Bone Broths & Meat Stocks
Light & Fluffy Gluten Free Scones!
April 26, 2014
Almond & Linseed Paleo Bread
November 11, 2014
Liquid gold.
Our great grandmothers knew the value of broths and stocks and considered them foundational for both meals and medicine. But somewhere along the way they fell out of everyday use, and stock cubes and packs of insipid factory-made stock took their place. But now they’re making a comeback! And so they should – bone broths and meat stocks are the natural way to beautifully flavour soups, stews, casseroles and sauces, while imparting gut-healing goodness and easy to digest nutrients and minerals.
You’ve probably heard about how good broth is for you. Slow-cooked broths and short-cooked meat stocks are both nutritionally dense foods, containing nutrients and minerals in a form the body can easily absorb. The gelatine in broths and stocks will help to heal and seal the lining of the digestive tract, and they are very high in amino acids like glycine which are anti-inflammatory and calming.
You know how when you get a cold, you crave soup? There’s a reason for that. Not only does it feel good on a sore throat, but it really does help to reduce inflammation and actually helps you to get well. This is one of our favourite recipes for when we’re feeling a bit ‘under the weather’ – Coconut Chicken Lemon Soup. You can just feel it doing you good!
I like to have delicious, homemade stocks on hand at all times – they are the base for so many of our meals. For example…
Breakfast: eggs poached in chicken broth, sometimes with some added veggies, or some leftover rice or noodles or avocado
Eggs poached in broth
Lunch: add in some veggies, leftover cauliflower mash, and maybe some meat for a quick but very nourishing soup
Creamy Bacon & Vegetable Soup (using leftover mash)
Dinner: cook up some beef mince, ginger, garlic, chilli, veggies and greens in beef broth for an Asian-style meal, served with rice or mung bean vermicelli
Asian style mince & veggies in beef broth
If you’ve never made stock or broth before, it’s time to get started, both for the health benefits and the amazing flavour that will add so much more to your meals. Below are some recipes to get you started!
Important Note for People with Gut Issues and/or Amine Intolerance: For those working on healing a damaged gut, you will need to begin with short-cooked meat stocks and move on to bone broths later, as the meat stocks are gentler and easier to digest than stocks. Meat stocks are made with joint bones – meat close to the bone, lots of connective tissue, and gelatinous meats – not the muscle meats. The connective tissues contain the really gelatinous proteins that the body uses as basic building blocks to heal damaged cells and gut lining. Lamb and chicken broths are best to start with as they are lower in amines than beef, fish and pork. See the recipes below for how-to, and get an appointment with a GAPS practitioner if needing more specific advice on healing.
Need Help with Cooking for Gut Health? Our online program, Quirky Cooking for Gut Health, is where we focus on healing with food. We will walk you through how to cook for GAPS Intro (the protocol our family has found most helpful for gut health) and will provide you with meal plans, recipes, cooking videos, and a support group to keep you motivated. Pop over and have a look!
- 1 whole, fresh chicken, or approx. 2 kg chicken pieces, or 2 chicken carcasses plus chicken feet if possible (organic, free range chicken is best)
- 3-4 litres filtered water, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (for bone broth)
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped (opt)
- 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (opt)
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (opt)
- Place whole chicken or chicken pieces into a large, heavy-based stock pot, cover with water, and add veggies if using. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a low simmer.
- Remove any foam that rises to the top, cover, and simmer for approx. 2 hours. (For slow cooker, cook for 3-4 hours on high.)
- Remove meat from bones and place in fridge to use for other meals.
- If starting with a whole chicken or chicken pieces, cut meat off bones (as much as you can) and refrigerate to use in other meals. (Meat can be frozen if you bought the chicken fresh.) The fat can be added to the broth as it gives flavour and helps nutrients to be absorbed more easily. OR use chicken carcasses, and chicken feet if available.
- Place the bones, feet, and any fat/scraps into a large, heavy-based stockpot or slow cooker. Add water, vinegar, and veggies if using. Bring to a gentle boil and skim off any foam that rises to the top.
- Reduce heat, and simmer on low for 3 to 12 hours, depending on your preference. If you are using a pot on the stove, keep heat on lowest temp and top up water as needed so that the bones are always covered. If there is meat on the bones, remove once it is cooked and soft (eg. 2 hours) and refrigerate to use in meals, then continue cooking bones.
- Once broth is finished, remove bones, veggies, etc from broth and strain. Pour the broth into into jars/glass containers. Discard bones and vegetables.
- Store stock or broth in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for up to 6 months. If freezing in jars, make sure you use good quality glass jars, leave a space at the top of the jar for liquids to expand, and don't put the lid on until completely frozen, to prevent burst jars!
- Cooking time is very individual - if you are sensitive to amines, cook your meat stock for only 2 hours then cool and freeze immediately. As your gut heals, you can slowly increase cooking times.
- Amines increase the longer you cook the broth. Older meat will also be higher in amines, so buy very fresh meat/bones from a butcher.
- I don’t add salt to my broth until it’s finished, as it depends how long you cook it as to how much you’ll need. Just season to taste once it’s finished.
- If you're drinking broth as a gut-healing 'medicine', just warm up half a cup of broth on the stovetop, add a little sea salt and freshly minced garlic (and turmeric and ginger if you like), and sip like a cup of hot tea at least once a day.
- Once cold, the stock should be a bit jelly-like, and there will be a layer of fat on top. Keep the fat to use in cooking, or just stir into the stock/broth when using it in soup/stew.
- Once you are well on the road to healing (after stage 3 if you are doing GAPS), you can begin to add celery, celery leaves, and herbs to your broth if desired, for extra flavour. Add 1 stalk celery with leaves (chopped), and a handful of chopped parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme.
- 2kg beef or lamb bones - for stock, use meat on the bone (eg. ox tail, shin, lamb shanks); for broth, use a mixture of marrow, knuckle and meat bones
- 3 litres filtered water (approx.), room temperature
- ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar (for broth)
- 1 large brown onion, roughly chopped (opt)
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped (opt)
- Place meat on the bone into a large, heavy-based stock pot, cover with water, and add veggies if using. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a low simmer.
- Remove any foam that rises to the top, cover, and simmer for approx. 2 hours. (For slow cooker, cook for 3-4 hours on high.)
- Remove meat from bones and place in fridge to use for other meals.
- Place the bones, water, vinegar, and veggies (if using) into a large, heavy-based stockpot or slow cooker. Bring to a gentle boil and skim off any foam that rises to the top.
- Reduce heat, and simmer on low for 6 to 24 hours, depending on your preference. If you are using a pot on the stove, keep heat on lowest temp and top up water as needed so that the bones are always covered. If there is meat on the bones, remove once it is cooked and soft (eg. 2 hours) and refrigerate to use in meals, then continue cooking bones.
- Once broth is finished, remove bones, veggies, etc from broth and strain. Pour the broth into into jars/glass containers. Discard bones and vegetables.
- Store stock or broth in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for up to 6 months. If freezing in jars, make sure you use good quality glass jars, leave a space at the top of the jar for liquids to expand, and don't put the lid on until completely frozen, to prevent burst jars!
- Cooking time is very individual - if you are sensitive to amines, cook your meat stock for only 2 hours then cool and freeze immediately. As your gut heals, you can slowly increase cooking times.
- Amines increase the longer you cook the broth. Older meat will also be higher in amines, so buy very fresh meat/bones from a butcher.
- I don’t add salt to my broth until it’s finished, as it depends how long you cook it as to how much you’ll need. Just season to taste once it’s finished.
- If you're drinking broth as a gut-healing 'medicine', just warm up half a cup of broth on the stovetop, add a little sea salt and freshly minced garlic (and turmeric and ginger if you like), and sip like a cup of hot tea at least once a day.
- Once cold, the stock should be a bit jelly-like, and there will be a layer of fat on top. Keep the fat to use in cooking, or just stir into the stock/broth when using it in soup/stew.
- Once you are well on the road to healing (after stage 3 if you are doing GAPS), you can begin to add celery, celery leaves, and herbs to your broth if desired, for extra flavour. Add 1 stalk celery with leaves (chopped), and a handful of chopped parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme.
35 Comments
[…] my recipe for making the chicken broth for the recipe (highly recommended – tastes awesome!!), or you can make your own coconut […]
[…] this nutritionally dense and vitally important food. Useful links: Jo’s broth recipes: Bone Broths (Liquid Stocks)Leah’s broth recipes: Bone Broth Jo and Leah’s broth making video: Making Beef Bone […]
[…] filling, I decided to use my delicious, Cauliflower and Leek Mash. I added more chicken broth (recipe here) to make a thick sauce, as well as some onions, garlic and herbs for more […]
Hi Jo
I was wondering if there is another veg I could use for the chicken broth instead of celery? I cant stand the smell 🙁
just leave it out 🙂
Hi Jo
Just wondering with the Chicken broth, can I sub the celery for another vegetable? I’m really not a big fan :(. Thank you 🙂
Just leave it out
[…] – Practice nose to tail eating: Don’t waste the bones from the meats you cook – use them to make delicious and nutritious bone broths! Roast the bones first for a fuller, deeper flavour. Add in the chicken feet and even heads for a great, gelatinous chicken broth, for example, that doesn’t waste anything. (If you’ve never made your own bone broths before, here’s how.) […]
Can I just put the whole chicken in the slow cooker raw from the fridge and cook a broth this way? remove the chicken when the meat is done and put the bones back in the pot? will this be effective?
Yes!
[…] and strong. Quirky Jo has made a YouTube video about making bone broth and she has an amazing coconut chicken soup recipe which is made with bone […]
I’ve just made beef bone broth and now it has solidified, I’ve scraped the fat off the top but all that has remained is a jelly like substance. What have I done wrong?
Nothing, that is perfect!! You’ve made the best stock 🙂 The gelatine in the stock is what is so healing. When you heat it up it will liquify.
HI – I was wonderIng If It was possIble to do the bone broth In the ThermomIx ?
No you really need to make it in a big stock pot or slow cooker that can hold the bones.
Hi Jo, Is there any reason/s why ham or pork bones aren’t suggested to use for making bone broths?
You can use them, and they are delicious! Just be aware that if you’re just starting out on broths, pork broth can be a bit too rich for some. Make it the same way as you make beef broth.
Can i use uncooked frozen chicken bones? Can i then freeze?
Yes!
Just wondering on your thoughts about cooking broths in a stainless steel pressure cooker, are they as good health wise as slow cooking! Thanks
Hey, I wonder if you have tried bone broth in the thermomix and if you see any issues doing it in there for 40 mins vs in a pot for hours?
Hi Ness, you won’t get the same result as you really need a good 2 hours at least, and it won’t make much in the Thermomix. Best to do it in a big stock pot on the stove.
Hi Jo, I made some chicken broth last night but after being in the fridge overnight it is still liquid not like jelly and is very bland. I cooked a whole chicken in the slow cooker on high for 4hrs removed the meat and continued cooking the bones for another 2hrs. Any idea what I would have done wrong? Thanks
I usually do it in a pot on the stove on low for three hours, and then remove meat as the flavour is better on a higher simmer than in a slow cooker.
It will also gel this way.
🙂
I defrosted my chicken bone broth in the fridge over the weekend but didn’t get to it straight away – how many days do you think it can stay in the fridge once defrosted from frozen?
Hi Jo, can you use a mixture of raw and cooked chicken bones? Thanks, Jeni
Please can you explain if a pressure cooker is ok to use?
Hi Jenny, yes it is – I don’t have one so can’t offer advice on it though! Sorry!
Hi Jo,
I have a 6 litre electric Bellini pressure cooker and was wanting to cook broth in it. Just wondering if you have any tips for doing so.
Thanks
Just wondering how long you can keep the broth in the fridge? Or is it best to freeze it. I have had some in there for 2 weeks but not sure if it’s any good now?
Hi Jo
May seem silly, but is long cooked duck stock ok? I added lemongrass-just because this is what I had and seemed silly to throw away. Cooked for 12 hours. Thanks!
Hi Clare, yes duck stock is great! Best to make sure it comes from an ethically raised farm.
[…] way to cook, as you can use the cheaper cuts of meat that are often overlooked. Then there’s the benefits of slow cooking meat on the bone, and the resulting flavour which will have your family begging for more! You can’t lose, […]
Hi Jo, do I bring to the boil and simmer with the lid on or off? Thanks in advance.
Hi Alison! 🙂 Lid on. xx