Beef Bone Broth Recipe (2024)

Recipe from Marco Canora

Adapted by Julia Moskin

Beef Bone Broth Recipe (1)

Total Time
At least 5 hours 45 minutes
Rating
4(797)
Notes
Read community notes

"Bone broth" has become stylish as part of the Paleo diet, which enthusiastically recommends eating meat and bones. (The idea is to eat like our Paleolithic, pre-agricultural ancestors.) But cooks have known its wonderful qualities for centuries. This robust and savory beef broth — more than a stock, less than a soup — can be the basis for innumerable soups and stews, but it also makes a satisfying and nourishing snack on its own. —Julia Moskin

Featured in: Bones, Broth, Bliss

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have

    10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers.

    Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Print Options

    Include recipe photo

Advertisem*nt

Ingredients

Yield:About 3 quarts

  • pounds bone-in beef short rib
  • pounds beef shank or oxtail
  • 2pounds beef knucklebones or neck bones, or a combination of both (or add 1 more pound beef shank or oxtail)
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¼cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 3celery stalks, coarsely chopped
  • 2onions, halved and peeled
  • 1(14.5-ounce) can tomatoes (they can be whole, peeled or diced)
  • 1head garlic, excess skins removed, top chopped off to expose the cloves
  • 2bay leaves
  • 1bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • ½bunch fresh thyme
  • ¼ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1tablespoon black peppercorns

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

117 calories; 7 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 11 grams protein; 52 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Beef Bone Broth Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place meat and bones in a roasting pan or on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, turning to coat, then brush all over with tomato paste. Roast until browned, 30 to 35 minutes. They don’t need to cook all the way through but to just develop some color.

  2. Put roasted meat and bones in a 12-quart stockpot and add vinegar and enough cold water to cover by 3 inches (about 6 quarts). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, uncovered, for 2 to 3 hours. While simmering, occasionally skim fat and foam from the top using a ladle.

  3. Step

    3

    Add all the remaining ingredients. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for a minimum of 3 hours. If using knucklebones, simmer overnight, 9 to 15 hours, so the knucklebones have sufficient time to break down.

  4. Step

    4

    Remove meat and bones with a slotted spoon or tongs; reserve meat for another use (such as soup). Pour broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large heatproof bowl. Once broth has cooled, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Ratings

4

out of 5

797

user ratings

Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Martha

I roast the bones until very brown. Add whole carrots, some plum tomatoes and a halved onion in the last hour. Dump everything into stockpot. Deglaze roasting pan and add to pot. I would also suggest some chicken feet or unsmoked pigs feet or hocks. It bring a lovely gelatinous richness to your stock. Just remember not to add salt.
I have one of those giant square ice cube trays. They are perfect for freezing so you have stock in half cup portions ready for you.

Joe A.

I use the Chinese method of boiling just the bones for a few minutes, then dumping it all out out and starting fresh, rinsing the bones and a new batch of fresh water, bring to boil and add remaining ingredients. All the impurities are gone and there's no need to skim.

Christina

I make bone broth all the time. Just follow this recipe and cook for 2.5/3 hours. The only difference is that you get a bone broth that tastes like it was cooking for 24 hours in an eighth of the time

Margot

Instead of simmering on the stove overnight an alternative is to cover the pot and put it in a 200 degree oven. In the morning continue on the stovetop.

Martha

Lisa, Henry is right. However, my chief reason for not adding salt is that I never know how I intend using it. In addition to soups, I may want a mall amount for a pan sauce or demiglace or sauce espanole. This calls for further reducing the broth. If you've added salt during the broth making stage, you've now over salted. you can always add more but you can't take it out.
As an aside, the finished unsalted broth is surprisingly tasty.

Marti

I think this may be the best recipe from NYT cooking. I can never use “store bought” broth again! We call it the nectar of the gods as it is so delicious. It makes the Italian onion soup recipe better than any I’ve had anywhere. I make it and freeze it to always have on hand. Using a combo of ox tale, short ribs, neck, and knuckle bones tastes best. I’ve also found that roasting the bones for 45mins with twice the amount of tomato paste improves the flavor.

David Look

From Julia: No. Do not cover. Leave the lid ajar and add extra water to allow for evaporation.

g

i minimize cooking of fat for odor reasons. the first time i made bone broth i didn't follow any recipe and didn't roast bones nor skim off fat until cooled. my apartment smelled vile for days. next time it smelled vile while roasting, but it wasn't as enduring. now i roast the bones in 2 pans frequently i swap bones from one to the other in order to pour off fat that drains before it volatizes. i also pierce the bone marrow to facilitate fat drainage.

Nicole Fortenberry

You want to make this. I made it last weekend, and will be making another bigger pot this weekend. Not only did this wholesome broth nurse the family through a nasty cold/flu, the tasty bits were thoroughly enjoyed by the dog. Yes, it takes some time, but really isn't anything worth doing going to take some time? It's worth it. I used bones from the neck, knuckle, tail and 2 random ribs and followed the recipe exactly. Ask the butcher for whatever bones he's got in back. Yum!

2tattered

I've noticed that the company that sells Au Bon Broth is using the 'comments' as a way to advertise their product. Shameful.

Nicole Fortenberry

Totally agree, it's worth the effort and the mess. I will tie up my veggies/herbs in a cheese cloth before adding to broth on next go around. I think that may help cut down on mix mess at the end. I didn't find a lot of taste left in the beef bits, but we did serve some of the tender pieces along with the broth. I could see using it in a pasta sauce just as easy. Everything else (marrow, cartilage, bone, carrots) were saved and doled out as treats for the dog. Do you have a dog?

Linda

Don't boil it, keep it at a simmer and do not cover.

Fred Rickson

I have always split the bones first when making a stock like this. An old, dedicated, thick Chinese cleaver, a board, and a hammer does the task well. It's a little messy, but I make about two gallons of stock at a time. I think you get a better extraction than when everything is whole...but, I'm just guessing.

daniel

What is meant by the solutes note?

Henry M

Asian, and other multiethnic supermarkets are much more likely to carry the meat and bones than most American supermarkets. Extraordinarily tasty recipe. A sipping broth, indeed.

Rosie

I make a lot of stock. This is the best beef recipe by far. Do not skip any ingredients, especially shiitakes. No need to spend $$ on short ribs. Used 6 lbs of neck cut quite thick by butcher and 2.5 lbs oxtail. Using knuckle by far increases the time. Plenty of gelatin here. I roast at high heat 450 for 45 min to get nicely browned along with the veggies. 6 hrs slow roll is plenty and the meat isn’t totally spent and quite usable for beef barley soup, enchiladas, sandwiches or whatever.

terrejp

Any ideas about what would make this bone broth deeper/darker? Anyone try adding dried porcini mushrooms or roasting vegetables and bones a long longer?

AT

You can do this overnight or during the workday in a big crockpot if you don't want to leave something simmering on the stove unattended. It works just as well.

me.vs.society

I added more water than necessary to cover the veggies and my broth wasn’t gelatinous, but maybe bc my meats weren’t gelatinous enough (pork neck bones, beef soup bones beef shank. I used crushed tomatoes and it seemed to contribute to very messy straining and separating fat. Otherwise Really good flavor.

DL

Followed exactly as written including roasting the bones but put in the Instapot for 4 hours on high pressure. Use grass-fed beef soup bones from our local farm. Strain and add whatever veg on hand - or none at all. Lunch for a week!

Neil

What can you do with the fat that comes off the bones when you roast them in oven? Seems to good to throw out.

Robyn

First After roasting the bones with tomato paste until brown I cook with water, salt, pepper, bay leaf in the instant pot for 240 minutes, the max setting. If the bones don’t look a little broken down, I do ANOTHER 240 min cycle. Then I put in veggies and other spices and cook for 30 more min under pressure. This makes super concentrated stock, I freeze it in 1-2 cup portions and it makes any soup or stew magical. Can only get about 10 c of water with several pounds of bones.

Michelle

Has anyone adjusted this recipe to a 6 quart pressure cooker?

cherie misas

I follow this recipe to a T and it is the most superior broth I have ever made.

April

I made this yesterday so I could make the Japanese beef soup with it today. After cooking on the stove for about 5-6 hours, I removed the meat and larger pieces of vegetables while they still had flavor and put the rest into my 8-quart Instant Pot for one more hour to break down the knuckle bones as suggested (without losing more of the water to evaporation). I only wish I had saved more of the vegetable pieces with the meat, since the random carrots stuck to the beef were good in the soup.

jade

Love seeing these "new" recipes for bone broth! My Grandparents, born and raised in Italy before coming to the US, raised us on "brodo". My grandmother made it every day, sometimes beef, sometimes chicken with left over meat parts. We had bollito misto every day, I attribute my healthy teeth to all that broth!!

Lisa4bikes

Why do you include 1/4 cup apple vinegar? Is vinegar necessary?I followed a similar recipe (not NYT) with similar vinegar volume, and I tasted it in the final broth. Didn't like it. If I don’t use any vinegar, will the meat still break down?

CC Baker

I made this in the instant pot, used the sautéed function for the first step, added the other ingredients then high pressure for 4 hrs (time may depend depends on the size/type bones you have). I did add a strip of kombu, otherwise I think the ingredients are spot on for a hearty sipping broth.

DairyFreeIsMe

Please tell me why the bones are roasted before put in the soup pot. Is it for flavor? Does the roasting change the bones in a way that makes them better for stewing in the soup?

vb

I pressure cook for 6-7 hours ! 1 pot on small burner after it's reached pressure. Sometimes I have to stop and open it half way to make sure there's enough liquid (old cooker) . Makes about 5 Ball jars from a large pressure cooker.

Private notes are only visible to you.

Beef Bone Broth Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the best bones for beef bone broth? ›

Traditional recipes recommend using bones rich in marrow and flavor, such as beef marrow bones, oxtails, beef feet or beef neck bones. For this article, we will focus on beef marrow bones. To make a nutritious and delicious beef bone broth, we recommend using beef marrow bones or beef oxtails.

Is it good to drink beef bone broth everyday? ›

"The use of bone broth daily has been shown to decrease appetite due to the high protein content, thus many have noticed weight loss as a side effect," Litt says. However, for this reason, bone broth should not be used daily by children and pregnant women, she adds.

What not to add to bone broth? ›

However, do not add onions, carrots, celery or herbs to your initial pot of simmering bone broth. Instead, enjoy the pure, rich flavor that comes from just the bones, fat, connective tissue and any small amount of meat that may still be on the bones; it is not something that needs or wants amending.

How many pounds of bones do you need for bone broth? ›

Bone broth is most commonly made with beef bones, but can also be made with chicken, turkey, fish or lamb bones. Select about 4 pounds of bones from your local butcher or farmers' market.

Can you cook bone broth for too long? ›

Typically, bone broth simmers for a surprisingly long period of time. Cooking it for 12 hours produces a deeply flavorful and excellent result, but it's not uncommon to let bone broth cook for 24 or even 36 hours—at which point the bones begin to crumble, and their nutrients and proteins seep into the broth.

What is the healthiest bone broth to buy? ›

The healthiest bone broth on the market is the Organic bone broth made by Bluebird Provisions because it is the highest protein with 12 grams with 300 mg potassium and no added filler ingredients. It is also low in sodium and tastes absolutely delicious.

Who should not drink bone broth? ›

The sodium in bone broth may not be an issue for the average healthy person, Zumpano says, but it could be risky for people who have high blood pressure, heart disease or kidney disease. Always talk to your doctor if you have concerns.

Should I drink bone broth in the morning or at night? ›

They are easy to transport or keep at your desk at work as part of your daily ritual for gut health. All you need is access to a mug, a spoon, and some hot water. The best time to drink bone broth is in the morning, however bone broth nutrients can help settle, soothe and ease digestion all throughout the day.

What happens to your body when you start drinking bone broth? ›

Takeaways. Bone broth combines the richness of a stock with the drinkability of a broth. It can make a healthy addition to your diet and contains nutrients such as collagen, electrolytes, and various amino acids. Consuming bone broth can help reduce inflammation and build muscle when combined with daily exercise.

Why put carrots in bone broth? ›

Carrots, onions, garlic, celery, peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes are just some of the vegetables you can add to your bone broth to give it added flavor and nutritional value.

Why do you put apple cider vinegar in bone broth? ›

Then add apple cider vinegar, which is added primarily because the acidity breaks down the collagen and makes it more abundant in the broth. You can also sub lemon juice, but we prefer apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover.

Why should you not boil bone broth? ›

Just as when you're making stock for soups or stews, boiling will cause soluble proteins and rendered fat to emulsify into the cooking liquid. By simmering, you avoid emulsifying the fat and thus keep the stock clearer, and we found that the scum created simply settled to the bottom of the pot.

Is it cheaper to buy bone broth or make it? ›

But here's the thing: it is far, far cheaper to make bone broth at home. Most of the store bought bone broths in my tasting were priced above $10 per quart. Homemade bone broth? That'll cost you roughly the same amount of money for four to six quarts.

Should you cut bones for bone broth? ›

You find them at butcher shops cut into 3 inch pieces. This is for good reason. Using the whole 8 inch long arm or leg bone will not make you a very good broth. This is because we can't access the marrow or connective tissue for flavor and nutrition when it is not cut or processed down first.

Do you crush bones for bone broth? ›

Sometimes with a very long cooking time the bones will literally begin to fall apart, but you can also crush or break the bones ahead of time to ensure this access. Often with bones such as beef they will already be cut in this fashion, but with bones from an animal like chicken or other poultry, it could be helpful.

Does it matter what bones you use for bone broth? ›

Any bones will make decent stock, but the best ones still have some cartilage and meat attached. Long bones like shanks are full of marrow, which adds richness and flavor.

How do you choose bone broth bones? ›

Joint and knuckle bones offer lots of gelatin, so it's ideal to include at least some of these in your bone broth. The feet (eg. chicken feet and pork trotters) offer the most gelatin of all and are very cheap. Adding a few feet to your broth will almost guarantee a good outcome.

What is the best bone broth made of? ›

According to Bluebird Provisions, both chicken and beef bone stock are brilliant sources of amino acids, collagen and gelatin. While chicken broth is naturally richer in potassium, magnesium and phosphorous, beef is higher in collagen.

What type of bone broth has the most collagen? ›

Beef has more collagen per gram of protein

Beef bone broth also has slightly more glycine and proline. These are two amino acids that make up collagen, along with hydroxyproline and arginine. Chicken broth still has collagen, however it is around 10% less per serving than beef.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Neely Ledner

Last Updated:

Views: 5997

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (42 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Neely Ledner

Birthday: 1998-06-09

Address: 443 Barrows Terrace, New Jodyberg, CO 57462-5329

Phone: +2433516856029

Job: Central Legal Facilitator

Hobby: Backpacking, Jogging, Magic, Driving, Macrame, Embroidery, Foraging

Introduction: My name is Neely Ledner, I am a bright, determined, beautiful, adventurous, adventurous, spotless, calm person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.