I've been looking into bone broths lately, the new copy of Nourishing Traditions that I got for Father's day in hand.
So far I have made a bone broth only one time. I got some lamb bones from Whole Foods and put it a slow cooker set to low in the morning. Late in the afternoon I strained the mix, kept the broth, and let it set in the fridge, where it gelled.
I'm sure I could have improved it. For example, skimming the broth for the first couple of hours is said to make it taste much better. (See the "Broth is Beautiful" article by Sally Fallon.) Added vegetables improve the meat broth, and vinegar (finally, a use for that apple cider vinegar) extracts minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
There are a few questions that I hope to find answers to:
- Like lamb does, the broth had a strong flavor. Has anyone made other kinds of broth, and are their tastes distinctive?
- These bones were uncooked. Broth can also be made from cooked bones too (like from a leftover turkey carcass). Are cooked bones simmered for a shorter length of time than raw? About how much less?
- Now that I have my bone stock, how can it be used in recipes?