Roasting the Beef Bones

Start with around 5-7 pounds of beef marrow bones and knuckle bones. Coarsely chop 3 onions, 3 carrots, and 3 celery stalks.

Preheat your oven to 400℉. Arrange the bones, onions, carrots, and celery in a large, shallow roasting pan.

Drizzle a little melted butter, lard, or refined coconut oil over your bones and veggies. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Roast the bones and vegetables for about 40 minutes, turning midway through the cooking. (Alternatively, you can roast at 350℉ for 1-2 hours. I’ll do this in winter when we like the extra heat.)

When done roasting, place the bones and vegetables into a large stock pot (12 to 16 quarts).

Pour off any grease in your roasting pan, and add water to cover the bottom. Place the pan on the stove top on low heat, and use a wooden spoon or metal spatula to loosen the browned bits.

Pour the water and browned bits into the stock pot with the bones and veggies.

Making the Beef Stock

Once you have your meat, meat drippings and vegetables in the pot, add 4 or more quarts of cold water and herbs. I like to add several bay leaves, garlic cloves, peppercorns, and parsley. You can also add a tablespoon or two of vinegar to help draw the calcium out of the bones.

Bring to a boil, and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat and simmer for 12 to 48 hours, adding water if needed to keep the bones covered by 1-2 inches.

If I have meaty bones, I’ll pause cooking at around 6-8 hours, pick the meat off, and return the bones to the stock pot. Then I use the meat and a portion of the stock for soup or stew. I add more water, as needed, to the stock pot.

At the end of your cooking time, remove the bones and vegetables with tongs or a slotted spoon. Strain your beef stock through a fine mesh strainer.

Storage

Chill your beef stock in the refrigerator. Odds are, you’ll see a layer of fat on the top. Leave this in place if you intend to use the stock within a few days, as it forms a protective barrier on the stock.

If you want to freeze or can the stock, skim off the fat before longer storage. Never dump fat down your sink drain, as it will clog the pipes.

To pressure can homemade beef stock, use 1 inch of headspace. Process pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes, at ten pounds pressure.