My First Successful Broth

[CrystalClear]

It is such a lot of time and energy to spend when you are hypothyroid. :O Is the hydrolized collagen powder a good substitute for the broth if you can't manage to make it? Congratulations btw mamaherrera on being able to succeed in making a good broth :)

 

[narouz]

so which are the gristly joints?

In my experience, #1 in that way is chicken feet.

 

[mamaherrera]

ok so i bragged too soon. I didn't get a gelled broth this time and I bet it's because I used too many marrow bones and not enough of the joint bones. Would that mean more knuckles?? And the guy at the meat store told me the knuckles were fattier than marrow. . . Anyways. . . I roasted the bones first this time and I hate the flavor. . .I don't dare throw it away because its' expensive to make. .. . but do you have to roast the bones?? Or is it not necessary?

 

[Amazoniac]

ok so i bragged too soon. I didn't get a gelled broth this time and I bet it's because I used too many marrow bones and not enough of the joint bones. Would that mean more knuckles?? And the guy at the meat store told me the knuckles were fattier than marrow. . . Anyways. . . I roasted the bones first this time and I hate the flavor. . .I don't dare throw it away because its' expensive to make. .. . but do you have to roast the bones?? Or is it not necessary?

Not necessary, you can discart the liquid after a short boil to remove some impurities. Then, proceed simmering..
Audax Artifex: Daring Cooks' #6 Phở and Wontons - Feet and tendon will do the job.

 

[Such_Saturation]

I think more fat comes to the top if you let it sit outside the fridge.

I've made solid gelatine with just one slice of shank (one pound or less).

You can also use pressure cooker for broth.

 

[mamaherrera]

whoa. . lots of good info, but overwhelming. .. ok so chicken feet are ok?? I thought someone said no, otherwise, calf's feet?? Also, to get fat to rise, you leave it out at room temperature after it's done simmering?? I Thought you had to keep it cold to avoid bacteria growth?? And a piece of shank? Meat you mean?? or with bone in? sorry. .. . I"m not the smartest! too much estrogen in me yet!

 

[Such_Saturation]

 

[mamaherrera]

gotcha

 

[Such_Saturation]

 

[HDD]

I prefer chicken broth and you can make it with a whole chicken or with parts (wings, backs, necks). Too much water will dilute the gelatin but it is still in the broth. When I use a whole chicken, I remove the breast meat after an hour and simmer the rest for a few more hours. I prefer the chicken broth because I use it in various soup recipes.

 

[mamaherrera]

so with the chicken broth, you cook it with meat and all, then take out the breast meat and still cook it with meat and all?? My biggest worry with this "nasty" brotht hat I have now and I have to drink it even if it's nasty because it cost $20 bucks to make it, is that maybe it did "gel" because the protein degraded and thus, am I even getting benefits?

 

[HDD]

so with the chicken broth, you cook it with meat and all, then take out the breast meat and still cook it with meat and all?? My biggest worry with this "nasty" brotht hat I have now and I have to drink it even if it's nasty because it cost $20 bucks to make it, is that maybe it did "gel" because the protein degraded and thus, am I even getting benefits?

Yes, I cook it with the meat but I don't eat the dark meat so it is wasteful when I use a whole chicken. I only buy it whole because it is the best quality chicken I can find locally. You do get benefits from the gelatin that comes from the fatty parts not the meat. I remember quickly skimming articles about both meat and bone broths but I can't recall what was recommended and why.

 

[tara]

The stiffest broths I've made have been from knuckles or chicken feet. I also use other soup bones too - anything where you can see there is gristle/ collagen round the joints. I sometimes find ribs that have a bit of colllagen - they tend to have stiffer (more saturated?) fat. They also often sell cheap chicken frames round here, leftover from when they've taken off the legs, wings and breast fillets - there's a bit of gristle holding the rib cage together. I don't roast anything first, but I do rinse the chicken feet.
Knuckles I've had have had quite a bit of fat, usually less solid when cold (which I assume means more unsaturated than body fat).

I usually pour it into a glass jar, let it stand for an hour or two before putting in the fridge. The fat rises to the top and can be lifted or skimmed off.

 

[mamaherrera]

so a perfect broth would be knuckles, feet, marrow . .. a mixture of things,

 

[tara]

I'm not sure what value you get out of marrow - I don't actively try to get it, But I ofte eat it if there is some.
Personally, I vary my stocks rather than mix them all together - beef, mutton, chicken. (Tried fish head stock, couldn't do it.)

 

[mamaherrera]

oh ok, so if you do beef, per say, . .. knuckles, feet and anything else, or j=also those bones that were in the pic above?? and obviously you eat the meat when it's finished simmering, no?

 

[mamaherrera]

and you simmer that lovely shank meat for 24 hours and then still eat the meat?

 

[tara]

oh ok, so if you do beef, per say, . .. knuckles, feet and anything else, or j=also those bones that were in the pic above?? and obviously you eat the meat when it's finished simmering, no?

I don't usually use shin beef as such posted above. But on occasions when I have, I'd pull the meat off when it was tender enough and turn it into stew, then keep cooking the remaining bones for a bit longer. Same with whatever other meat.
I just get what I find in the shop - whatever looks the gristliest (is this a word:)), and use one cut in a pot every few days. I don't find knuckles so often. I like them for the high gelatin, but I don't like the high fat content, so I don't always eat all the meat from them because it's hard to separate out from the meat. I love chewing on the soft gristly bits though.

But you could do what you want - keep the meat in the soup, or eat it separately, or not at all, depending on your needs and tastes.

Peat has not recommended simmering for 24 hrs AFAIK - 2-3 hours more like.

 

[Such_Saturation]

and you simmer that lovely shank meat for 24 hours and then still eat the meat?

No I boil for 4 hours and throw away the meat.

 

[mamaherrera]

and one more question as I"m going to retry my broth and do it just for 3 hours. . . and see if it gels. .. . hopefully. For one gallon of water, how many pounds of bones?? This is kind of expensive here, the bones, so I don't want to mess this one up. ANd on another note, the mineral broth with kale/chard, is it tasty or no?