Cooking with Bones
Marrow is great and all, but what about the bones that aren’t blessed enough to bear the sacred gel in easily extractable amounts? We can’t forget about those. Chicken backs, beef knuckles, ham hocks, chicken feet, lamb necks, hooves and any other animal-derived matrices of calcium phosphate and collagen fibers are all worth saving, cooking, and perhaps even eating. Hell, I bet elk antlers would make a fine, mineral-rich soup. The best part is that bones, feet, hooves, heads, and connective tissues are all pretty inexpensive, sometimes even free, parts of the animal. They also represent an entirely different realm of nutritional content than basic muscle meat, being complex organs playing multiple roles in the body.
You see, bone is living tissue, rather than inert structure. It is rigid, true, but it’s actually an organ, in fact, placing it squarely in the nutritional all-star camp of liver, heart, brain, kidney, and sweetbreads. Bone is also slightly elastic, owing to the collagen, which combines with the calcium phosphate to lend “elastic rigidity.” (If it weren’t for the collagen, bones would simply be hard with no give, and thus brittle.) Bone is full of minerals, mostly calcium and phosphorus (seeing as how the “bone” part of bone is calcium phosphate, this is no surprise), along with sodium, magnesium, and other trace minerals. If the connective tissue – and most animal scraps and bones you use will have tendons, ligaments, and cartilage – is still attached, bones also include stuff like chondroitin and glucosamine, popular joint supplements that are the raw materials for bone and cartilage formation.
Let’s do a quick rundown of all the other good stuff found in bones and, therefore, well-made bone stock:
- Bone marrow – We went over this last week, but I’ll say it again: bone marrow is one of the first “superfoods” (for lack of a better term – I actually slightly cringe using it) our ancestors enjoyed. It’s fatty, with a bit of protein and loads of minerals. Even if you’re cooking spindly chicken bones, there’s going to be marrow, and that marrow will make it into your stock.
- Collagen and gelatin – Most commercial gelatin comes from animal collagen already, so why not cut out the middle man and get your gelatin directly from bone and cartilage? The more collagen your bones have, the more gelatinous, rich, and viscous your stock will be – important qualities, especially if you intend to reduce your stock into sauces. Gelatin may even reduce joint pain in athletes, as one (admittedly small) study appeared to show. Another showed benefits for ulcer patients.
- Glycine – Although our bodies already produce plenty of glycine, rendering it a non-essential amino acid, there’s some evidence that supplementation can help mitigate free-radical oxidative damage in rats with alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity. Bone broth is rich in glycine. It probably doesn’t mean much, but it can’t hurt. And hey – it may even improve sleep quality, as one Japanese study showed in human subjects. Drink a warm cup of broth before bed, perhaps?
- Proline – Proline is another non-essential amino acid found in bone stock, but supplementation has shown promise in patients suffering from vision loss due to gyrate atrophy. It’s also an important precursor for the formation of collagen, though it’s not clear whether eating proline has any affect on the body’s ability to make collagen.
- Hyaluronic acid – Hyaluronic acid, also known as hyaluronan, is one of cartilage’s three glycosaminoglycans. It helps broth gel, and it’s been used for years to treat race horses with osteoarthritis, usually as an intra-articular injection or IV fluid. Recent studies on oral administration have been promising, though, meaning oral administration of quality bone stock (as opposed to, um, what other method of administration?) might help us with our joint issues, too. According to Wikipedia, human studies are underway and showing promise, but I wasn’t able to dig up much beyond this small study. Still, it’s compelling, and I’ll continue to drink broth regardless.
- Chondroitin sulfate – Chondroitin sulfate is another glycosaminoglycan present in bone stock. It’s also a popular supplement for the treatment of osteoarthritis the efficacy of which has come under question. One recent review concludes that chondroitin sulfate “may interfere with progression of osteoarthritis”. I’d say it’s worth a shot.
- Calcium – I’ve downplayed the importance of large amounts of supplementary calcium in the past, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. It’s the raw material for bone production and fortification, and bone stock might be one of the best sources of calcium around, especially for those who avoid dairy and don’t eat enough leafy greens.
- Phosphorus – There’s also a good amount of phosphorus in bone stock, though I doubt Primal eaters lack adequate dietary phosphorus (there’s plenty in meat). Still, it’s a nice buffer.
- Magnesium – Magnesium is pretty lacking in the modern diet. Fatty fish like mackerel offer good amounts, as do leafy greens, nuts, and seeds, but most people, Primal folks included, could stand to take in more magnesium. Dr. Michael Eades says if he had to recommend just one supplement, it’d be magnesium; Dr. Stephan Guyenet over at Whole Health Source recently posted a couple great pieces, one on magnesium and insulin sensitivity (short version: the former improves the latter) and another on magnesium and vitamin D metabolism (short version: the former affects the latter). Bone stock is just another way to obtain this valuable mineral.
- Sulfur, potassium, and sodium – Stock has these minerals in mostly trace amounts, but they’re all important for health. Sodium isn’t really an issue for most people, but potassium is undoubtedly important and often lacking. Both are crucial electrolytes (bone broth – possible new sports drink?). Sulfur is the “S” in MSM, or methylsulfonylmethane, the popular joint supplement that has shown some promising results in humans.
The best way to extract all that boney goodness from the bones is to cook with them, and that means making stock (or broth; from here on out, I’ll just say stock, but the two are pretty similar, with broth technically being derived from meat and bones, and stock from just bones). I mentioned a basic chicken stock recipe last year, but we can do better than that. Besides, different bones require different considerations. A few tips:
- Add a couple shots of apple cider vinegar to your stock. This aids in the extraction of minerals without really altering the flavor.
- Roast your bones beforehand. This adds color and flavor. For big bones like beef, 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes usually works. For chicken, just use roasted carcasses.
- Don’t throw bones away. Even if you just ate a couple bone-in chicken thighs, save those measly little bones! Freeze them and keep adding to your collection until you’ve got a respectable amount.
- Don’t be afraid to simmer long and slow. Smaller animals require less cooking time to extract nutrients, so chicken can probably go for twenty hours and produce a quality stock, but beef or lamb bones can go for several days, provided you keep the heat low and watch the water level to prevent burning.
- Add feet, especially chicken feet, for added collagen – and more gelatin.
- If it’s a delicious joint supplement you’re after, look for actual animal joints to throw in. Knuckles, especially, have tons of cartilaginous material and snappy ligament that will break down in the water.
- When dealing with the bigger bones from ungulates, sometimes the heat and the water need a little assistance. To really get the good stuff, stick the bones in a sturdy bag and smash them with your sledgehammer (you do have a sledgehammer, right?). Then put the shards in the stockpot. Native Americans used to do this to buffalo bones to get at the little grease pockets lurking within the bone latticework; why shouldn’t we do the same? Another option is to remove the bones after half a day or so and go to work with a smaller hammer, a chef’s knife, or even the food processor. They’ll have softened considerably, and you’ll be able to chop them up into bits for quicker, more thorough extraction. Last week, I took a 10-inch chef’s knife to some cow knuckles and cow necks that’d been simmering for a day and returned the pieces for another few hours of cooking. That stock was the thickest, richest, most gelatinized stock I’ve ever made. Correlation, causation? I lean toward the latter. In fact, going forward, I plan on doing this every single time I make stock. The difference was just that huge.
- You can eat bone, technically. Now, if you’ve made a proper stock and gotten all you can out of your bones, eating them may not confer many benefits. Still, it’s an interesting thought. Chicken bones in particular become pretty delectable after a day of stewing, and I’ll confess to sifting through the stock solids for snacks. I haven’t eaten an entire carcass or anything (yet), but I may try a few of the smaller, softer bones as an experiment. Anyone else?
- Once your stock has cooled in the fridge, only skim the fat if you’re prepared to store or use the stock right away. That layer of fat is protecting your broth from adulterants, whether they’re random fridge flavors or bacteria.
- Speaking of fat, I’d toss poultry fat. It’s a relatively high-PUFA animal fat, and a day of simmering has probably damaged it beyond repair. If you’re stewing bones with more saturated animal fat, though, you should absolutely save the fat layer.
- Veggies are optional, but tasty. They add flavor, and the classic mirepoix blend of carrots, onions, and celery is always a welcome addition. Herbs work well, too. I’m partial to thyme, bay leaf, and whole peppercorns, with maybe a sprig or two of rosemary added. If you’re doing herbs and veggies, add them toward the end of cooking, especially if you’re doing a marathon two-day stock making session.
Divining the nutritional details of traditional foods like bone stock and bone marrow is difficult, if not impossible altogether. We know stock contains gelatin, calcium, phosphate, magnesium, glucosamine, chondroitin, and other trace minerals, but what are the numbers? We’re a numbers generation; we expect to have accurate info at the tips of our fingers at all times, but that’s unrealistic. Bone composition isn’t set in stone. What the animal ate, how it lived, where it lived, the mineral content of whatever it ate, the nutrient density of whatever it ate – these all factor into the composition and content of the bones, joints, and cartilage. The nutrition facts of commercial bone meal marketed as a calcium supplement gives us a general idea of the mineral content (900 mg calcium, 360 mg phosphorus, 9 mg magnesium per serving) of bone stock. That stuff comes from powdered “cattle raised in the United States,” which undoubtedly means corn-fed, nutritionally-deficient cows. We don’t know exactly how an animal’s diet affects its bone composition, but we know that it matters. Diet plays a huge role in everything, and I’d bet that grass-fed (again, as always) results in better, more nutritious stock. Regardless of the numbers, bone stock is good for you, damn good, and being somewhat in the dark about the precise nutrient count shouldn’t dissuade you from making and using your own bone stock on a regular basis.
Even if you don’t (or are unable to) seek out bones specifically for cooking, you’ll end up with plenty as leftovers. In fact, I’d suggest opting for whole animals or bone-in segments; the meat tastes better, it stays fresher longer, and you get some cooking bones when it’s all done. When you roast a chicken, you’ve got an entire skeleton to work with. When you cook a bone-in leg of lamb on the barbecue, you’ve got a big femur left over. What does a skinless breast offer after it’s been eaten, or an endless parade of steaks? I love a good steak as much as the next man, but a Primal eater shouldn’t live on muscle meat alone. I highly recommend giving homemade stock a try. If you eat animals, you should have access to their bones, and you should never throw those bones away.
Have I missed anything? Anyone have any good stock-making tips?
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
I’ve made fish stock quite often – i do Not know how nutritious it is compared to mammals or birds.. however, it is easy and fish heads are often free- just toss a bunch of heads and fish parts into a pot and boil – it’s delicious! It also becomes more Creamy than jellylike.
Fish are very healthy because of the omega 3 content but those same omega 3s don’t really stand up to heat very well sadly. you would still get the minerals and the gelatin but It would be better to skim the fat because of the polyunsaturated fat being heated for so long. That kind of gets rid of the omega 3 though. The broth would be perfectly healthy after this but, again no omega 3.
“Hell, I bet elk antlers would make a fine, mineral-rich soup. ”
I think you’re right. Here’s a passage from Sourdough Sagas, which has several first personal accounts by people who took part in the Alaskan Gold Rush including what they learned from the local natives.
“gold rushers would take the antlers of a deer or elk, cut it into pieces, and boil it for a couple of days. They would then let it cool for an afternoon and, well the quote follows:
“The mixture would cool, and to the top would rise a white butter that, with salt added, was as fine as any butter that came from a cow. The natives called it “bone butter.”
I’m not sure if I’ve asked for feedback on this. I’ve bought 4 slow cookers and none have ‘slow-cooked.’ I have the best results in cast iron (e.g. le creuset) in an oven at 225F. In the oven, over 8-10 hours, I have a slightly simmering pot. In slow-cookers (even on low), the pot is furiously boiling. Does anyone have an explanation? a solution? a slow-cooker that doesn’t do this? The last one I had was a programmable that boasted a ‘keep-warm’ setting. HA! Volcanic virgins sacrificing themselves would have expired long before reaching the mountain, at this temperature! Any help anyone can provide will be appreciated!
I recently read that the older crock pots kept the temperature stay pretty low, and usually didn’t have a hi/lo setting, they just had one setting. Because of the fear of food poisoning (and lawsuits, perhaps) the newer ones cook much hotter. Maybe you can find an old crock pot at a garage sale or thrift store and try that.
Does anyone know if it is safe to cook/eat bones from grain fed confined livestock? thinking about heavy metal contamination and other toxins. How bad is it really?
I feed my 4 dogs raw and they certainly can smell the difference.
When I toss a mixture of commercial, grain-fed bones together with grass-fed/finished bones, they all go for the grassfed bones.
The commercial, grain-fed bones get sniffed and then ignored. A dogs nose definitely smells nutrient content and chemical contamination I think.
BUT, commercial, grain-fed bones are still 100 times better than grains themselves.
I have heard that the “new” crockpots – which may mean any made in the last 10 years – cook much faster than the old ones. (“safety”, litigation and all that) See if you can find an old one at a thrift store. Or crack the lid a bit while cooking to keep it from getting so hot.
I wonder if bone meal is any good for gardening after we make stock with it? Would all the minerals/nutrients be cooked out, leaving nothing for the plants?
IS this a problem? After 24 hrs of cooking in a slow cooker and then straining the broth into containers and sticking them in a fridge for 12 hours, my beef bone broth has come out with a thick layer of fat on top and a jelly like substance underneath. Before, when I’ve made beef bone broth (cooking only 12hrs) I always had fat on top and an a brownish liquid underneath. Why is there jelly now? Is it because I used too many bones this time or is it because I cooked it longer? Why did it turn to jelly?
You extracted all the collagen and conective tissue from the bones. According to the article it’s really good for you! Skim the fat (if you want to) but keep the jelly – it will melt down again when you warm the stock and make the stock rich and smooth.
I keep “stock bags” in my freezer. Whenever I cook with a bone-in piece of meat, I toss the bone in the freezer bag and save them until I’ve collected enough for stock. Every time I roast a chicken or turkey I save the whole carcass this way too. I also save shellfish shells – shrimp and lobster make great stock. I don’t have enough cash to buy enough lobster for shell stock at one go, but if I save up for long enough, I can make a gorgeous lobster bisque.
Great post however , I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this topic? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Thank you!
I’m not sure where you are getting your information, but good topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more. Thanks for wonderful info I was looking for this information for my mission.
I’m curious about the skimming the fat off. Since the marrow is, basically fat, by skimming it off aren’t I tossing out the marrow I just worked so long on extracting?
I agree with you Allison, and I never skim the fat off mine. I think it important to eat the marrow fat as well as the nutrients you are extracting from the bones (such as collagen etc).
Whenever I make stew or soup and have leftovers, it turns into jello overnight! All the gelatin from the bones!
I add the juice of one fresh lemon into the pot before simmering instead of vinegar for acidity. I must say that just for taste alone you should start making bone broth. It’s easy and amazing.
What about the marrow??
My understanding is the marrow is highly pufa. Pls correct me if I am wrong. I always roast my big elk and beef bones as suggested then scoop the marrow before it all melts away, add salt and EAT IT on the spot. OMFG this is the most delicous thing on the planet.
Mark, there are a zillion comments, but can you pls address this ?? Thank you!
Everytime I come to the end of making chicken stock I find myself sifting through all the carcass pieces in the strainer and munching away on the bones. I really enjoy the ends of the bigger bones. I made some really great chicken soup for some friends one night and found a bone hiding in my bowl at dinner, the look on their faces when I plucked it out and ate it was priceless.
This may be an amateur bone stock/broth making question..but would I still reap the same benefits if I use bones that aren’t from a grass fed animal?
My Trader Joe’s sells whole chickens and beef that have no antibiotics, “natural”, no hormones, but are vegeterian fed (so annoying)!
And a farm I found fairly close to where I live won’t have any available for like a month and a half.
I have a local meat store that sells “dog bones” and other soup bones but I am pretty sure they aren’t coming from grass fed animals (sigh).
Is it worth it/have as much nutritional value?
The big problem with conventional meat is in the fat profile, but since you’re making soup you can easily skim that off. It will still have the same minerals and the gelatin so it would probably be fine as long as you skim off the fat.
is this the recipe for beef bones? I see veal but not beef.
I’ve always used the crockpot for stock–if you leave chicken in on low for 2 days, there are almost no bones left at all, you can mush the remnants with your fingers. The only problem with the crockpot is that it does not reduce the stock, so you get a large volume of weak-tasting stock that you should then boil down on a stovetop if you want truly flavourful stock. I’d stopped making it because I had so, so much. Maybe I should start feeding it to the dogs, too, mushed up bones and all…
when you are finished with your bones, bury the remains at the foot of a favourite plant, like a grape vine for instance!
Interesting article. Have you tried liquidising bones and using the paste?
I’m a bit skeptical on the whole apple cider vinegar in the bone broth thing. It seems to me that by adding vinegar, you are certainly removing calcium from the bones, but are you regaining it in a useful form?
I’m not a chemist, so if someone more knowledgeable than myself would like to clear this up, I’d appreciate it. It seems to me that 6 vinegar + calcium phosphate = 3 calcium acetate and 2 phosphoric acid.
Ca3(PO4)2 + 6 CH3CO2H = 3 Ca(C2H3OO)2 + 2 H3PO4
Now if I wanted phosphoric acid, I’d just drink a Pepsi, and calcium acetate is given out as a way to remove phosphate from the system. So much for your buffer and your bioavailable calcium.
I am curious about this as well. Has anyone ever tested this? If so, I’d love to know about the findings.
I suppose that’s the problem with our current medical system-there’s no interest in researching more traditional nutrition because there’s no money in it.
I also just wanted to point out that gelatin in bone broths has been known to help with digestion (for anyone with problems…)
“…homemade stock attracts digestive juices to itself in a manner similar to raw foods. Foods that attract digestive juices are much more easily digested and assimilated by the body.
Homemade stock also contains natural gelatin which not only aids digestion but also assists with the healing of many chronic intestinal disorders such as colitis, Crohn’s disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and others”
(See WAPF for more info: http://www.westonaprice.org/beginner-videos/stocks-and-soups-video-by-sarah-pope)
Would it be a good idea to add chicken fat that hasn’t been cooked for long in to the soup when it is almost finished? I find that when I take away the fat it doesn’t taste nearly as good.
“Caldo de Carneiro”
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Hello,
I’m cooking chicken bones for the first time today. I am a little concerned about it though because they have the small slivers.
I’ve read a page of comments and no one has mentioned it as a problem, so I think I,ll assume it’s okay.
I’ll check back and see if there are any hints re: this. I figure after I cook the bone stock/broth, I can always strain it if I’m still not sure.
TY for all the information here.
You can always strain the broth to get slivers out, that’s what I do.
I’ve been making my own broths for a while. I don’t cook them for as long as people do here; I’ve found that 6-8 hours is sufficient (I’ve tried 24 hours, including breaking up bones, and really didn’t notice a difference). In any case you couldn’t pay me to use or drink commercial broth anymore.
bone broth study http://adc.bmj.com/content/9/52/251
who paid for this study?
is it OK to add red wine to the broth .. following on from reading the redwine and chocolate article
have the bones from one of my own grass fed steers and a couple of chooks browing in the oven as we speak.
Would using a pressure cooker make sense for making stock?
Thanks
I made beef bone broth for the first time. It is completely gelatinous after putting it in the refrigerator, which I assume is a good thing? I refrigerated it first so that I could remove the hardened fat, but now my question is whether it is fine put the gelatin in the freezer or if I need to heat it back to a liquid first and then freeze. There is more than I will use in a week, so I definitely want to freeze some of it, but am wondering if freezing the gelatin will destroy the valuable components of it. thanks.
after I make stock I take chicken bones and grind them in my vitamix, then I spread this mixture on toast and eat it. nummy.