PREP: 30 minutes ROAST: 45 minutes at 450°F COOK: 8 hours MAKES: 16 cups

Beef Bone Broth

What You’ll Need

3 lb. beef soup bones (knuckle, neck, or marrow bones)*

1 cup water

4 medium carrots, cut up

3 medium onions, unpeeled and cut up

6 stalks celery with leaves, cut up

2 Tbsp. dried basil or thyme, crushed

1 Tbsp. salt

20 whole black peppercorns

16 sprigs fresh parsley

4 bay leaves

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled and halved

18 cups cold water

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

How to Make It

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place soup bones in a large shallow roasting pan. Roast about 45 minutes or until browned, turning once.

2. Place soup bones in a 10- to 12-qt. stockpot. Pour the 1 cup water into the roasting pan and scrape up browned bits; add water mixture to pot. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to low. Gently simmer, covered, 8 to 12 hours. (For a gentle simmer, you should see tiny bubbles coming to the surface. You will want to monitor cooking so it does not boil. Gentle cooking helps to draw out and develop the flavor of the broth.) Remove soup bones from broth.

3. Scoop out as many vegetables as you can with a slotted spoon. Strain broth into a large bowl through a colander lined with four layers of 100%-cotton cheesecloth. Discard vegetables and seasonings.

4. If using the broth while hot, skim fat. Or chill broth in a bowl at least 6 hours; lift off fat with a spoon. Place broth in airtight containers. Cover and chill up to 3 days or freeze up to 6 months.

5. If desired, when bones are cool enough to handle, remove meat. Chop meat; discard bones. Place meat in airtight containers. Cover and chill up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. (Freezing tips, page 467.)

Slow Cooker Directions: Prepare as directed, except reduce all ingredients by half. Roast bones as directed in Step 1. Pour the 1 cup water into the roasting pan and scrape up browned bits. In a 6-qt. slow cooker combine the water mixture and remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours. Remove soup bones from broth. Continue as directed in Step 3. Makes about 9 cups.

*Test Kitchen Tip: Look for beef soup bones at your meat counter. Neck bones, back bones, and marrow bones are good choices. Ask your butcher to cut the marrow bones into 2- to 3-inch lengths; this helps expose more of the marrow. You also can save bones from pot roasts and steaks to use for stock. Simply store them in an airtight container in the freezer until you are ready to use them. Be super thrifty and save your bones from prepared broth. They can be reused for another batch of broth. The broth won’t have as much flavor in the second round, but it will still be good.

PER 1 CUP BROTH: 36 cal., 1 g fat (0 g sat. fat), 11 mg chol., 170 mg sodium, 2 g carb., 0 g fiber, 5 g pro.

1. Roasting the bones adds color and flavor to the finished broth.

2. If any crusty bits are stuck to the pan, add some water, scrape them up, and add them to the broth.

3. Place roasted bones in the large stockpot. Add vegetables, seasonings, and water. Simmer as directed to leech flavor and minerals from the bones and veggies.

4. Strain the broth through a strainer lined with cheesecloth, which will trap all the small particles, such as dried herbs.