Kelly The Kitchen Kop

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broth/stock

Part 2: How to Make Delicious and Nutritious Homemade Stock / Bone Broth – from Chef Glenn at Reds on the River

January 23, 2009 · 26 comments

If you missed PART 1 – there you’ll find information on all the HEALTH BENEFITS of homemade stock/bone broth.

Today, in PART 2, before we talk about HOW to make a good, healthy stock, first I want to tell you about our favorite restaurant: Reds on the River.  (Hang with me, you’ll see where the connection is…and by the way, if you’re bored, don’t miss the bottom of this post where I share all sorts of somewhat-related nonsense.)

Reds is a bit pricey, so we can’t go often, but as is usually the case, you get what you pay for.  I absolutely LOVE how they make everything from scratch (no nasty “soup base” in their dishes), and a good share of their food comes from a local organic farm! Last fall I went to a class at “Red’s Cooking School” on making stock, and Chef Glenn gave me his OK to share what I learned with you.

Chef Glenn from Reds on the River in Rockford, Michigan

He’s a chef after all, so understandably, his primary concern is taste.  But what I found interesting is that the methods he uses for the best flavor in his recipes, are often the same methods traditional cooks used for best nutrition.  (Whether they knew it or not – usually food was prepared in certain ways just because that was how they were taught.)

Delicious AND Nutritious

So first I’ll tell you what I learned from Chef Glenn about making delicious stocks, then I’ll tell you more about how to make your stocks extra nutritious too.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM CHEF GLENN ABOUT MAKING DELICIOUS STOCKS: (my comments are in italics)

  • For beef bones (all bones?), first put them on a cookie sheet in the oven on 400* until they brown up some (don’t let them burn) – and then throw them into the pot to make your stock – this adds extra wonderful flavors.
  • A “white” broth is made without roasting the bones first, and a “brown” or “dirty” broth is made by roasting the bones.
  • Veal bones make the best broth.  (I personally didn’t notice a difference with my veal bones vs. regular beef bones, but he makes the reduction sauce for my favorite dish there, London Broil, with half red wine and half veal stock.  It is positively dreamy.)
  • The celery, onions and carrots you add to your stock are called a Mirepoix.  Best proportions are 2 parts onion, 1 part celery, 1 part carrots.  These should be a part of ALL stocks.
  • Use about 1/3 of a pot of bones, 1/3 of a pot of the above veggies, and then fill up the pot with cold water.
  • Cold water helps extract the flavors as it heats up slow.
  • Vegetable stocks take 1-2 hours, fish stocks 45 minutes (any longer and it gets cloudy), and veal & chicken stock cooks overnight. (Note: Sally Fallon says, “2 hours simmering is enough to extract flavors and gelatin from fish broth. Larger animals take longer – all day for broth made from chicken, turkey or duck and overnight for beef broth.”)
  • Making a flavorful soup (or any recipe) is all about layering the flavors.  A way to do this is by first roasting in the oven, or sauteing on the stove in butter, any of the vegetables you will be using in your soup.  (More on layering flavors from Chef Glenn – this link also has a great recipe!)
  • Butter carries flavors across your tongue.  (No wonder I love it so much!  See the link below about how butter is not the bad guy many have been led to believe it is.)

HOW TO MAKE YOUR STOCK AS NUTRITIOUS AS IT IS DELICIOUS:

  • Never use aluminum stock pots – aluminum has been strongly linked to health problems.  (More about that in a future post.  For now you can Google it if you’re curious.)
  • Don’t be afraid of using sea salt in your cooking. Even some with high blood pressure are able to use sea salt with no problems.  And good quality sea salt is full of beneficial minerals.
  • TRY to use good quality meat and bones to make your stock.  When animals are raised and fed well (grass-fed is best), it’s a no-brainer that their meat and bones will have more nutrients.  Chef Glenn may disagree with the grass-fed part, because I think they even advertise that their beef is grain-fed.  I believe this is known as being very flavorful.  But good flavor can be found in grass-fed as well, and it’s MUCH better nutritionally.
  • Don’t be afraid of butter! This one doesn’t relate to broth so much, but when Chef Glenn said in the class that he uses a lot of butter in his cooking (which is one reason why he’s a great chef!), he said it a bit apologetically.  Butter isn’t the bad guy it has been made out to be.  Don’t let what “they” have told you about butter and other healthy fats stop you – always use healthy fats in your kitchen!  In big restaurant kitchens, cost may prevent them from using only healthy fats, but in your own kitchen it is a MUST for good health.  (Read the bolded links for more info.)
  • The best, most beneficial stocks (nutritionally) are those that, after cooling overnight in the fridge, have the consistency of jello – so don’t freak out if you see this – it’s a good thing!  Read more about this in Part 1.
  • You should always add a splash of raw vinegar to your stock when you begin boiling, as this will draw more minerals out of the bones.
  • Filtered water is best.

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR STOCK:

So you’ve got your quality bones, your Mirepoix, your splash of vinegar and water in your pot.  When you’re done boiling (see times above), strain it well.  Chef Glenn uses a very fine strainer for a clear broth, but if you don’t have a fine strainer, your broth just won’t be as clear – not a big deal in my kitchen, but for some it’s important.  After it cools, freeze in baggies or in ice cube trays – never put hot foods near plastic!  (After the cubes freeze, toss them into baggies for smaller amounts to use when sauteing veggies, or in anything you want a little extra flavor and nutrition – I can’t remember who gave me that tip, but thank you!)  Now use your stock for soups, stews, when cooking rice, with noodles, or anytime you’re making a white sauce.  (Sometimes if I don’t have enough stock for my recipe, I’ll also add some organic stock to it from the store.)

WHAT DID I MISS? Do you have more tips to share about making stock, or other ways you like to use it?  Comment below!

  • More about how to make stock and details on making chicken noodle soup
  • I recently updated my French Onion Soup post with info from Chef Glenn – he gave some good tips on making it as tasty as they do at Reds.  (I love how he’s so open about how they do things there!)
  • A useful Kitchen Tip from Jeanne for making vegetable stock
  • OH, here’s more good scoop I missed from Cheeseslave, who also just did a post on chicken stock – good timing!

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PART 1: Health Benefits of Bone Broth / Homemade Stock (Beef, Chicken, Turkey, etc.)

January 16, 2009 · 38 comments

Today in part 1, I want to tell you WHY you would want to go to the trouble of making beef or chicken stock (or turkey, veal, etc.), and I’ll also tell you about all the health benefits.  In part 2, look for HOW to make it, how to freeze it, etc., along with some great info from Chef Glenn at Red’s on the River.

What’s the big deal with homemade stock?

Once you learn all the health benefits, not to mention how great it tastes, you’ll want to add it to everything you make.  I put it in all my soups or stews (the aroma will just beg you to dip your homemade bread into it!), in my rice, with noodles, or in anything with a white sauce, and of course I use it to make gravy, but this is after letting it boil down. (Add your favorite ways to use it below!)

What makes it so nutritious?

I don’t want to get into trouble, so please read more about the benefits at the links below!

  • “Science validates what our grandmothers knew. .. Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons–stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.”             From “Broth is Beautiful” by Sally Fallon
  • Read the comment from Cheeseslave at my Who is Weston Price post (find out which WAPF recommendations I may never do!)
  • Bone broth supplies amino acids that help the body detoxify.
  • It supplies nutrients to help those with joint discomfort.

PLEASE COMMENT BELOW:

What other recipes do you use your stock in?  Have you experienced any health benefits?

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Organ Meats – ICK! Or Superfood?! Urban Homemaker Phone Seminar Notes

March 6, 2008 · 18 comments

Did you grow up eating liver? What about other organ meats like heart or kidneys? Ew, my face is scrunching up just writing this! Obviously this has never been part of my diet, but I just might consider trying some…maybe. Stick with me, I’m not going nutso on you, just read this and see what you think afterward.

(Update, have you seen my post, You CAN Eat Beef Heart?  If I can, you can!)

I just hung up from the Urban Homemaker phone seminar that I’d told you about earlier this week. In case you weren’t able to listen in, I took notes so you don’t have to miss out on any of the details. (By the way, Marilyn from the Urban Homemaker, is now one of my sponsors!)

URBAN HOMEMAKER PHONE SEMINAR NOTES: ORGAN MEATS ARE SUPERFOODS!

For a healthy source of organ meats, visit my resources page.

Guests tonight were Maria Atwood and Blair McMorran from Denver, CO, co-leaders of their local Weston A. Price chapter. (Who is Weston A. Price ?)

(Before they started, Maria reminded everyone of something that I have at the bottom of each of my posts: this information is purely for educational purposes, talk to your doctor if you have specific questions and need medical advice.)

Maria began by sharing one thing she loves about the teachings of the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) – they help us learn to use ALL the foods that God has made available to us, instead of so many man-made (and less nutritious) foods. She & Blair both agree that we need to get back to the more natural ways of life.

If we know the many health benefits of eating certain foods that we’re not used to eating, it affects our mental perceptions and we lose our tendency to have squeamish feelings about it. Liver is a food that often has some of those squeamish feelings associated with it, so…

Maria discussed some common concerns and the many health benefits of eating liver.

  • The most frequently asked question about liver is about its safety. Some have heard it is toxic because it is the liver’s job to neutralize toxins in our body from drugs or other chemicals. However, Maria says that the toxins actually lodge in fatty tissue and in the nervous system, not in the liver.
  • Liver is highly nutritious, but very much affected by heat, so she suggests you eat it rare or medium rare to preserve the digestive enzymes and nutrients. If heated too much liver will be rubbery and have a stronger liver taste. Soaking in lemon juice helps decrease the liver taste that some don’t like.
  • Liver contains more nutrients gram for gram than ANY OTHER FOOD. This is even more important these days since it has become more difficult to find nutrient dense foods, we have nutrient depleted soil, polluted air, chemicals and additives in our soaps and foods, Fluoride in our water, cell phone and microwave radiation, and the list goes on!
  • We take in 10x less vitamin A than our grandparents did due to the above reasons. Liver has the most concentrated sources of vitamin A. Natural vitamin A works to aide digestion, to keep sex organs/reproductive organs healthy, and is a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin A is also found in yellow butter, egg yolks, and cod liver oil. It is a fat-soluble vitamin, so eat butter with your liver for better absorption.
  • Liver is a great source of Vitamin B12 – it improves muscle fatigue, sleep disorders, memory loss, anger issues, and impaired mental function.
  • All vitamin B’s are in abundance in the liver. It is a great source of folic acid, which works with B vitamins.
  • Liver has a highly usable form of iron, which transfers oxygen to our bodies, needed for proper development of the brain and great for the immune system. Iron in liver is 2-3x more absorbable than the kind being added to our bread.
  • Liver contains an unidentified anti-fatigue factor, which is probably why athletes use liver to maintain stamina and energy.
  • Liver is a tremendous source of nitrogen-containing compounds that are building blocks for DNA & RNA. It is great for people with Alzheimers or any dementia.
  • There are many delicious liver recipes (see link below). Grass fed is better tasting and has more nutrition.
  • We should eat it at least once/week or as much as you can afford to.
  • Lamb liver is milder than beef liver; turkey liver tastes better than chicken liver. Kidneys are also mild tasting; you could chop it up and put into sloppy joes, stews, spaghetti sauce.
  • Sally Fallon (WAPF President) recommends freezing liver and grating it – this is used in a homemade baby formula recipe, and you could also put it in meatloaf – but Blair says you can taste the liver in meatloaf, so a pâté is better with herbs and wine. (Link for recipes is below.)
  • You could take the desiccated liver capsules if you just can’t eat liver, but you get a smaller amount of nutrients than you’d get with the real thing. It is also very expensive. Another alternative is to freeze it, cut it into pill size pieces, and take it that way. (At the moment, this is the way I’m considering trying it!)

Blair shared her love of eating beef heart. (We now love it, too – read the post, “You CAN eat beef heart!”)

  • She says it has a tasty, rich meaty flavor, a milder taste than liver.
  • It is a muscle meat like steak, ground beef, roasts, etc. It is a heavier, more dense meat than others though.
  • It contains a lot more protein, and is slightly tougher, so she suggested using some sort of acidic marinade (see recipe link below). She said the longer it marinates, the more tender it will be.
  • The recipes she sent to Marilyn are geared to those who are more squeamish at the thought of eating organ meats.
  • You can add it in with ground beef so flavor difference is minimal.
  • Grass fed makes a huge difference: it keeps longer, better color, smells better, tastes better, much more nutrition.
  • Take it slowly, and buy only high quality organ meats.
  • If you still have trouble getting used to organ meats, remember they’re powerful meats so they need powerful complimentary flavors to serve with it, like pineapple salsa for one example.
  • The enzymes are also affected by heat, so serve it raw to medium rare, or dehydrate meats to make jerky, a great way to eat organ meats. “Beef jerky is a wonder food” – it is vitamin intense, with thiamin, folate, B’s. It is dehydrated, so you can take it anywhere. You can flavor it different ways and it will contain all the dense nutrients of whatever quality meat you use.
  • Heart Nutrients – very concentrated CoQ10, B’s, folic acid, building blocks for cell nutrition, we need to get a lot in our diets.
  • Synthetic B vitamins are not nearly as bio-available, better from a whole food. Grains have B vitamins but in animal foods there is no phytic acid to bind with the nutrients and make them less available to our bodies.
  • Beef heart contains Selenium, Phosphorus & Zinc, along with Amino Acids that help burn fat and store energy and boost stamina and endurance. Blair really notices a renewed vigor after a meal of organ meats. If pregnant, you need to store protein, and especially during the final weeks – this helps with muscle tone and strength so you will have an easy labor! (More on pregnancy health in future posts.)
  • More on CoQ10: it is found in beef heart and is highly protective against cancer – found only in animal foods. CoQ10 is a substance present in every cell in the body and essential for cell production, we need a lot and can get 40% of our daily requirement with 1 serving of heart. It protects our heart, improves problems with our gums, and has an affect on many different diseases – read more about CoQ10.
  • Heart also has twice as much collagen and elastin – for wrinkle free skin!
  • Helps in building joint tissue, or any connective tissue, for post-menopausal women.
  • All of this is found together in one food and all these nutrients work together for more energy and to feel better.
  • Make your calories count, focus on nutrient dense foods for healthy eyes, heart, liver, endocrine system, healthy babies, and wrinkle-free skin.

They discussed the many nutrients in bone broths/stocks.

  • Maria said she never makes soup now without using bone broth, there is no comparison in flavor and nutrients.
  • It contains calcium, magnesium, trace minerals, cartilage, glucosomine – for joint health!
  • Bone broths help us absorb many nutrients in our bodies
  • The gelatin in broth is very helpful for people with peptic ulcers, TB, and babies have fewer digestive problems.
  • If you have a digestive issue, first drink Kefir (recipe in the Nourishing Traditions Cookbook, and also bone broth for good digestive health.
  • Best to consume some bone broth every day, it is soothing to the digestive system, high in minerals, has all the essential amino acids you need, and is high in calcium.
  • A splash of raw apple cider vinegar helps draw the minerals out of the bone.
  • The key to good bone broth is the right kind of bones: marrow bones are different than soup bones (more meat than bone). Oxtails, whole chickens or turkeys & chicken feet are also rich in gelatin and make a healthy broth to aide in digestion.
  • If your broth isn’t gelatinous, you’ve either used too much water or not the right kind of bones.
  • Someone asked a question: If you use meat with no hormones, but is not grass fed, will that make a good broth? The answer was yes, but not as good. Grass fed is rich in CLA – this helps you lose weight, prevents cancer. Feedlot cows don’t have it – you are what you eat, you are what your cows eat. There is more cartilage on grass fed animals. (More here about healthy meat.)

Maria mentioned her DVD, which makes all these things seem very simple, she shows how to cook your way to wellness. She also demonstrates making broth. This can be purchased from the Urban Homemaker site.

There was a small mention of a few side issues:

  • Conventionally raised chickens or “battery chickens” are crammed into cages, their beaks are chopped off (because they’re so unhealthy and unhappy in those conditions they would peck eachother to death otherwise), and fed genetically modified corn & soy, and sadly, they are very sick animals.
  • When you hear today about genetically modified crops, it means they’re messing with the seeds in crops to make them hold up so that round-up won’t kill them, then they can spray their crop full of it – great for profits, but then WE ingest all those chemicals.
  • Fermented foods should be eaten with every meal. Blair’s family loves Kombucha, it’s an easy & inexpensive drink to make.

I’d love to hear what you think of all this, please leave a comment below!

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