Why do I make beef bone broth?

Our ancestors made use of every part of the animals they butchered. In our throw-away society, most of us eat the meat and discard the bones. Bones, tendons and cartilage are mostly used for industrial purposes. (Yes, my vegan friends, if you want to truly honor the lifestyle you have chosen, you need to let go of your cell-phones and renounce all airline travels!)
Back to broth or stock.
Properly prepared, these are filled with minerals as electrolytes, making them easily assimilated. Calcium, magnesium and potassium are drawn from the bones, cartilage, marrow and vegetables as the stock simmers for hours. The resulting gelatin has the ability to attract digestive juices for rapid and effective digestion. Even though it is not a complete protein, it allows the body to utilize other proteins taken in.
Cooks have used them to give amazing flavor to their dishes.
Healers have been aware of the qualities of nutrient-rich stocks, from beef to chicken to fish.
Chinese physicians made soups from the thyroid glands of animals to restore vitality and energy to their patients (In the US, 40% of the population suffers from thyroid deficiency: fatigue, weight gain, frequent flu and colds, depression, inability to focus and many more symptoms are common). Learning how to make broth and stock is a valuable skill for anyone who cares about their health. And the list of uses for your homemade stock and broth is endless:
-Cut a few raw vegetables and add them to a bowl of steaming broth and you have a wonderful nourishing snack.
-A risotto made with real stock is out of this world (and from this grain-free gal, it's quite a statement!)
-Chicken soup anyone? It will feed, calm and repair the intestinal lining and the nervous system. It even smells like mother love.

Commercial stocks are full of sodium and other additive best to leave alone.
I admit that making your own is time and space consuming but you have total control of what goes in and what doesn't. And you get the satisfaction of knowing that your family is fed with love.

 Grass-Fed Beef Bones Stock (Sally Fallon's recipe)

Difficulty:  Moderate – takes practice and patience
Equipment:
•    Chef’s knife
•    Fine Strainer
•    Stockpot
•    Quart size mason jars or BPA-free plastic tubs
•    Roasting pan
Ingredients:
•    4 pounds of beef marrow, knuckle bones, bits of leftover beef
•    3 pounds meaty rib or neck bones
•    1 calf foot, cut into pieces (optional)
•    4 or more quarts cold water
•    1/4 cup vinegar
•    3 onions, coarsely chopped (or your bag of collected frozen onion parts)
•    3 carrots coarsely chopped (I omit this sometimes)
•    3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped (I omit this if I don’t have celery)
•    Several sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together
•    1 teaspoon of crushed dried green peppercorns.
•    1 bunch of parsley
•    Celtic sea salt – optional – only after broth is completed.

Preparation:
1.    Place the knuckle and marrow bones and optional calf foot in a very large pot with vinegar and cover with water. Let stand for one hour.
2.    Meanwhile, place the meaty bones in a roasting pan and brown at 350 degrees in the oven. When well browned, add to the pot along with the vegetables.
3.    Pour the fat out of the roasting pan, add cold water to the pan, set over a high flame and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen up coagulated juices. Add this liquid to the pot. Add additional water, if necessary, to cover the bones; but the liquid should come no higher than within one inch of the rim of the pot, as the volume expands slightly during cooking.
4.    Bring to a boil. A large amount of scum will come to the top, and it is important to remove this with a spoon.
5.    After you have skimmed, reduce heat and add the thyme and crushed peppercorns.
6.    Simmer stock for at least 12 hours and as long as 72 hours.
7.    Just before finishing, add the parsley and simmer another 10 minutes.
8.    You will now have a pot of rather repulsive-looking brown liquid containing globs of gelatinous and fatty material. It doesn’t even smell particularly good. But don’t despair. After straining you will have a delicious and nourishing clear broth that forms the basis for many other recipes.
9.    Remove the bones with tongs or a slotted spoon. Stain the stock into a large bowl. Let cool in the refrigerator and remove the congealed fat that rises to the top. Transfer to smaller containers and to the freezer for long-term storage.
10.    The marrow can be removed from the bones and spread on whole grain sourdough bread. Your dog will love the leftover meat and bones. The congealed fat can be used to make pemmican or put outside to feed the birds.

I like to eat the meat and veggies as soon as my broth is in jars. It reminds me of the famed French Pot-au-Feu, minus the turnips. My dogs get only the big bones.

Beautifully gelled stock is a staple in any kitchen.
I'm still working the kinks out of my broth-making.
The gelling happens or not, but even when the stock is quite liquid, it is still deliciously nourishing.
You can find grass-fed pastured beef bones at most Farmers Market of big cities.
They can also be ordered from reputable companies such as http://www.grassfedtraditions.com











For more stock recipes and various uses, check Sally Fallon's book:
"Nourishing Traditions, the Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats"

http://books.google.com/books/about/Nourishing_Traditions.html?id=xIKkmlKOFfQC