Featured Recipe

Roasted Beef Bone Broth

Name: Roasted Beef Bone Broth
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 4 lbs beef bones (marrow and knuckle, split); 12 oz lean beef stew meat; 1 large onion, quartered; 1 medium carrot, peeled and halved; 2 celery stalks, cut in thirds; 1 small parsnip, peeled and halved; 2 garlic cloves, smashed; 1 large turnip, peeled and chunked; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 cup dry red wine; 2 sprigs fresh rosemary; 3 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 bay leaf; Handful fresh parsley stems; 1 teaspoon celery salt; 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns; Olive oil for roasting; Water to cover plus two inches

By Kate

Created on 22 January 2026

Slow-simmered broth using roasted beef bones, stew meat, aromatic roots, fresh herbs, and red wine. Roasting bones and veggies first builds deep color and rich flavor. Marrow extraction mid-simmer enhances mouthfeel and umami. Deglazing pan captures browned bits. Finished stock chilled for fat removal. Perfect base for soups, stews, sauces. Versatile with optional ingredients to tweak flavor and nutrition. Extended simmer time develops complexity. Clear, brown, concentrated broth with gelatinous texture when cooled.

Prep: 35 min

Cook: 4h

Total: 4h 35min

Serves: 6 servings

broth soup base homemade

Introduction

Bones roasting in oven. That rich sizzle, the smell thick and caramelting, locking in flavor you can’t fake with raw simmering. You want color—not black, just deep chestnut. Toss in hearty stew meat, vegetables rough-cut, herbs still on stems. Begin low and slow once it hits the pot. No boiling, just coax out gelatin and marrow flavor. Pull bones mid-way, pry marrow out with sharp tip. Marrow adds silk and body. Skim fat after chilling; you want clear, deep beef essence, not cloudy grease. Red wine pan deglaze traps those browned bits, no flavor lost. Work smart. Slow simmer means patience, but also attention—skimming, monitoring. This isn’t quick. It’s foundational. A broth that stands up in sauces, soups, braises. Learn to read your broth’s color, scent, and texture. Soil and root substitutions shift tone. Don’t fear experimenting. Keep a stash frozen—it’s kitchen gold. Bone broth ain’t fussy if you respect the basics.

Ingredients

4 lbs beef bones (marrow and knuckle, split)

12 oz lean beef stew meat

1 large onion, quartered

1 medium carrot, peeled and halved

2 celery stalks, cut in thirds

1 small parsnip, peeled and halved

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 large turnip, peeled and chunked

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

Handful fresh parsley stems

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Olive oil for roasting

Water to cover plus two inches

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About the ingredients

Use marrow and knuckle bones—marrow for richness, knuckle for collagen. Substitute celery base with celery salt if fresh celery scarce; two stalks works but celery salt carries aroma further. Parsnip or celery root adds earthiness; swap for parsnip’s sweeter bite or omit in tight budget. Tomato paste boosts Maillard reaction compounds; can substitute with roasted red pepper purée for complexity and subtle sweetness. Red wine does double duty—acidity cuts fat, aroma layers. Cheap bottle’s fine but no sweet blends. Fresh herbs—thyme, rosemary, parsley stems—tied together or scattered; fresh works better here for brightness. Garlic crushes open flavor pockets but don’t overdo; subdued in long cook. Water should cover thoroughly but don’t overfill—steam space matters. Olive oil helps roasting, optional canola for higher smoke point. If bones too big, split or crack to expose marrow and connective tissue for better extraction. Keep knife and spoon handy after roasting for marrow picking. Waste not—frozen broth cubes later for emergency flavor splash.

Method

Preheat oven 425°F. Toss bones, onion, carrot, celery, parsnip with olive oil on roasting pan. Spread single layer. Roast 50-65 minutes, turning bones and vegetables halfway. Watch bones color; too dark means bitter. Aim deep mahogany, not blackened. Aromas turn rich, nutty.

Place stew meat, garlic, celery salt, parsley stems, bay leaf, peppercorns, tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, turnip in large stock pot. Pour roasted bones and veggies, juices included, into pot.

Pour wine into hot roasting pan. Heat over medium to loosen browned bits stuck on bottom. Scrape with wooden spoon until liquid reduces slightly and smells fruity, robust. Add entire mixture to stock pot.

Add cold water to cover ingredients by two inches. Avoid boiling. Bring to very gentle simmer with lid slightly askew. Small bubbles only. Simmer 3.5-4.5 hours. Longer extraction improves flavor but watch for bitterness.

Halfway through, about 2 hours in, fish bones out with tongs. Use skewer or tip of thermometer to scoop marrow from bone cavities back into pot. Marrow melts into broth, adding silkiness. Return bones.

Check liquid color and clarity throughout. Surface will foam and scum; skim regularly with ladle or fine mesh skimmer to prevent cloudiness.

After simmer, remove solids using slotted spoon. Line colander with triple-layer cheesecloth. Strain broth into clean vessel. Discard solids.

Cool broth to room temp. Refrigerate overnight. Fat congeals on top; skim off with spoon. Broth underneath turns deeper brown, less cloudy.

Store in airtight jars fridge 5 days or freeze in portions. Use for braises, sauces, or sipping.

Optional twist: Swap turnip with celery root for earthier flavor. Substitute tomato paste with roasted red peppers for subtle sweetness and color. Add a dried shiitake mushroom to stock for a hint of umami complexity.

Technique Tips

Roasting drives flavor development—brown, crisp edges on bones and veggies means more compounds to break down in the simmer. Watch for burnt spots; bitter ruins broth. Deglazing pan not optional—brown bits are concentrated flavor locked tight. A quick simmer is key—too hot, broth turns cloudy and bitter as fat emulsifies. Use a wide pot to maximize surface area for evaporation. Remove scum early and often to ensure clear stock. Marrow scrap midway because marrow fat releases better when chilled bones warm slowly in broth. Straining through triple cheesecloth triple-filters impurities, yielding clarity and smooth mouthfeel. After cooling, fat layer solidifies, making removal foolproof; fat left in broth dulls flavor and greasy mouthfeel. Store in shallow trays for rapid cooling and food safety. Frozen portions save hours. Flavor shifts if herbs added too early—better to add fresh at end for brightness or dry herbs early for mellowing. Be patient. Constant watching pays off in clarity and depth. Use a ladle with small holes to skim efficiently. Keep heat low—rolling boil wrecks stock clarity. If broth cloudy, filter through coffee filter one last time. Sound of gentle bubbles is a sign: simmer not boil.

Chef's Notes

💡 Roasting bones? Preheat to 425°F; watch color. Aim for deep mahogany. Too dark, bitterness. Airy aroma while roasting means right path.
💡 Deglazing pan crucial. After roasting, pour wine to lift all browned bits. Scrape well. Liquid should smell fruity, robust; captures flavors.
💡 Simmer gently; low heat is key. No rolling boil. Surface scum? Skim often. Only small bubbles. Clear broth comes from patience.
💡 Two hours in, fish out bones. Tip marrow into broth; boosts richness and silkiness. Better extraction when bones warm slowly in broth.
💡 Store broth properly. Cool fast; shallow containers help. Skim fat after chilling. Avoid leaving too much fat; clouds broth richness.