Every month, a new episode of the Appropriate Omnivore Podcast is released. All of the guests on the show provide recipes in addition to being interviewed. December‘s guest was Pam Schoenfeld, author of “The Collagen Diet”, talking about the health benefits of collagen. Pam explained that we don’t need to consume collagen through the protein powders and the best ways incorporate in our diet is through food, such as through her recipe for bone broth. This recipe can also be found in her book “The Collage Diet”.
Yield: 4 quarts. | Total Time: 6-12 hours.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds beef or lamb marrow and joint bones (or neck, chop, leg, or other bones if lamb)
- 2-3 pounds meaty rib or neck bones
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil or other fat
- Cold water to cover (approximately 1 gallon)
Optional
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 4-6 cups of chopped onions, celery, and carrots, or other root vegetables
- Olive oil to coat bones
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon of desired herb: thyme, rosemary, savory
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-2 teaspoons of salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Pulverized eggshells (wash before use)
Instructions
- In a large roasting pan or heavy stock pot, roast the raw bones in a 400-degree oven until medium brown, about 20-30 minutes. Turn bones halfway through to ensure an even color. (If you prefer a lighter color broth, cover the bones with water in the stock pot, bring to a boil, and then discard this water and continue with step 5.)
- Optional: you can also roast the vegetables (tossed with olive oil) at the same time, adding in garlic in the last 10 minutes to avoid burning. Refrigerate after cooling because the vegetables, along with any herbs and seasonings, will be added in the last hour of cooking the broth.
- Cool the bones in the pot or pan for 15 minutes, then pour off and discard any fat that has accumulated, taking care not to pour off browned bits and juices.
- If using a roasting pan, transfer the bones to a heavy stock pot. To transfer the flavorful bits of browned juices, mix in a cup of water to loosen and pour into stock pot.
- Add cold water to cover plus 2 inches to the pot, stir to loosen bits on bottom of pot. Add vinegar now if desired.
- Slowly bring to a gentle simmer on low heat and simmer for 4-10 hours. Do not cover, adding water if level drops below the bones.
- Periodically, skim off the scum that collects on surface and discard.
- Optional: In the last 2 hours of cooking, add the roast vegetables, herbs, salt, and pepper, and slowly return to a simmer. You may substitute raw vegetables if a lighter broth is desired.
- After cooling slightly, pour broth through a strainer into a second larger pot. Discard the bones and vegetables.
- Excess fat can be skimmed off hot broth by adding ice cubes which cause the fat to slightly congeal for easier removal. Alternatively, you can remove the fat after cooling, or leave fat on the top of the storage container to keep the broth fresher. I generally transfer to quart-size mason jars after the broth has cooled for 1 hour. These can be stored in the refrigerator for one week.
- If you wish to freeze the broth to keep for a few months, transfer after refrigeration to appropriate plastic containers.
This recipe was provided by Pam Schoenfeld. Pam is author of the book “The Collagen Diet”. She’s aregistered dietician-nutritionist with a practice in Raleigh, NC called Women and Family Nutrition, which is all about helping women and families meet their nutritional needs. Areas which her practice specializes in include nutrition for healthy body composition, reproduction, growth, and overall wellness. Pam has also written articles for the Weston A. Price Foundation‘s Wise Traditions journal, includes ones about the benefits of vitamin A.