Oh, dear me do love bone stocks and meat broths for anything and everything! Both stocks and broths are rich sources of nutrients containing protein, cartilage, minerals, and calcium. They are easy for our bodies to digest, taste delicious, and will fill your home with an aroma of deep-breath-in goodness while cooking. Stocks and broths are inherently calming, consoling, and restorative to both our energy and spirit. I love to use them as a base in stews and soups, in place of water to add richness when cooking whole grains, beans, or steaming vegetables, in sauces, and in gravies. Both are also excellent sipped on their own throughout the day too in place of tea or coffee for an added pick-me-up!
Poultry, Beef or Lamb bones (cooked bones and joints from a previous meal, with or without skin or meat; raw bones and joints, with or without skin and meat (raw bones can be browned first in the oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes on a rimmed baking sheet for a deeper and richer flavor); or use even a whole carcass or just parts of the carcass (good choices include feet, ribs, necks and knuckles)
2 cups filtered water (or enough to just cover the bones; use 2 cups of water per 1-pound of bones)
1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or substitute lemon juice)
Optional: spices (try salt, pepper, garlic powder, bay leaf, and any number of dried herbs)
Optional: vegetables (skins, ends, and tops, or use the entire vegetable – traditional choices include celery, carrots, onions, and peeled garlic cloves)
Elemental Stovetop Method:
1. Combine bones, water, vinegar, and spices (optional) in a large stock pot, bring to a boil, and remove any scum that has risen to the top. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, partially covered for 24 hours.
2. As the broth simmers, some of the water will evaporate. Keep an eye on the broth and add more water if the bones begin to peek out.
3. Add optional vegetables in the last 30 minutes of cooking. However, vegetables may be added earlier if it’s more convenient to do so. Strain through a colander and discard (or reuse) the bones. Bones can be used to make additional stocks once or twice.
4. If uncooked meat was used to make a broth, you may reserve the meat for another meal. If you wish to remove the fat for use in a gravy, use a gravy separator while the broth is warm, or skim the fat off the top once refrigerated. Cold broth will gel when sufficient gelatin is present.
5. Let broth cool to room temperature and then portion into airtight containers. Stock and broth may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Elemental Meat Broth Instant Pot Method:
1. Combine meat, water, vinegar, optional spices, and optional vegetables in Instant Pot inner pot. Turn Instant Pot valve to sealing position. Set to manual high-pressure cooking for 60 minutes.
2. Wait until cycle is complete and release the sealing valve either through natural or quick release and carefully open the lid. Strain broth through a colander and discard (or reuse) the bones. Bones can be used to make additional stocks once or twice.
3. Reserve the meat for another meal. If you wish to remove the fat for use in a gravy, use a gravy separator while the broth is warm, or skim the fat off the top once refrigerated. Cold broth will gel when sufficient gelatin is present.
4. Let broth cool to room temperature and then portion into airtight containers. Broth may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Elemental Bone Stock Instant Pot Method:
1. Optional: Roast bones on a rimmed baking sheet at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. (Roasting bones first gives your stock a richer flavor. If you have the time, I highly recommend this step.)
2. Combine bones, water, vinegar, optional spices, and optional vegetables in Instant Pot inner pot. Turn Instant Pot valve to sealing position. Set to manual high-pressure cooking for 3 hours (180 minutes).
3.Wait until cycle is complete and release the sealing valve either through natural or quick release and carefully open the lid. Strain stock through a colander and discard (or reuse) the bones. Bones can be used to make additional stocks once or twice.
4. If you wish to remove the fat for use in a gravy, use a gravy separator while the broth is warm, or skim the fat off the top once refrigerated. Cold stock will gel when sufficient gelatin is present.
5. Let stock cool to room temperature and then portion into airtight containers. Stock may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.