Cooking with Chef Jo: Broths, Stocks, and Bone Broths

To me now, they are all the same thing. Once upon a time working in professional kitchens that wasn't the case, but now I'm relaxed about it. Granted broths or stock have added vegetables and seasonings to it. But, when I make mine, I go the extra step and make bone broth I add the flavor. While traditional stocks and broths are added to soups and other dishes to flavor them, why not get the added benefits of the collagen and minerals you get in bone broth? So now, I always make my enhanced bone broth to fulfill all my stock and broth needs.It gives me the most bang for my buck.

If you are like me, I save all my vegetable scraps (carrots, celery, herb stems, leeks, potato, garlic, etc.) I put them in a 2-gallon zip lock freezer bag. When I fill 2 bags, I'll make stock. The same goes for bones even the ones leftover from a meal. Waste not want not. If I hadn't made friends at the local meat processors, this would take a long time to gather, but I can pick up waste bones every time they butcher an animal. It's better than it going to the landfill.

Jo's Enhanced Bone Broth
2 gallons or 16 pints

What you'll need

10 lbs of combination bones (beef, poultry, veal, lamb, pork etc)*
2 bags of vegetable waste, if you don't have the waste quarter 4 ribs of celery, 4 carrots, 2 leeks, 1 bulb of garlic, very rough chopped
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS kosher salt
1/2 TBS black peppercorns or peppercorn blend
4 sprigs of thyme
                                                             1 bunch of parsley or just the stems 
                                                             4 bay leaves (large)
                                                             16 qts water or 8qts for fish and shellfish
                                                             1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or 1 cup red wine/1 cup
                                                             white wine for poultry or fish*

*Notes- A combination 50/50 neck bones/oxtails/meaty soup bones and long bones have marrow inside. It has some meat, cartilage, and strong bones. I want for the collagen, calcium and other minerals that does the body good.
If using wine, choose a good quality, dry wine.
 
Putting it all together

• Put the neck bones bones in a roasting pan. Place pan in a 425 degree oven and bake 35 minutes. Turn and roast again for 20 minutes. The exception is fish bones, and shrimp and other shellfish shells. They will be baked for 15 minutes total.
• Meanwhile, soak the long bones in a bowl with enough water to cover and vinegar or wine for 45 minutes.
• In a very large stock pot (20+ qt) heat the tablespoon of oil. There will only be a thin coating of oil on the bottom of the pot. Heat until it forms smoke.
• Add the vegetable scraps (or vegetables) to the pot. Stir constantly over medium flame for ten minutes.
• Add your bones and any liquid rendered from the bones to the pot.
• Stir well until everything is coated.
• Add four cups of liquid to the pot. Stir well scraping the brown and black bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Add half the remaining water and bring to a boil. Stir well.
•  Add remaining water. Stir well and bring to a boil.
• Add seasonings. Lower the temperature to a simmer.
• Cover the pot and simmer for: shrimp and shellfish~ 2 hour, chicken-~4-6 hours, beef and other meat~ 8-12 hours. Adding liquid if needed. 
• To speed the process and cut the time in half use a pressure canner.
• When the time is complete, allow broth to come to room temperature. There should be half the volume of liquid left in the pot.
• Strain liquid through a colander removing all the chunky bits of bone and vegetable. Remove the marrow from the big bones. It is delicious on crackers.
• Strain the liquid again through several layers of cheese cloth or a flour sack dishtowel. The liquid should be clear. I don't mind if a few floaty bits/sediment remains in my broth.
• Place the liquid in a cool place overnight. I love to make broth in the winter. I'll just cover the pot and set it on the porch. In summer, I'll set it in the refrigerator.
• The next day, Skim off the top layer of fat from the pot. Don't throw this away! Store it, it'll make fantastic seasoning for vegetables or biscuits!
• You will notice that your broth has thickened if not jelled. This is because of the collagen from the bones. 
•  Spoon this jell into a clean pot. You will notice sediment mixed in the bottom of the pot. Leave it in the pot.
• Return the new pot to the stove and heat.
• Strain your broth one more time.
• Hot pack into hot jars and pressure can as directed, or ladle into freezer bag for the freezer. I always make my bone broth in pint jars. It's the perfect amount for a pan of gravy. If I need more for soups I just grab a couple more jars.
• Be sure to wipe your rims with vinegar to remove any oil that may have splashed on it. You've spent so much
  
  time making this delicious broth it would be a shame to have it not seal.
• Pressure can for 75 minutes for pints, or 90 minutes for quarts.

Drink it straight from the jar for your health and refrigerate any unused portion or add it to your favorite recipe that calls for broth or stock. You can add any additional herbs you want to fit your personal tastes, the ones given are just the basics. I've found adding a 12 oz can of tomato paste before jarring enhances the taste of beef, veal, elk, and venison bone broths.

Enjoy!

Y'all have a blessed day!

Chef Jo