Smoked Bone Broth

Nothing is more satisfying on a chilly day than a cup of rich homemade soup made with bone broth. Soups and stocks are easy to make, and they use things you might otherwise discard, such as bones, onion skins, celery leaves, and mushroom stems. Homemade broth is so much better than store-bought. The secret is in the bones. The marrow is full of collagen and flavor. When your homemade broth chills, the collagen turns it into a gel. The canned stuff doesn’t. It’s just flavored water.

This mother recipe improves on the classic technique of roasting the bones by smoke-roasting them. It calls for pork bones, but you can just as easily make it with beef bones or chicken bones. Next time you’re at the grocery, just ask the butcher for 5 pounds of bones. You might get them for free.

When you are done, you can store the broth in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or freeze it for 6 months. I like to freeze it in an ice cube tray, and then put the frozen cubes of broth in a zipper-top bag. Whenever I want to enrich a sauce or rice or couscous, I grab a handful of cubes.

Makes 2 quarts

Takes 5 to 6 hours

• 5 pounds pork bones (see Note)
• 4 carrots, peeled
• 3 onions, chopped into chunks, skins and all
• 2 celery stalks, plus leaves
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 button mushrooms, coarsely chopped, stems and all
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (optional)

1. Fire up. Start by firing up your smoker to 325°F or set up your grill to 325°F on the indirect side. Add wood and get some white smoke rolling.

2. Cook. Toss the bones, carrots, onions, celery, and garlic onto a sheet pan. Put the pan in the smoke for about 1 hour. Roll the ingredients around during roasting so that the bones and veggies brown on all sides.

3. After an hour, the bones should be nice and brown and the veggies limp. Transfer them to a large stockpot and add 1½ gallons water. Bring to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 4 to 5 hours, or until the liquid has reduced by half. Strain the broth into a bowl and discard the solids.

4. Use a gravy separator or a large flat spoon to discard the fat from the surface. Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings. In fact, don’t just taste it, pour yourself a steaming mug. Or make the next recipe. Or freeze it in an ice cube tray so you can use it later.

Note: Much of the flavor here comes from the bone marrow. If your butcher can cut the bones into 3- to 4-inch chunks and the heavy femurs lengthwise, more of the good stuff will get into the broth.