If you've been wanted to make your own bone broth with grassfed beef, but aren't sure where to start, this blog post by Tanya Svec of Svec Farm will help!  She guides you through:

• The different kinds of bones that are available and their uses.
• Step by step instructions for making your own bone broth (it's easy and fool proof!).

Types of Bones

Shank Soup Bones

These are meaty soup bones cut from the leg of the beef. They work great for making soup, because there is enough meat on them to have your protein and your broth for your soup in one shot.

Marrow Bones

The meat has been removed from these bones. We get them cut as short rounds, long rounds, and long canoes. Marrow canoes have been cut lengthwise for elegant presentation and easy access to the delicious, nutritious marrow. Folks love marrow bones for bone broth and roasted marrow, and many customers give them to their dogs.

Knuckle Bones

These larger bones come from the joint ends of the bones and are perfect for bone broth. Roast them to bring out the best flavor, then pressure cook or slow cook until your broth is ready. Knuckle bones also make great treats for large and medium-sized dogs.

Other options for great stocks and broths

Don’t be afraid to use other cuts to make amazing soups and broths!

Oxtail

With only one per beef, the oxtail is a popular and hard-to-get cut. If you nab one, however, you will enjoy a delicious meal, as it is rich in collagen and fat.

Neck Bones

Also called a neck roast, the connective tissue in this cut produces a velvety, delicious broth. The meat is also tender and delicious after it has been slowly braised. It’s a great alternative to the hard-to-get oxtail and also makes delicious barbacoa (Mexican slow-cooked beef).

Arm Roast

Any roast you braise (cook in liquid in a covered pot) is going to yield some delicious broth. However, the arm roast is often cut with a bone in it, making an extra rich broth. If you plan to use your arm roast for broth, leave me a note when you order that you’d like one with a bone and I’ll be sure to do that!

Easy Bone Broth Recipe

Making your own healing bone broth doesn’t have to be hard or even time-consuming. Follow the steps below and get sipping on some broth. If you’re using bones leftover from another meal you cooked, you can skip step one.

1- Roast

For best flavor, get some golden brown roasting action going! Pat bones dry with paper towels, salt them, and either roast them in a 400 degree oven for 30-45 minutes, or sear them on all sides in a hot skillet with a bit of fat of choice.

2- Add flavor

Place the roasted bones and any drippings they may have released into a large stockpot, slow cooker, or Instant pot/pressure cooker. Add whatever vegetable scraps you have on hand you’d like to use to flavor your broth. We always keep a bag of vegetable scraps in the freezer where we put carrot and celery ends, onion skins, and so on; when we make broth, we just dump some in! You can also add salt, black pepper, garlic, and so on- or you can add seasonings later, when you add your broth to a recipe.

3- Top off with water

Add cold water to cover the bones.

4- Splash in some acid

A splash of acid (about 2 T.) will help break down the bones and get the most nutrients into your broth. Apple cider vinegar is a popular option but you can also use red wine vinegar, red wine, or lemon juice. Pick a flavor you enjoy.

5- Cook

Time to heat it up! You have options for how to cook your bone broth.

• Stockpot on the stove for at least 8 hours. Cover and simmer. Add water as needed to keep the bones submerged.
• Slow cooker on low for 24 hours.
• Instant Pot/pressure cooker for 2-3 hours followed by natural pressure release.

6- Strain

Once your broth is done cooking, strain the broth off. (Don’t forget to catch it in a bowl- don’t dump it down the drain!) Larger bones that are still intact can be reused for future batches of bone broth while smaller, softer bones should be discarded or fed to a pet. After your broth has been strained, you can cook it down further (to evaporate the water content) if you would like it to be more concentrated.

7- Store

Pour your broth into food-safe storage containers and store in the fridge for a few days or freezer for several months.

8- Enjoy

You now have a stash of broth to enjoy. You can drink it as is, or add it to soups, stews and many, many recipes!