Onions, Carrots, Celery, Beef Soup Bones, Smith Meadows

Bone Broth has become my newest On the Go Energy during the heat of summer. In VA it comes early… that season where even eating becomes a chore because of how hot and humid it gets. I usually pare down my menus to enormous salads with a little bit of our fajita sandwich steaks, or basil garlic beef sausage stir fried with Thai basil, sugar snap peas, carrots, peppers and onions over herb papardelle. But what about those times in between or before a meal when you need a little energy?

sipping broth, onions, pickling spice, bay, mustard seed, coriander, allspiceMany people can’t live without coffee or tea. Starting your morning with a caffeinated jolt, or giving yourself a boost in the middle of the day, may not be the best option for health and balance. I’ve noticed that caffeine may distract me from over-eating, but it also leaves me depleted. I forget to eat until I am ravenous, which usually leads to poor choices like quick carbs. 

If I stop to think about my cravings early in the morning or the afternoon, it’s about flavor. This is why I love chai, cold or hot. Our sipping broth is made with intense spices: yellow and brown mustard seeds, allspice, cinnamon, bay leaves, dill seed, cloves, ginger, black peppercorns, star anise, coriander, juniper, mace, cardamom and crushed red pepper. Not only do all these flavors balance each other, they help keep metabolism going in between meals. The protein and collagen from the beef soup bones also leaves me feeling replenished. An added bonus is that a cold savory drink means I’m not consuming extra sugar. 

If you want an even greater intensity of flavor, as well as immune building nutrition, try our Pho Base cold. It is made with fresh ginger, cinnamon, star anise, fennel seed, and cardamom. Benefits include killing off bacteria and fungus, as well as naturally boosting heart health, by providing a concentrated dose of antioxidants and keeping blood sugar levels steady.

Of course, you can use either of these bone broths as the main ingredient for Pho, or a light noodle and broth meal. Just because it’s hot outside, does not mean your food must always be cold. I find that eating intensely flavored soups in the summer leaves me feeling nourished, but lighter in my body. If you want to make it yourself, here’s the recipe for both of these new additions to our menu. If you don’t want all the fuss, just get four or five pints to keep on hand during the week. It’s better for you than a frappacino!

Sipping Broth Ingredients

3 lbs of a mix of soup bones and marrow bones
1 large carrots (peel & cut into large pieces 4-5 more carrots and set aside for next 2 batches)
1-2 large celery ribs (wash and cut into large pieces 4-5 more ribs of celery for next 2 batches)
1 onion peeled and cut into 2 halves (peel and cut into half 2 more large onions for the next two batches)
½ cup spice blend that includes mustard seeds, allspice, cinnamon, bay leaves, dill seed, cloves, ginger, black peppercorns, star anise, coriander, juniper, mace, cardamom and crushed red pepper
½ cup white wine
2.5-3 qts water (or enough to cover the bones by two inches or reach the fill line of an 8qt Pressure Cooker/Multicooker)

Smith Meadows Pho Base LabelPho Base Ingredients

3 lbs of a mix of soup bones and marrow bones
1-2 large celery ribs (wash and cut into large pieces 4-5 more ribs of celery for next 2 batches)
1 onion peeled and cut into 2 halves (peel and cut into half 2 more large onions for the next two batches)
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
1/2 cinnamon sticks
1.5 tsp fennel seeds
3 star anise
4 whole cloves
1 black cardamom pod
½ cup white wine
2.5-3 qts water (or enough to cover the bones by two inches or reach the fill line of an 8qt qt Pressure Cooker/Multicooker)

  • A. Unwrap all the bones and set them in a large stainless bowl big enough to contain them all. Set the pot to sautée. Brown the bones in batches so that all sides are brown. Prepare your veggies while the bones brown.
  • B. When all the bones are browned, return them to the pot and press cancel. Press pressure time (-) once to get to 2 hours (2:00:00)
  • C. Add the vegetables, cloves, bay leaves. Fill with water until the bones are covered by two inches or the fill line has been reached. Lock the lid into place and play with the valve until full pressure (10.5psi) is reached on the pressure gauge.
  • D. After 2 hours, press cancel. Reset the pot for another 2 hours. When time is up let the pressure release naturally by pressing cancel and letting the pot sit for 30 minutes or so.
  • E. Use tongs to remove the bones and set them into a bowl to cool. Strain the liquid into a large container with a lid. 

Return the bones & gelatinous bits into to the pot. Add the same amount of veggies, bay leaves, cloves, wine and water. Repeat the Cooking Process (C-E) Again.

Once the batches of broth have been cooled, carefully cut the thick layer of fat into 6 wedges like a pie. Remove the fat by hand and place into storage container for the fridge or freezer.

Combine all the batches of cooled broth into a large bowl. ADD 1 TSP SALT FOR EACH QUART OF BROTH, STIR WELL. Ladle into containers.

This is a 10-14 hour process (prepping, cooking, cooling, cleaning and packaging).