Bone Broth

[Anonymous]

I made a big pot of "bone broth" last week using mostly turkey bones and also some beef bones. I let it simmer for several hours. It was delicious. I decided to make "real" bone broth using mostly a variety of beef bones and also some turkey bones, cooking it for 14 hours. It was -- meh/gross, nothing close to pho. I'm not sure I'm going to make this kind of investment of time again, since chicken stock is so much easier to make, but I'm wondering if anyone has had success making bone broth, and if so, how did you do it?

[Anonymous]

you can make chicken bone broth too- just use whatever mix of bones appeals to you- the point of a 'bone' broth is to simmer t for long enough that the bone marrow seeps out and the bones become soft and break down all their collagen into the liquid. to should be a jelly texture when cooled in the fridge. if it sent its not proper broth. So the very very long simmer time is necessary and beef bones usually need pressure to truly disintegrate.

[Anonymous]

The broth is just a base. Did you add the rest of the ingredients to make pho?

[Anonymous]

Poultry bones are much smaller and the collagen breaks down much more quickly than the beef. In your first batch the body probably came from the turkey, even if it was a mix of bones. In any case, I wouldn’t mix species - the taste profiles are different, cooking times are different, etc. I have never liked broth made from mammals - I much prefer poultry. And it’s easier. I don’t think there is anything nutrient-wise you are getting from beef stock that you can’t get from poultry stock.

Now if you really want beef stock for French onion soup or something I can see trying to get it right! But again, I wouldn’t mix different kinds of bones, and the more meat you use the more flavor it will have (flavor comes from the meat, body comes from the bones themselves).

[Anonymous]

If you have access to a real butcher, throwing in a couple collagen rich items, like chicken feet, really up the gelatin in your bone broth. I also roast my big beef bones before putting them in the pot and I add bay leaves, an onion and a carrot.

For me, the key is just saving my bones and storing them in the freezer until you have enough for broth. Then I just dump them in the pot and add water and the above ingredients.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Poultry bones are much smaller and the collagen breaks down much more quickly than the beef. In your first batch the body probably came from the turkey, even if it was a mix of bones. In any case, I wouldn’t mix species - the taste profiles are different, cooking times are different, etc. I have never liked broth made from mammals - I much prefer poultry. And it’s easier. I don’t think there is anything nutrient-wise you are getting from beef stock that you can’t get from poultry stock.

Now if you really want beef stock for French onion soup or something I can see trying to get it right! But again, I wouldn’t mix different kinds of bones, and the more meat you use the more flavor it will have (flavor comes from the meat, body comes from the bones themselves).

I just posted above, but wanted to say that I always add a couple chicken feet to my beef broth, but I do tend to keep my chicken bone broth just from chicken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have access to a real butcher, throwing in a couple collagen rich items, like chicken feet, really up the gelatin in your bone broth. I also roast my big beef bones before putting them in the pot and I add bay leaves, an onion and a carrot.

For me, the key is just saving my bones and storing them in the freezer until you have enough for broth. Then I just dump them in the pot and add water and the above ingredients.

You can usually find these at Asian grocery stores. They are very, very good for stock.

[Anonymous]

You need a LOT of bones for beef broth. Perhaps you didn't use enough?

Check out this America's Test Kitchen recipe -- I feel like ATK is usually a pretty reliable source for stuff like this.

https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/8664-rich-beef-broth

[Anonymous]

Chicken foot broth is my fave. I used to make beef bone broth…which I still do on occasion, nothing beats chicken feet though. It’s ridiculously nourishing and delicious.

Great with lemon and salt when serving. It doesn’t need much to sparkle.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, PPs! Not the OP but this is first time I'm learning about chicken feet. Going to try it!

[Anonymous]

Did you do an initial boil and then throw out the water and re-start?

[Anonymous]

Be aware the first time you use the chicken feet it can be a lot! Try to find peeled one (they are no longer yellow). Trim the nails off. It gets easier and worth the effort.

[Anonymous]

This is the OP. I got the bones from HMart in wheaton where they have all manner of butchered animal parts, including chicken feet. (I used turkey wing bones.) I'm embarrassed to say that I did not add the extra ingredients to make pho -- I thought after all that time, the stock itself would be like liquid gold, the way chicken stock is. (I didn't realize the bones were for texture, rather than flavor, although some did have a lot of meat left on them.) I added what I had on hand for pho and it is an improvement but still not close to what you can get at a restaurant. Maybe it's missing MSG. I'll just eat it out from now on.

Thank you for all the replies. Any more tips would also be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Chicken bone broth takes 14-18 hours (and sometimes just turns out yucky). Beef bone broth takes 2-3:days of summering and can turn out yucky. I stick with chicken bone broth, with 2-4 carcasses, a splash of apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, halved onion, handful of peppercorns, and whatever green herbs we have on hand, parsley, thyme, carrot tops, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I got the bones from HMart in wheaton where they have all manner of butchered animal parts, including chicken feet. (I used turkey wing bones.) I'm embarrassed to say that I did not add the extra ingredients to make pho -- I thought after all that time, the stock itself would be like liquid gold, the way chicken stock is. (I didn't realize the bones were for texture, rather than flavor, although some did have a lot of meat left on them.) I added what I had on hand for pho and it is an improvement but still not close to what you can get at a restaurant. Maybe it's missing MSG. I'll just eat it out from now on.

Thank you for all the replies. Any more tips would also be appreciated.

Pho is a little more involved to prepare from scratch but certainly within the realm of the possible. I make a big batch and freeze.

https://www.recipetineats.com/vietnamese-pho-recipe/