This winter has been bitterly cold, and there’s nothing more comforting than waking up to the warm, savory aroma of a pork bone broth simmering in the slow cooker.  For best results—that is, a pork bone broth that congeals once refrigerated—I use pastured-raised pork neck and knuckle bones (courtesy of Sawkill).

Bone broth is an Old World superfood that has suddenly become trendy. The L.A. Lakers are drinking bone broth as part of their official team diet, and, since November, New Yorkers have been flocking to Brodo, the tiny takeaway window, where you can order bone broth at chef Marco Canora’s East Village restaurant, Hearth. Move over Starbucks. At Brodo, customers willingly pay $4-$9 for a cup  (8 oz. to 16 oz.) of bone broth, and $15 to $17 for a “Kitchen Size” quart to take home.

Why is bone broth all the rage?

Nutrient-dense.  Bone broth is rich in minerals that can be easily absorbed by the body, such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur, zinc, and other trace minerals.

Improves gut health.  Gelatin is a nutrient found in bone broth. Gelatin makes its presence visible when broth cools and congeals, resulting in a jiggly, Jello-like texture. Gelatin aids digestion and it can help heal leaky gut (intestinal permeability) that manifests as diarrhea, constipation, IBS, or food intolerances.  Traditionally, gelatin has been used in the treatment of peptic ulcers, tuberculosis, infectious diseases, diabetes and cancer.

Rebuilds connective tissue.  Athletes also benefit from two amino acids in bone broth—proline and glycine—present in gelatin, which can help with recovery from tendonitis or achy joints.

Protect your joints.  Bone broth is excellent source of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), a group of compounds that help repair cells. Chondroitin sulfates and glucosamine are two naturally occurring GAGs that are sold as expensive supplements that help reduce inflammation, joint pain and arthritis—better to get what you need from homemade bone broth!

Maintains a youthful complexion.  Regular consumption of bone broth, which is rich in collagen, can contribute to a glowing, wrinkle-free complexion and healthy hair and nails.

Provides immune support.  Bone broth contains a high concentration of minerals and amino acids that help reduce inflammation.

Promotes bone health.  When bones simmer in water, they impart calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, essential minerals for bone health.

Stretches your food dollar.  Bone broth is both nourishing—and filling. Stretch your food budget (especially for quality, pasture-raised meats) by finding a trusted source of bones, which often come with a little meat on them, from grass-fed animals. I’ve found grass-fed beef bones at the farmers’ market for $2.50 / pound and pastured pork bones for $4.00 to $4.50 / pound buying directly from a farm or butcher.

Pork Bone Broth

*Beef bone broth is wonderful and popular (my recipe here), but a good pork bone broth is out of this world!

3-4 lbs. pastured pork bones (ideally, neck and knuckle bones)

An acid: juice of 1 lime or lemon OR 2-4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 to 3-1/2 quarts of filtered water

Making a good pork bone broth is simple.  Here’s how:

1.  Procure a quality source of pork bones from pasture-raised pigs.

2.  Wash and rinse bones. Pat dry.  Arrange pork bones in a single layer in a glass baking pan.

3.  Place pan on center rack.  Roast bones in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

4.  Place bones in slow cooker or crockpot. Add an acid, which draws the minerals out of the bones, like the juice of 1 lime or lemon, OR 2-4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Add water to cover the bones. Bring to a gentle simmer by cooking on “High” for 1.5 to 2 hours. Reduce heat to “Low” and cook at least 6 to 8 hours, or up to  12-24 hours. (I generally simmer my bone broth for 24 hours).

5.  Pork bone broth at the 20 hours mark!

6.  Bone broth is an excellent cold and flu tonic. I have also found pork bone broth to be an especially filling and nourishing food to consume during a whole foods cleanse.

Enjoy!

I think of it as the perfect anti-aging food.

Not yet familiar with the many merits of drinking bone broth? It’s an Old World superfood—many cultures have their own version of it. You can benefit from drinking bone broth because:

♦  It’s chockfull of hard-to-get minerals, like calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium, your body can easily absorb.

♦  It’s rich in amino acids, such as glycine and proline, beneficial for post-workout recovery.

♦  It contains chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine; two popular dietary supplements taken for relief of joint pain, inflammation and osteoarthritis.

♦  It’s enriched with gelatin, a protein derived from the collagen in animal bones and connective tissue. Gelatin is a nutrient that can help heal a leaky gut (intestinal permeability) that manifests as diarrhea, constipation or food sensitivities.

♦ Human skin is also made of collagen. Regular consumption of gelatin-rich bone broth helps build connective tissue. Translation: smoother, younger-looking skin, less wrinkles and less cellulite.

♦  Athletes, whether recreational or serious, will benefit from regular consumption of bone broth as I describe here in my womensmovement.com article.

As for beef bone marrow….it’s pure hedonistic pleasure. I’m hooked on its fatty, creamy, unctuous texture. In my opinion, it’s absolutely luscious   Yes, bone marrow is mostly fat, but it’s also a nutrient dense food: a little goes a long way.  Besides you don’t have to be leery of saturated fat from quality sources.  If you missed the buzz earlier this summer…here’s the skinny on saturated fats.

The marrow is prized in the cuisines of France, Italy, Korea and the Philippines. For example, osso bucco, Italian for “bone with a hole”, is a classic Milanese dish where veal shank, browned and slow-cooked until falling-off-the-bone tender, is served with gremolata and risotto Milanese. Bone marrow gives osso bucco its rich flavor, and the best part of eating osso bucco is scooping out the marrow from the bone with a long handled demitasse (baby) spoon.

I must emphasize that it is important to only use bone marrow from GRASS-FED beef marrow bones. What ends up in the bodies of factory-farmed or conventionally raised animals—regularly fed antibiotics, growth hormones, GMO soy and corn, and raised in filthy, crowded conditions—ends up in your body too. So, be mindful of using grass-fed animal sources.

That said, bone broth is an economical healing food. I recently befriended an upstate New York farmer at a nearby farmers’ market who supplies me with 100% grass-fed beef marrow bones for just $2.50 / pound.

You can, of course, follow this grass-fed beef bone broth recipe and just savor the bone broth.  If you’re game, however, blend it with the marrow; this “beef shake” is rich, creamy and deliciously satisfying.

Try it…and let me know what you think.

Beef bone broth + roasted bone marrow = beef shake

Beef Shake

Yield: Fills apx. 4 Ball mason jars

3 pounds grass-fed beef marrow bones
1 pound grass-fed beef shank
4-6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3-4 quarts filtered water
Celtic sea salt, to taste (after broth is finished cooking)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse off beef marrow bones and beef shank. Pat dry with paper towel. Arrange bones and beef shank in a glass baking dish (like Pyrex) and place on center rack.

Roast about 40 minutes.

Remove the beef from the shank bone and cut into small cubes. Set aside.

Use a small paring knife to gently loosen the marrow from the shank bone and other beef marrow bones. Scrape out marrow and set aside.

Place all of the roasted bones in a 6.5 quart slow cooker or the largest stockpot you have. Add 3 to 4 quarts filtered water (water should cover bones completely). Add the apple cider vinegar to draw the minerals out of the bones. Cover.

In a slow cooker—or on the stovetop—bring water to a boil. Skim off any impurities. Reduce heat to a low setting on the slow cooker. Add the roasted bone marrow and cubed beef. Simmer bone broth another 24 to 48 hours.

When done, let broth cool. Remove bones. Scrape off any residual meat or fat off the bones (the bones should be bare).

With a strainer spoon, remove the meat from the broth and place meat bits in a strainer over a glass (or other non-reactive) bowl. Pour any residual broth back into the crockpot. Leave the marrow and any other bits of fat in the crockpot.

Ladle broth (with marrow) into a blender (ideally, a glass jar blender). Fill about half-way. Add a pinch or two of Celtic sea salt. Blend until the marrow and bone broth are well combined: when it is, it will look white, creamy and frothy—just like a shake.

Pour into a mug, season to taste with Celtic sea salt and drink immediately.

Refrigerate or freeze: beef shake in Ball mason jars.

Or…to store in fridge or freezer:

Pour beef shake into Ball mason jars, leaving about 2 inches headspace. Avoid filling to the very top because the broth will expand.

Once all the jars are filled, evenly distribute the cooked beef bits among all the jars (should be 3-4)—just place on top.

When cool, refrigerate or freeze.