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| Bone Broth with Chicken Feet (photo by Mary Nelen) |
Those masterful images because complete
Grew in pure mind but out of what began?
A mound of refuse or the sweepings of a street,
Old kettles, old bottles, and a broken can,
Old iron, old bones, old rags, that raving slut
Who keeps the till. Now that my ladder's gone
I must lie down where all the ladders start
In the foul rag and bone shop of the heart.
W. B. Yeats, “The Circus Animals’ Desertion” from
Interview with Tamara Sheen, a wellness cook living in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
VL
What is Bone
Broth?
TS
Broth made from the bones of any animal. Vegetables such as onion,
celery, carrot as well as pepper and bay leaf are added for flavor. It’s the base of soup or any dish if you’re a home or restaurant
cook. Broth can be used to make soup or to braise.
VL
Why is it so
popular?
TS
TS
Health benefits. Every culture has some form of broth. Back in the
day when nose to tale dining was the norm, you had to do something with the
bones. Besides, every grandmother knew the healing power of broth
VL
Which bones,
all of them?
TS
Knuckle bones have cartilage which is where the collagen lives. Collagen makes the nutrients more accessible to your body. Marrow bones also. When you boil the bones and the collagen is extracted, the body gets natural amino acids. Stock can be made from any animal bones: chicken, lamb, beef, goat, venison, buffalo and fish.
VL
Where do you
get bones?
TS
Go visit a farmer whose animals are grazing on grass or check out
a butcher and ask for bones with knuckles and marrow. Chicken feet are good
because they provide a lot of collagen and gelatin.
VL
How do you
make bone broth?
TS
Put bones in a stock pot of water. Add vinegar or wine to help
pull out the nutrients. If you are making beef broth, roast the beef bones for
at least 20 minutes before putting in the stock pot.
VL
How long to
cook?
TS
Stock should cook for at least three hours in order to take full
advantage of all the nutrients. My grandmother boiled the Christmas Turkey
carcass all night long. I simmer with the lid on. Some schools of thought say 12 hours minimum.
