Recipe Collection: Beef Bone Broth

Written by Kate Tietje and updated by Sarena-Rae Santos in November of 2023. 

Beef bone broth can be…tricky.

I tried making it over and over with not-so-yummy results.  We ate it.  But I didn’t really like it.  I really wanted to resort to just buying boxes of organic “broth” on the rare occasions I really needed beef stock.  Sometimes I did.

Then, I got some bones from my recent cow purchase.  They were quite meaty (really mostly meat; I was used to using pretty clean marrow bones), and they made some really delicious bone broth.  Ah!  I had learned something new.  After that, I knew what I needed to do to make good bone broth…not just for health benefits, but also for flavor!

Now, I’m sharing what I learned and how you can do this yourself!  (It honestly isn’t hard.  I promise.)

(By the way, if you’re new to bone broth in general, you might also want to check out my chicken bone broth recipe.)

Beef Bone Broth

What matters most is having a little meat on your bones — it flavors the stock so much.  Roasting is also a critical step to really develop a good flavor.  Don’t skip anything!

I make mine usually with just celery and onions.  Sometimes, I throw in some astragalus root for immune-supporting benefits.  Other people add carrots or garlic.  The veggies are definitely up to you.

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4 lbs. of bones (a mix — marrow, meaty, flat, other; a couple of meaty bones are crucial)
• 1 small onion, halved
• Celery scraps
• 2 – 3 bay leaves
• Filtered water

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350ºF.  Arrange all your bones on a tray in a single layer.

Step 2: Roast the bones for 30 – 40 minutes.

Step 3: Dump the bones in a big pot, add your veggie scraps to it, then fill it with water to cover the bones by at least 1″.

Step 4: Simmer bone broth on low-medium for up to 3 days.  With bones this big and thick, you need to give them time to break down.  Some people add vinegar to help with this process; I’ve never found I needed it.

Step 5: After the stock is done cooking, strain it into containers and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.  It will keep in the fridge for 3 – 4 days.

Once your bone broth is done, try it in a Salisbury Steak Skillet or add it to your favorite chili recipe.  (Mine can be found in Wholesome Real Food Favorites.)

Beef Bone Broth

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Ingredients

  

• 3 - 4 lbs. of bones a mix -- marrow, meaty, flat, other; a couple of meaty bones are crucial
• 1 small onion halved
• Celery scraps
• 2 - 3 bay leaves
• Filtered water

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350ºF.  Arrange all your bones on a tray in a single layer.
• Roast the bones for 30 - 40 minutes.
• Dump the bones in a big pot, add your veggie scraps to it, then fill it with water to cover the bones by at least 1".
• Simmer bone broth on low-medium for up to 3 days.  With bones this big and thick, you need to give them time to break down.  Some people add vinegar to help with this process; I've never found I needed it.
• After the stock is done cooking, strain it into containers and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.  It will keep in the fridge for 3 - 4 days.

How do you use beef bone broth?