Bone Broth

Sunday, December 9, 2012

GYM CLOSED!

Meet the PCF family for a partner beach wod TODAY! Meet South side of Venice Pier!

The WODs will be announced at the beach, so come prepared to get sandy! (Shoes are optional)

Sunday: 9am or 10am

There is a parking lot where Washington hits the beach. Daily rates range from $4 – $15. There is also metered parking along Washington or some residential parking.

Bone Broth can be a great addition to your everyday diet. Homemade bone broth is extremely nutritious with many health benefits, some even say that it is a super food! Broth aids in gut healing, digestion, is known to help treat a handful of diseases, and prevent/fight infections. People aren’t joking around when they say to have soup when you don’t feel well, if it is made with proper made broth it will help. Winter time is here (even though it doesn’t feel like it half the time in Califrornia), with winter comes sickness. Adding bone broth to the diet over the winter will help prevent and fight any cold. When broth is properly prepared it contains all the minerals of bone, cartilage, marrow, and vegetables as electrolytes. Bone broth is rich in easily digestable and absorbable forms of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and other trace minerals.  It contains gelatin and collagen, which  is what promotes healthy digestion and disease fighting abilities. Gelatin facilitates digestion by attracting digestive juices to food in the gut. Broth also has the broken down material from cartilage and tendons–such as chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain. Fish broth (made with fishheads) is known to help with fatigue, promote healthy thyroid function, and provide iodine (A lot of us did just purchase whole salmon which could easily be used for fish broth).

Good beef broth should be made with several sorts of bones: knuckle bones and feet impart large quantities of gelatin to the broth; marrow bones impart flavor and the particular nutrients of bone marrow; and meaty rib or neck bones add color and flavor. The vinegar added to broth during the cooking process is used to help draw out the minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It is also important to start with cold water, as the ingredients warm in the water, their fibers open slowly, releasing their juices to add flavor.

Here is a recipe below from my “Practical Paleo” cookbook. A very traditional broth recipe and other variations can be found in the “Nourishing Traditions” cookbook by Sally Fallon. If you are not up for making your own broth, but would like to add it to your diet; the option to buy is available! You can purchase it through US Wellness Meats with your meat order at the gym or Brian’s Bowls; Brians Bowls is cheaper : )  I purchased some bone broth from Brian’s Bowls and bones from US Wellness Meats to make my own. I am excited to start adding this into my everyday routine : )

~Jess

Mineral Rich Garlic Bone Broth

Ingredients

This recipe make approximately 64oz of broth depending on how much water, how much you reduce the broth and how strong you like the flavor to be.

4 quarts of cold filtered water
1.5- 2 lbs of beef knuckle bones or marrow bones (or any other kinds of bones – especially oxtail, which lends added gelatin and a delicious flavor) (Chicken necks, are inexpensive and also work great and meaty bones)
The cloves from 1 whole head of fresh garlic, peeled & smashed
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1Tsp unrefined sea salt – or more/less to taste

Preparation

• If you choose, you may brown or roast the bones/meaty bones first in a separate pan/pot if using a crockpot, but this isn’t a necessary step. I don’t normally do it because I don’t find it enhances the flavor – and it saves dishes. You can choose to brown them in bacon fat or coconut oil before putting them into the water in the next step.
• Place all ingredients in a 6 quart crockpot and set the heat to HIGH (Skim off scum that rises to the top, it is important to use a spoon).
• Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat setting to LOW (a bare simmer).
• Allow the stock to cook for a minimim of 8 hours and up to 24 hours. The longer it cooks, the better!
• Turn off the crockpot and allow the stock to cool.
• Strain the stock through a fine mesh metal strainer or cheese cloth and throw away what you skim off.
• Place the cooled stock into glass jars for storage in the fridge (for up to a 5 days or longer if reboiled.) or pour into freezer-safe containers for later use (for up to several months). (You can freeze it in ice cube trays and defrost a few at a time!)

You can drink stock any time of day, before or after meals, or use it as the base for soups and stews! Perfect in any recipe that calls for broth.

Enjoy : )