Pasture Beef Bone Broth
Beef broth has long been used as a healing beverage. Beef bones are filled with collagen and minerals the body uses to build connective tissues, such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. It’s a perfect sipping medium for people who are trying to figure out how to get five or six hits of nutrition a day. I’ve had clients with eating difficulties who have literally lived on this broth for days or weeks at a time.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 6 quarts
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Place the bones on a baking sheet or roasting pan and roast until the bones are well browned, about 30 minutes.
Step 3
Rinse all of the vegetables well, including the kombu. In a 12-quart or larger stockpot, combine the bones, carrots, onions, leek, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, garlic, parsley, kombu, peppercorns, allspice berries, bay leaves, and vinegar. Pour in the water, cover, and bring to a boil.
Step 4
Remove the lid, decrease the heat to low, and skim off the scum that has risen to the top. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 8 to 24 hours. As the broth simmers, some of the water will evaporate; add more if the vegetables begin to peek out.
Step 5
Remove and discard the bones, then strain the broth through a large, coarse-mesh sieve. Stir in salt to taste. Let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate overnight. Skim off as much fat as you can from the top of the broth, then portion into airtight containers and refrigerate or freeze.
rebecca’s notes
Step 6
To make a short-cut version, roast the marrow bones as directed and place in a 6 1/2-quart slow cooker. Cover with Magic Mineral Broth (page 54) and add the vinegar. Set the slow cooker on low for 8 to 24 hours, and allow the broth to simmer away. Strain the broth and refrigerate it overnight, then skim the fat, and add 2 more quarts of Magic Mineral Broth.
storage
Step 7
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
nutrition information
Step 8
(per serving)
Step 9
Calories: 50
Step 10
Total Fat: 0g (0g saturated, 0g monounsaturated)
Step 11
Carbohydrates: 11g
Step 12
Protein: 1g
Step 13
Fiber: 2g
Step 14
Sodium: 140mg
CULINARY RX
Step 15
While Western medicine hasn’t reached definitive conclusions about many aspects of how nutrition may affect cancer and treatment side effects, Chinese medicine has a longer and more extensive body of scientific literature. Acupuncturist Michael Broffman notes the foods he suggests to patients facing certain challenges. For loss of taste, Broffman says, “We like Chinese pears and papaya. They’re high in enzymes. Also pineapple, because it nicely enhances taste and the sense of smell.” For dehydration, Broffman likes vegetables and fruits with high water content, such as chestnuts and cucumbers. For fatigue and anemia, he suggests figs, grapes, herring, barley, and a little fresh honey. And for those dealing with blood cancers, he recommends “foods that speak to bone marrow production: soups and stocks that use bones from beef, chicken, lamb, or fish.”
