Clear Beef Broth
A proper broth is the foundation of a kitchen. By building flavor through roasted marrow and joints, you extract enough collagen to give the liquid body without needing heavy additions.
Patience is your primary ingredient.
If you boil the broth, the proteins emulsify and you lose the clarity. Keep the heat low enough that the surface barely breaks.
- Large heavy-bottomed stockpot
- Large roasting pan
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Cheesecloth
What goes in.
- 5 lbbeef bones, specifically marrow and knuckle bones
- 2large onions, quartered with skin left on
- 3carrots, roughly chopped
- 3celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 headgarlic, halved crosswise
- 1 bunchfresh thyme and parsley stems
- 2bay leaves
- 1 tspwhole black peppercorns
The Infinite Simmer
Keep the heat at the absolute lowest setting. If you see large bubbles rising, you are boiling away clarity; the surface should only tremble.
The method.
Roast the bones
Arrange the bones in a single layer in the roasting pan. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 45 minutes, turning them once, until they look like dark mahogany.
Deglaze the pan
Transfer bones to your stockpot. Add a splash of water to the hot roasting pan and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom. Pour this liquid into the pot.
Combine
Add the vegetables, herbs, and peppercorns to the pot. Cover with cold water until the ingredients are submerged by two inches.
Simmer
Bring the water to a very slow simmer on the stovetop. Use a ladle to skim off the grey foam that rises to the top during the first 30 minutes. Cover partially and simmer for 6 hours.
Strain
Remove the bones and vegetables with a slotted spoon. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean container.
Other turns to take.
Rich Brown Stock
Add two tablespoons of tomato paste to the bones halfway through roasting to deepen the color and add a slight acidic edge.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always start with cold water; it extracts more collagen from the bones than starting with hot.
Chill the finished broth in the refrigerator overnight so the fat solidifies on top, making it easy to remove.
Do not salt the broth while it simmers; salt it only when you eventually use it for a soup or sauce.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my broth cloudy?
You likely boiled it too hard, or you didn't skim the scum off the surface during the first half hour of simmering.
Can I reuse the bones?
You can get a second, weaker extraction from the bones, but it will lack the depth of the first batch.
How real cooks make it.
No one’s shared their version yet. Be the first to put your kitchen on the map.
Cook this your way?
Share your version — your steps, your story. We’ll feature it right here.
Add your recipe