Homemade Beef Broth Recipe

Be sure to skim the foam and solids that rise to the top of the broth with a fine mesh strainer every 30 minutes or so. Doing so produces the best, clean, beefy flavor.

Course Condiment

Cuisine American

Keyword homemade beef broth

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 15

Calories 347kcal

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 ½ pound beef chuck roast or beef shank
5-6 pounds beef neck bones bouillon or soup bones
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion quartered
2 carrots cut into 4-5 sections
1 celery cut into 4-5 sections
1 parsnip cut into 4-5 sections (optional)
1 head of garlic sliced in half
2 bay leaves
Bunch of thyme leaves
Small bunch of parsley
1 tablespoon beef bouillon base
6-8 whole peppercorns
½ tablespoon kosher salt plus more after cooking to taste

Instructions

Sear the meat and bones. Warm the oil in a dutch oven or large stock pot over medium high heat. Season the chuck roast with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and brown in the pot on all sides then transfer to a plate or platter. Add the bones and brown in batches on all sides.
Add everything to the pot. Add the chuck roast to the pot with the browned bones, carrot, celery, onion, garlic halves and parsnip (if using. Add 4 quarts cold water, covering the beef and veggies by at least 1-2 inches. Add a handful of the parsley (with leaves and stems intact), thyme sprigs, peppercorns, bay leaves, beef bouillon and kosher salt.
Simmer for 2+ hours. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and skim the stock with a fine mesh strainer every 30 minutes or so. Cook partly covered for 2 hours up to 8 hours or until the stock is rich and brown and tastes well flavored. Add more salt to taste if necessary.
Strain before using. Turn off the heat and allow the broth to cool or if using immediately, place a large colander over a Pyrex 4 cup glass measuring cup and slowly drain the broth from the rest of the aromatics so the colander catches any veggies or bones that may fall from the pot. Then, use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the stock into your next recipe's soup stock pot.
Or, if storing to use later, strain into 1 quart wide-mouth glass canning jars and cool before adding a tight fitting lid.

Notes

To store: Homemade broth will stay good in the fridge for 5 days, although I’ve been known to let it go longer than that. Signs it’s time to discard are when the stock gets cloudy or doesn’t pass the smell test.

Don’t be alarmed if you see a gelatinous layer of fat form on the top of your stock as it cools in the fridge. Gelatinous blob = more flavor, and more flavor is good. It’s just collagen rendered from the beef bones, and it also helps preserve the stock while in the refrigerator. However, if you plan on freezing your stock, you’ll want to scrape off the fat before doing so.

To freeze: Broth can be frozen for up to 6 months. I like to freeze mine in freezer bags, in 4-cup portions, since that’s the amount of stock many soup recipes call for. Fill the bag and lay flat on a shelf until frozen, then stack upright like little chicken stock soldiers.

Nutrition