Beef Broth: Rich, Golden and Clear From Cold Water, Careful Skimming and a Gentle Simmer

Looking for a recipe for a truly great beef broth, as rich and hearty as grandma’s? Save this one. The keys to perfect flavor and clarity are good bone-in beef, the right spices and vegetables, and above all slow, multi-hour simmering.

A rich beef bone broth is made from bone-in beef (shank, short rib, neck or marrow bones) simmered gently for 2.5 to 3.5 hours. It is the classic of Sunday lunches: a beef and vegetable soup that warms you up and sets you right. The ingredient list is simple, but the recipe takes time and patience. The result, a fragrant, golden soup full of flavor, is well worth it. It is the base for many other dishes and a fantastic soup on its own.

• Prep time: about 25 minutes
• Cooking (simmering) time: about 2.5–3.5 hours
• Servings: about 5 servings (roughly 6 cups / 1.5 liters of broth)
• Difficulty: Easy (but time-consuming)

Ingredients

Instructions

The broth base

1. Rinse the bone-in beef thoroughly under cold running water. Put it in a large pot (at least 4–5 quarts / 4–5 liters).
2. Add the washed onion with its skin (it gives the broth a nice color), the peeled whole or lightly smashed garlic cloves, the bay leaves, the whole allspice and black peppercorns and about 1 teaspoon of salt.
3. Cover with cold water so the meat and bones are fully submerged (about 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 cups / 1.5–2 liters). Starting with cold water matters, because it lets flavor and proteins release into the broth gradually.

Slow simmering

4. Set the pot on the stove and slowly bring it to just below a boil over medium heat. It must not boil hard!
5. As it heats, a grayish foam (coagulated proteins) will form on the surface. Skim it thoroughly and continuously with a spoon or fine strainer. This step is key to a clear broth. Keep skimming until no new foam appears.
6. Once the foam is gone and the broth only barely bubbles (the surface hardly moves), reduce the heat to the absolute minimum. Partly cover the pot with the lid (leave a small gap so steam can escape and the broth does not turn cloudy).
7. Let the broth simmer very gently for at least 2 to 3 hours. The longer it simmers, the stronger and tastier it gets. The meat should be completely tender at the end.

Adding the vegetables

8. About 30 to 60 minutes before the end of cooking, prepare the root vegetables. Peel the carrot, parsley root and celery root. You can add them whole or cut into large pieces.
9. Add the vegetables to the pot with the meat. If needed, top up with a little hot water so they are submerged.
10. Keep simmering very gently for another 30 to 60 minutes, or until the meat and vegetables are as tender as you like. The vegetables should not fall apart completely.

Finishing and serving

11. When the meat and vegetables are tender, carefully lift the meat, bones and vegetables out of the pot. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer (you can line it with clean cheesecloth for a perfectly clear result) into another clean pot. Discard the onion and whole spices.
12. Pick the meat off the bones and cut it into small cubes or shred it. Cut the cooked vegetables (carrot, parsley root, celery root) into small cubes or other shapes too.
13. Taste the strained broth and add salt as needed. You can reheat it briefly.
14. Serving: Ladle the hot, clear broth into bowls. Serve it plain, or add cooked soup noodles, dumplings and/or the sliced meat and vegetables from the broth. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley or chives.

Video Recipe

Tips

1. The foundation of a really good broth is quality bone-in beef. Marrow bones, short ribs or a piece of neck give it the right strength and flavor. Always start with cold water and bring the meat slowly to a simmer.
2. Skimming the foam is the key to a clear broth. Spend enough time on it at the start and keep skimming until no more forms. Add the onion with its skin for a golden color.
3. The most important thing is slow simmering. The broth should only gently “shiver” and never bubble hard. Simmer it partly covered for at least 2, ideally 3 hours. Only then are all the flavors and the collagen released.
4. Add the root vegetables only for the last hour so they do not fall apart. When done, strain everything. Slice the meat and vegetables and either return them to the broth or serve them separately. Season the finished broth with salt and serve hot, ideally with homemade noodles and parsley. It is the base for many other dishes and a great soup on its own.

This is the beef broth to save: a hearty, rich soup full of flavor that warms you through.

The recipe is based on a version by Vaříme s Mozkem, adapted by the We Cook With Love team.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• How long does beef broth keep in the fridge? Stored properly in a sealed container, beef broth keeps for 3–4 days in the fridge.
• What can I use instead of beef for a different flavor? You can use bone-in veal or even chicken, but the resulting broth will be milder.
• Why is my beef broth cloudy instead of clear? Cloudiness is usually caused by boiling too hard or not removing the foam and impurities from the surface while cooking.
• How can I make the broth stronger if it tastes weak? For a more intense flavor, add more bone-in meat, or reduce the broth before serving by simmering it longer without the lid.
• How long should beef broth cook? Let bone-in beef simmer gently for at least 2 to 3 hours and add the root vegetables for the last 30 to 60 minutes. In total it takes about 2.5 to 3.5 hours until the meat is tender.
• What beef and bones are best for broth? Bone-in beef such as shank, short rib or neck, plus a marrow bone. The bones give the broth strength and the meat gives flavor. About 1.75 lb (800 g) is enough for 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 cups (1.5–2 liters) of water.
• Can beef broth be made in a pressure cooker? Yes. In a pressure cooker, bone-in beef is tender in about 60 to 90 minutes (follow your cooker’s instructions). Skim the foam before closing the lid. The broth is usually slightly less clear than with slow simmering.