate the saltiness quickly.