The Ultimate Bone Broth Bible with Justin Mares of Kettle & Fire

We love Bone Broth.

Our friends at Kettle & Fire make the first commercially produced certified grass-fed bone broth in the world.

So we asked their co-founder Justin Mares to come on the OPP to help us create the Ultimate Bone Broth Bible.

In this special episode of the Optimal Performance Podcast, you're going to learn:

The benefits of bone broth
How to make bone broth at home
Storage and serving suggestions
Troubleshooting/FAQ

We've broken the video of this podcast into 5 segments so it's easier for you to watch and use as a reference.

The audio - as always - is available on iTunes and Sticher and runs continuously as any other podcast does.

Benefits of Bone Broth

Bone Broth have several health benefits which include making your daily routine easier and giving you more energy.

Sleep & Feel Better - Glycine in joints has been shown in many studies that the proteins can help people sleep better. With better sleep, studies show that the better your sleep is, the better your memory retention becomes.
Support your immune system - Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint, actually calls bone broth a “superfood” thanks to the high concentration of minerals. Sisson claims that bone marrow can be of benefit to your immune system. Why do you think chicken soup is always the chosen remedy for a cold?

A 2015 Harvard study showed that people with auto-immune disorders saw relief of their symptoms when drinking bone broth, with some achieving complete remission.
Strengthen joints - Joints benefit from glucosamine supplements which have been popular for years but bone broth is a great source for glucosamine too. In addition to that, the chondroitin sulfate found in bone broth has been shown to prevent osteoarthritis.
Keep your piggy bank happy - Cattle bones, chicken carcasses, pig bones can be purchased for very little from ranchers or butchers. So not only is it helpful but its also an economical way to keep your mind and body happy.

More on the benefits of bone broth...

How To Make Bone Broth

One of the biggest questions we get is HOW to prepare Bone Broth properly. Before you get started there are some key things to keep in mind while you prep.

Broth contains a small amount of bones and is a soup made of meat. Broth is typically simmered for a short period of time (45 minutes to 2 hours). It is very light in flavor, thin in texture and rich in protein.
Stock is typically made with bones and can contain a small amount of meat. The bones are roasted prior to simmering them because this greatly enhances and improves the natural flavor. Beef stocks, for example, can present a faint acrid flavor if the bones aren’t first roasted. Stock is typically simmered for a moderate amount of time (3-4 hours). Stock is a good source of gelatin.
Bone Broth is typically made with bones and can contain a small amount of meat adhering to the bones. As with stock, bones are typically roasted first to improve the flavor of the bone broth. Bone broths are typically simmered for a very long period of time (often in excess of 24 hours), with the purpose being not only to produce gelatin from collagen-rich joints but also to release minerals from bones. At the end of cooking, the bones should crumble when pressed lightly between your thumb and forefinger.

Beef Bone Broth Ingredients

4 pounds beef bones, preferably a mix of marrow bones and bones with a little meat on them, such as oxtail, short ribs, or knuckle bones (cut in half by a butcher)
2 medium unpeeled carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium leek, end trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, quartered
1 garlic head, halved crosswise
2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Special equipment:

6-quart (or larger) stockpot or a large slow cooker

Steps

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place beef bones, carrots, leek, onion, and garlic on a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Toss the contents of the pan and continue to roast until deeply browned, about 20 minutes more.
Fill a large (at least 6-quart) stockpot with 12 cups of water (preferably filtered) . Add celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, and vinegar. Scrape the roasted bones and vegetables into the pot along with any juices. Add more water if necessary to cover bones and vegetables.
Cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to a very low simmer and cook with lid slightly ajar, skimming foam and excess fat occasionally, for at least 8 but up to 24 hours on the stovetop. The longer you simmer it, the better your broth will be. Add more water if necessary to ensure bones and vegetables are fully submerged. Alternately, you can cook the broth in a slow cooker on low for the same amount of time.
Remove the pot from the heat and let cool slightly. Strain broth using a fine-mesh sieve and discard bones and vegetables. Let continue to cool until barely warm, then refrigerate in smaller containers overnight. Remove solidified fat from the top of the chilled broth.

Storing and Serving Your Bone Broth

Ok, now you've got your homemade bone broth...what the heck do you do with it?

Bone Broth FAQ

There are some special considerations to ensure that your broth tastes great and packs all the health benefits you're looking for. Make sure you're using the right bones, adding an acid, and other common mistakes people make with bone broth.