Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Bone broth: good for the soul.....and dogs too!

Since we bought a quarter cow a few months back we have a lot off beef. We also have a lot of beef bones. I decided to get a jump start on winter and the cold and flu season and make some beef bone broth.....chicken broth is coming soon.....one thing at a time! lol

It is really easy to make broth and it is so good to have around when you're sick, or for cooking purposes. I actually followed a couple of different recipes when making my broth because I didn't want to use 7 pounds of bones and hooves and stuff, but generally you bake bones and meat for about 30-45 minutes, put it all into a big stock pot with a few carrots, celery ribs and onions coarsely chopped up, add some spices and fill with water until the meat and bones are covered. I found many different simmering times online that ranged from 2 hours to 72 hours, so I cut it in the middle and cooked/simmered my broth for about 40 hours. The house had a soupy smell for a long time! lol

Another nice thing about making broth is that when you're done there is a lot of left over bones and meaty parts that aren't really edible because all of the fat and taste has been leeched out. But it's great for the doggies. After I strained all the chunks of meat, bone and veggies out of the broth I separate the bones out and let them dry and then put the meat and veggies in the fridge and mix about a cup worth in with the dogs food once or twice a week for a yummy treat!

I'm really excited about my broth and an anxious to make a homemade soup from it. I'm also excited to get started on my chicken broth.....I just need an extra 40 hours!!



Here's a great website that explains the benefits of bone broth and it has some recipes.
Broth is beautiful



3 comments:

Becky said...

Wow....would you have ever thought about buying a quarter cow and then making bone broth if you lived in CA?! Is that what living in the country does to you? Or are you just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more domestic than I am?! :)

(psst: I'm secretly jealous of your cooking abilities! :) )

geetabean said...

I have not always been domestic, but I think I've always felt like I was going to be domestic once I had a husband and a family. Country living or not, I like preparing meals for Dan and the girls, I like baking treats for my family and friends and I like making my own baby food. I feel like its a way to serve my family and part of my contribution since I stay at home. I find cooking and baking to be therapeutic and what better task is there than cooking where you can eat what you have accomplished? yumm.

As far as the cow goes, my brother up in Berkeley bought part of a cow at one point....its WAY cheaper per pound than buying from any store, and it's organic and hormone/antibiotic free, so it's healthier too.

Becky said...

Still.....you inspire me!

County McCounterson