If you have the taste of grandma’s beef broth in mind, get ready: what I’m offering today will take you back a few years. Who doesn’t love the classic beef broth? It’s essential for preparing a nice dish of homemade prosciutto tortellini, but it’s also a basic recipe for many soups, minestrone, and veloutés.
With a few little secrets passed down to me, here’s how to prepare a good beef broth. To achieve a really flavorful result, it’s good to use several types of meat and add some broth bones. And speaking of meat: remember that boiled meat is perfect for making excellent boiled beef with onions, a Tuscan boiled beef salad, or tasty grandma’s meatballs, real delights! If you use bouillon cubes, add them at the start of cooking, while salt is best added halfway.
I also learned another important step that grandma always repeated: to have a good broth you must put the ingredients in cold water; if instead, you want to obtain good boiled meat, the meat should be immersed in boiling water.
Let’s try it together… and you’ll discover how easy it can be to achieve an impeccable beef broth.
See you at the next recipe!!!
ALSO TRY:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Slow cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 4 quarts water
- 1.1 lbs beef and veal
- a few beef and veal bones
- 1/4 hen
- 2 onions
- 2 carrots
- 1 celery
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- A few stems parsley
- A few cherry tomatoes
- 6 peppercorns
- to taste coarse salt
- 3 cloves (optional)
- 1 bouillon cube (optional)
Tools: grandma’s beef broth
- Pot
- Skimmer
- Strainer
Grandma’s Recipe: Beef Broth
Traditional, fragrant, genuine.
Wash the celery, carrots, parsley, cherry tomatoes, and onion. Cut the carrot and celery into large pieces, halve the cherry tomatoes and onion. Rinse the meat, hen, and bones under cold water.
Place the vegetables, all the meat, and bones in a large pot, then cover with cold water. If using cloves, stick them into the cut onion. Add the bouillon cube, if you’ve chosen to use it.
Slowly bring everything to a boil. Skim repeatedly with a skimmer to remove impurities and obtain a clear broth. Add the peppercorns and bay leaves, then lower the heat and let it simmer gently for 2-3 hours. Adjust salt halfway through cooking.
At the end of cooking, strain the broth with a fine mesh strainer, pour it into another pot, and bring it to a boil. Skim the fat and serve immediately, or let it cool and store it in the refrigerator.
The meat and hen, on the other hand, are perfect for preparing many other tasty recipes.
Storage and Tips
Storage: Beef broth keeps very well if cooled and stored properly. You can store it in the fridge for 2-3 days (it’s important to let it cool completely before sealing it in an airtight container), or in the freezer: broth freezes without problems and lasts for 2-3 months. You can also freeze it in portions.
To consume it again, just bring it back to a boil for a few minutes. If it’s frozen, you can thaw it in the fridge or directly in the pot over low heat.
Tips: After a few hours in the fridge, the fat solidifies on the surface. You can easily remove it if you want a lighter broth, or leave it to better preserve the flavor and storage.
Remember that if you use the bouillon cube, it should be added at the beginning, while salt should be added halfway through cooking.
FAQ Recipe: Beef Broth
What are the best cuts of meat for making grandma’s beef broth recipe?
The most used are chuck, brisket, shoulder roast, shank, and mixed bones. Bones add flavor.
How long should beef broth cook?
For a rich and fragrant broth, a long and gentle cooking is important, the ideal time is at least 2-3 hours on very low heat.
For tender meat to eat as boiled beef, the ideal time is at least 1 hour-1 hour and a half.Why does broth sometimes turn cloudy?
It can happen if it boils too vigorously or if the surface is not skimmed at the beginning of cooking. A low flame helps keep it clear.
