Here’s a little about bone broths and why they’re so great, and how to make them:
Meat and fish stocks contain gelatine and other healing substances, which is used for the rapidly growing cells of the gut lining to repair and regenerate and it has a soothing effect on inflammation in the gut. That is why they aid digestion and have been known for centuries as healing folk remedies for the digestive tract.
To make good meat stock you need joints, bones, a piece of meat on the bone, a whole chicken, giblets from chicken, goose or duck, whole pigeons, pheasants or other inexpensive meats. It is essential to use bones and joints, as they provide the healing substances, not so much the muscle meats. Ask the butcher to cut in half the large tubular bones, so you can get the bone marrow out of them after cooking.
Put all the meat and bones into a large pan and fill it with water, add natural unprocessed salt (I prefer Himalayan salt) and a splash of apple cider vinegar (this helps draw the goodness out of the bones) at the beginning of cooking, about a teaspoon of black peppercorns, roughly crushed, some veggie scraps (I use carrots, celery, broccoli stalks, etc) and an onion. Bring to boil, cover and simmer on a very low heat for about 48 hours for meat broths and 24 hours for chicken, or alternatively use a slow cooker on a low temperature for the same times. I always use a slow cooker as it is much easier. You can make fish stock the same way using a whole fish or fish fins, bones and heads. After cooking, take the bones and meats out and sieve the stock to remove small bones, peppercorns and veggies.
Extract the bone marrow out of large tubular bones while they are still warm: to do that bang the bone on a thick wooden chopping board, or use a spoon to scoop it out.
The meat or fish stock will keep in the fridge for at least 7 days or it can be frozen. Do not use microwaves for warming up the stock, use conventional stove (microwaves destroy food). It is very important to eat all the fat in the stock and off the bones as these fats are essential for the healing process.
You can drink it as is, or use it as a base to make a soup. Enjoy!
Thank you Janelle,
I have often made broth and soup but not quite like this.
I dont have a slow cooker but a Le Cruset heavy pan. Not sure about leaving it on all night when asleep?
I would set it on in the morning when you are home for a whole day and watch it as a trial run and see how it goes 🙂