Bone Broth
Photo via Pinterest
Bone broth . . . how I can ever fit the love I have for this magical, healing, nourishing-to-the-bone [no pun intended] elixir into a blog post is out of my mind's reach. I put bone broth into most everything and anything, and if I am not, I can ensure you that I have had at least a cup that day. It boosts the flavour profile of any meal with an umami quality that an unfamiliar tongue would be in disbelief of the source being a humble broth.
Humble so, this recipe is an ancient traditional food that has been cooked for centuries to honour + respect the sacrifice of an animal. The meat is cooked and the bones, knuckles, necks, + feet are traditionally simmered for hours to make a rich broth that results in no waste and a consequent respect for the animal.
Making broth at my house is a labour of love. When I am home in D.C., we source our bones from the quaint little Organic Butcher that carries the most tantalising [to say the least] selection of local grass-fed and pasture-raised meats. It's a small shop lined with cases of high-quality meats and housed by even higher-quality employees. The line sometimes props the door open and spills into the street but these servers smile + serve each customer as if they're the only ones present. Customer service at its prime . . .
When I am in the Pioneer Valley, I purchase my bones either from the local Farmer's Markets or from Sutter Meats, a small butcher shop that I recently stumbled upon. All I can say is do not go in there if you are hungry because the scent of the roasting, smoking, + broth-boiling of tender meats will overtake your poor little mouth. Jaw drops, stomach sinks, + cartoon-rendition of eyeballs turn into slabs of meat . . .
Turning back to broth! This food not only tastes divine but is one of my ultimate beauty arsenals. This mineral [calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, + potassium], amino acid [arginine, glycine, glutamine and proline], and collagen-dense food will make your skin glow like the sun that we rarely see in the Northeastern winter's gloom and shine like a full moon. It will also firm fine lines and plump up your skin like a pretty little summer plum. Anti-aging without the toxic botox, injected naturally into your cells via a bowl + spoon . . .
It is also deeply healing for the gut, which is extremely important if you are healing from autoimmune issues as I am. I might even say this is my number one love when it comes to food . . . a hair close to my beautiful mama's slow-cooked leg of lamb. That is the ultimate treat made with love that pours out of every single cell in her laboring hands. Maybe, maybe one day I will share the recipe . . .
Ingredients
3 chicken feet | contains extra healing gelatin [I still have a hard time looking at them without squealing when the plop to the surface!]
3-4 pounds organic, grass fed oxtail and/or beef thigh bone, neck, or knuckle | it will most likely have meat attached + that is ok as it brings in extra flavour
Optional herbs/vegetables:
2 inches of organic young ginger root
1 inch of organic turmeric root
a sprig of dried Rosemary
3 whole organic onions, sliced thickly
¼ cup of raw, unpasteurised apple cider vinegar
8 quarts of alkaline water
Directions
Once I pick up the bones, I place them in a big stainless steel pot, pour enough alkaline water to simply cover them along with raw apple cider vinegar, + let the minerals leech out of the bones. I then fill it up with the seasonal vegetables I have selected or whatever scraps I have in hand, a dash and a sprinkle of herbs, + cover it with more water. I bring it to a boil then lower the heat to let it simmer for hours. Ideally, I let it simmer for 72 hours to ensure a dark, rich, gelatinous broth but 24 hours will do.
I pour it into glass jars, refrigerate them, and consume it over three days. Whatever is left afterwards is frozen into ice cubes, which I later plop into a pan while cooking a meal or to sip on.
