Post: #51

I've been using a vitamix to blend veggies and fruits into smoothies every morning since I returned home.

I will throw the stems and leaves from things like beets and radishes in the crockpot also and add dried seaweed.

In a week I start back at crossfit. By March I expect to be back on the leaderboards with my new nutritional regimen.

Also I just made some ox tail stew and while it was good the package of oxtail cost 21 bucks and the package of beef bones with thick pieces of marrow was on 3.

No brainer there.

Post: #52

Where did you get the marrow bone that it was so cheap? I haven't been able to find anything like that in my neighborhood for a couple of years. I used to be able to buy soup bones, but the closest thing I found was ox tail bones for around $15 at walmart.

Post: #53

I think @Veloce can answer this but many butchers hold the marrow bones for restaurants. If you hassle them they will toss some at you.

Fisto mentioned Seaweed and this is a good a cheap way to get sea minerals into broth. Good sea vegetables and seaweed is priced weill if you can find the stuff that is sealed or dried.

Post: #54

Makes good soup

Post: #55

I just bought a pack of grass fed beef bones for a dollar but I have no idea what part of the cow they come from.

Before I follow the recipe in the original post, is there some preparation I need to do to the bones or do I just rinse them and throw them in the pot?

Post: #56

Ok, so I rarely post in the evening, but what I just ate...one of the best flavors I've ever tasted and had to post.

First off, I'm not an all natural guy, I do home cook a bit, but nothing special. I read this thread with a skeptical eye. Not that it wouldn't taste good or be good for you (obviously, restaurants do it and moms and grandmas have been doing it forever), but that it wouldn't be worth the effort.

So I decided to try it. I bought 4 femur bone pieces like BallsDeep posted above, nothing special, not grass-fed, just the cheapest I found. Saturday while around the apartment I threw them in (frozen) to a boiling pot o water with apple and rice vinegar (bc I didn't have enough apple vinegar) for a few hours. I went out to party around 6p, so I let the pot cool and put it in the fridge. Sunday I commenced boiling again for a few hours, eventually throwing them into a slow cooker for about 12 hours, removed the bones (mostly bare bones at that point), and put the broth in a pan in the fridge to decide what to do with it later.

As you can see, there was nothing perfect or well-planned about my method, just boil the shit out of em.

Tonight after basketball I removed most of the grease and little chunks of gristle by straining slowly through the pan/lid held together. I then boiled off much of the water to concentrate it a bit while adding cut up carrots and celery. Added some garlic, thyme, and noodles (I know not healthy but I wanted to thicken it a little).

This is...I'm trying to find the words to say it...this is one of the best things I have ever tasted. The taste is out of this world. I'm not sure about it getting rid of grey hairs or beautifying my skin and nails, but the flavor is like nothing I've ever tasted.

Will I do this again? Probably. It was a lot of work, and not instantly gratifying like most of my food preps, but if I do do it, it will be more thought out and less time consuming.

Thanks guys!

Post: #57

(04-05-2012 10:10 PM)MidniteSpecial Wrote:  

(04-05-2012 09:56 PM)Sebastian Wrote:  get cow tail bones at any grocery store. just boil it till it tastes something other than water.

put some salt,pepper and fresh green onions. it is good to go with rice.

Ox tail is the shit! I had bison heart the other nite. Even ate a piece raw. Don't know if it was connected but I had the craziest dreams of all time when I went to sleep!

Heart is very high in choline which helps memory. I rarely remember my dreams but when I was supplementing with large doses of choline bitatrate I had some crazy ones also. I should start taking that again.

Post: #58

Heavy, buy yourself a crockpot. Its a no brainer. Costs 30 bucks.

It's my favorite thing right now besides my vitamix.

Also that grease and fat youre taking out is nutrient dense. I think you should keep it.

Here's what I just ate and damn it was good.

So like I just described I had beef bones with thick marrow in my crockpot for about 9 hours. I just couldnt wait longer because I was hungry.

I had acv, himilayan pink salt and pepper in there.

The broth smelled great but I didnt have any veggies in there like I normally do.

I'll throw in the stalks and leaves of beets, radishes, whatever but usually only for the last hour or two of a 12-24 hour simmer.

I also wanted something more hearty so I decided to quickly pan fry a tough piece of steak.

Im a moment of inspiration I cut the steak into pieces put them in my vitamix and added the bone stock along with some kimchi and broccoli.

I let it rip on full blast and what came out was amazing.

It was like a fluffy amd light but still somehow a hearty stew.

This is my new favorite dish.

Post: #59

Just now seeing this thread.

My number one recommendation for making any stock or broth is to invest in a pressure cooker. Cuisinart makes a good model for $70.

Using a pressure cooker raises the boiling temperature, which vastly cuts down the amount of time it takes for any soluble nutrients or gelatin to release into the water. Also check out this Youtube channel, these guys know their shit:





When making any kind of broth, think about the 3 byproducts: fat, broth, and meat. Whatever type of bones/meat you want to use, consider the byproduct and how you're going to use it. For that video above, you could make a kickass chili from the leftover ground beef and pulled meat from the beef feet, or a pasta sauce, or a stew. Depending on what kind of bones your using, you're looking at 45 minutes to 2 hours with a pressure cooker. No more 9-12 hour preparations.

Post: #60

i'm not seeing the video

Post: #61

Veloce, I can see and play the video fine.

Good luck Fisto

Post: #62

(11-25-2014 12:44 PM)Veloce Wrote:  Just now seeing this thread.

My number one recommendation for making any stock or broth is to invest in a pressure cooker. Cuisinart makes a good model for $70.

Using a pressure cooker raises the boiling temperature, which vastly cuts down the amount of time it takes for any soluble nutrients or gelatin to release into the water. Also check out this Youtube channel, these guys know their shit:





When making any kind of broth, think about the 3 byproducts: fat, broth, and meat. Whatever type of bones/meat you want to use, consider the byproduct and how you're going to use it. For that video above, you could make a kickass chili from the leftover ground beef and pulled meat from the beef feet, or a pasta sauce, or a stew. Depending on what kind of bones your using, you're looking at 45 minutes to 2 hours with a pressure cooker. No more 9-12 hour preparations.

ChefSteps on Youtube is Chefs/Cooking/Hardcore Foodie porn. Some of the shit they pull off literally makes me howl like a wolf.

Post: #63

(11-25-2014 05:28 PM)kosko Wrote:  

(11-25-2014 12:44 PM)Veloce Wrote:  Just now seeing this thread.

My number one recommendation for making any stock or broth is to invest in a pressure cooker. Cuisinart makes a good model for $70.

Using a pressure cooker raises the boiling temperature, which vastly cuts down the amount of time it takes for any soluble nutrients or gelatin to release into the water. Also check out this Youtube channel, these guys know their shit:





When making any kind of broth, think about the 3 byproducts: fat, broth, and meat. Whatever type of bones/meat you want to use, consider the byproduct and how you're going to use it. For that video above, you could make a kickass chili from the leftover ground beef and pulled meat from the beef feet, or a pasta sauce, or a stew. Depending on what kind of bones your using, you're looking at 45 minutes to 2 hours with a pressure cooker. No more 9-12 hour preparations.

ChefSteps on Youtube is Chefs/Cooking/Hardcore Foodie porn. Some of the shit they pull off literally makes me howl like a wolf.

They're kind of hipster chefs, but it's undeniable that they're extremely talented and knowledgeable. Chris Young is a walking Encyclopedia of food knowledge and technique. His credentials are massive. It's worth checking out all of their videos to look at food in a completely different way, and these are techniques that fine dining restaurants have been using for decades, now translated for home use. They could be charging tons of money for the amount of content that they've released for free.

Next time I make a meat purchase, I'll include a few pounds of bones and make some broth at home. Any requests or questions? You guys that are consuming bone broth regularly owe it to yourself to change up the flavors on a regular basis so you don't get bored. I'll probably make a pho inspired broth with star anise, coriander, cinnamon, clove, and some charred onion and ginger.

Post: #64

(11-17-2014 01:09 PM)micha Wrote:  That Stella video contains a couple of things that you don't want to copy. I'll type it out if somebody really cares about dark veal stock.

I agree.

1) I don't use canola for anything. Poison. Coating the bones with fat is pointless.

2) Those bones are, in fact, too dark, and using a wood oven to roast bones is a terrible idea. Anyone with any experience roasting bones for stock can tell you that even the slightest amount of black char on bones gives the stock a horribly bitter, acrid flavor. If you're going to roast bones for stock/broth, you want to roast them very evenly, and just until they're golden brown. I recommend 400-450F. Anything above that and you're likely to get scorched bone tips.

3) I do agree with deglazing your pan, but water works just fine, you don't need to use wine. (Any alcohol will get burned off though, so don't be concerned with any alcohol content)

Marrow bones are excellent for broth, but more expensive as they're sought after ever since bone marrow became trendy. However they are widely available, but not in grocery stores since they don't sell there. They should be available from any independent butcher or even Whole Foods but it will probably require a special order.

Two things I'll mention here: cooling and degreasing.

Cooling down a large quantity of broth is crucial and not as easy as it sounds. Broth and stock are two of the most intense breeding grounds for harmful bacteria that cause food poisoning, so it's important that you bring your stock/broth down to below 41F in less than 4 hours. There are two main ways of doing this:

1) Ice bath. Put your broth in a metal container, in the kitchen we use what's called a bain marie:

http://www.publickitchensupply.com/updat...fgodZWYALw
...and what we'll do is put the broth in a small bain marie that's set into a larger bain marie filled with ice water.

2) Ice stick. http://www.thekitchn.com/cool-soups-quic...ice-105942

I'm not concern trolling here guys...I'm more relaxed than many chefs when it comes to sanitation and I do think there's an obsession in western culture with bleaching and oversanitizing everything, but this is not one of those cases. I've seen numerous batches of stock go bad overnight because of poor cooling.

This brings us to the next step: Degreasing. It pains me when I see people try to degrease a soup, stock, or sauce while it's still hot! If you wait until it cools completely (below 41F), all the fat will rise to the surface, solidify, and you can literally pull it off in large chunks. From there you'd want to heat it up gently until it liquifies, and strain it through several layers of cheesecloth and then it's all good to go.

For those of you that are serious about straining your broths to get a very pure product, you'd eventually want to move away from china caps and chinois and check out things like the superbag:
http://www.modernistpantry.com/superbag-400micron.html
The pore size when straining anything is measured in microns, and depending on how finely you want to strain something, you can pick out an appropriate tool with the right size in microns.

I'd get into freeze clarification here (a clarification process known as syneresis), which makes the best consomme you'll ever have, but the downside of that process is that it filters out the gelatin which I'm pretty sure everyone here can agree is a desired component of their broth.

Post: #65

^^^^^^Probably a silly question but what's wrong with putting the crockpot in the fridge after it's done? It doesn't cool fast enough?

Post: #66

(11-26-2014 01:15 AM)BallsDeep Wrote:  ^^^^^^Probably a silly question but what's wrong with putting the crockpot in the fridge after it's done? It doesn't cool fast enough?

that and it raises the temperature of your fridge. You would actually be better off letting the crockpot sit at room temperature for 1 hour before putting it in the fridge. The crockpot will not cool significantly faster being in the fridge than being at room temperature, to a certain point.

The standard rule is cooling down liquid to below 41F within 4 hours. That's a standard set by most countywide departments of health, and one that I happen to agree with (there are many other standards I don't agree with). Every home cook should have an instant read digital thermometer, a decent one runs about $20. Stay away from Taylor; in fact don't buy any kitchen appliances from Taylor (they make thermometers, scales, and other gadgets) By far the most poorly made pieces of shit I've ever used and break constantly. I'm not sure how they stay in business.

Post: #67

Is a pressure cooker a better investment than a slow cooker?
Will the two different method make a different in how the food or broth will taste?
And which one is better from a nutritional point of view?

Post: #68

(11-29-2014 01:02 PM)JoyStick Wrote:  Is a pressure cooker a better investment than a slow cooker?
Will the two different method make a different in how the food or broth will taste?
And which one is better from a nutritional point of view?

They're completely different. One is slow and low, one is hard and fast.

From a strictly culinary perspective, I say that a pressure cooker is the more useful tool, seeing as how it cuts cooking time drastically down. It will also yield the better tasting broth/stock. But that's not to make light of slow cookers which are a valuable convenience for many people (and they can be rigged to use for sous vide preparations) I would personally rather cook something in 90 minutes than wait for it to cook all day long.

When discussing availability of nutrients, there is no one perfect answer. Some nutrients are more available raw, others are more available cooked. It's good to balance both raw and cooked vegetables in your diet. I don't bother worrying about which ones to eat raw vs which cooked. I like both raw and cooked greens. I like both raw and cooked root vegetables. You can slice raw Kohlrabi paper thin and make a nice slaw out of it, or you can braise it in chicken stock and butter for a delicious side dish.

Post: #69

Fuck, I should not be reading this shit at night while hungry!

Time to invest in a pressure cooker.

Veloce, hate to trouble you, but would you ever be willing to write up something about what every guy should have in his kitchen? You have always been so impressive when it comes to food insights (everything else also), really trust your opinion. And is this the pressure cooker you are suggesting? http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPC-600A...ure+cooker

If anyone is interested it is also at Bed Bath and Beyond and you can knock 20% off with one of their coupons.

Edit: How many quarts are you guys making? Just trying to figure out the effort versus reward but it sounds delicious.

Post: #70

(12-11-2014 12:44 AM)samsamsam Wrote:  Fuck, I should not be reading this shit at night while hungry!

Time to invest in a pressure cooker.

Veloce, hate to trouble you, but would you ever be willing to write up something about what every guy should have in his kitchen? You have always been so impressive when it comes to food insights (everything else also), really trust your opinion. And is this the pressure cooker you are suggesting? http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPC-600A...ure+cooker

If anyone is interested it is also at Bed Bath and Beyond and you can knock 20% off with one of their coupons.

Edit: How many quarts are you guys making? Just trying to figure out the effort versus reward but it sounds delicious.

That's the exact model I've used. Works like a champ.

I think I had a post a while back detailing the dream kitchen setup, but I don't mind writing another one. There are several layers to any good equipment collection.

The bare essentials:
-1 chef's knife, at least 7" http://www.cutleryandmore.com/wusthof-pr...god0LkANQ, kept razor sharp with a:
-sharpening stone http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA...god8FEAqQ. There are youtube videos that show how to keep a knife sharp. Some are bogus and some are legit. I'll post a good one.
-1 peeler http://www.wasserstrom.com/restaurant-su...5649633484
-1 large sautee pan, preferably one cast iron http://www.rei.com/product/714234/lodge-...530459640| and one stainless steel http://www.webstaurantstore.com/vollrath...god8ZsA_g. Must be heavy, must be high quality. Have 1 large sautee pan instead of 3 shitty lightweight pans you inherited from your grandma that probably bought them at a thrift store
-1 nonstick pan for eggs http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/voll...fgodE7oAgQ
-1 large cutting board. nothing will make your life harder than having a small cutting board and having to work in a cramped space. Get a wood chopping block if you can afford it. Keep it sanded and oiled and it'll last a lifetime. http://www.wayfair.com/Catskill-Craftsme...fgodVDoAcg
-1 pair of tongs http://www.webstaurantstore.com/9-1-2-vo...fgod7xcAig
-1 large pot for making soups (though this could be done in a pressure cooker http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/upda...fgod9SYALQ
-1 small/medium saucepot, for ...sauce. http://www.webstaurantstore.com/1-5-qt-v...fgoddVAA9A
-1 item for pulverizing food. If you can afford a food processor, great. If not, get a mortar and pestle (get granite or stone, must be at least 8") and do it like a caveman http://www.wayfair.com/Cuisinart-Custom-...fgodAkUAAw http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/400816432434?lpid=82
-1 blender. If you can afford a Vitamix, lucky you. https://www.vitamix.com/shop/Certified-R...fgodNmEAsA
-1 whisk
-2 long wooden spoons for stirring shit
-1 large spatula http://www.peachsuite.com/702633/dexter-...6117045139
-1 large, good quality pepper mill. Grind your pepper fresh. Don't use a pepper shaker. Shit is gay.
-1 sheet tray with a rack insert for roasting things http://www.webstaurantstore.com/vollrath...fgod-TQAxA
-Plastic containers of various sizes for storing stuff

Obviously I've got a bunch more, but those are the basics. I keep 2 different sizes of straight edged sauteuse pans, I've got 3 large stainless sautee pans, a cast iron pan, several cast iron pots, 3 saucepots, a stockpot, all sorts of little gadgets. It's really not necessary though, just allows me to do somewhat more elaborate cooking.

If you click on the links, you'll notice I link to the same brands more or less. This is intentional.

Do NOT buy any of the shit they sell at Target or other big box stores. For the most part, equipment that's meant for home use is underpowered and will break on you. Better to buy restaurant grade equipment, which may be more expensive, but will last a lifetime. A selection of brands I endorse:

Wustof knives (if anyone's interested in Japanese knives let me know, but unless you are a knife enthusiast, they are a waste of money)
Vollrath
Update International (this is cheaper chinese made stuff but it's good for applications where quality isn't as necessary, like a large aluminum stockpot)
Winco (again, chinese made, but good for certain things where you don't need high end)
Dexter Russell
Waring

Edit: strainers are good, almost necessary to have:
-Chinois http://www.kitchenrestock.com/product.as...fgodGwoAbg
-China Cap http://www.bakedeco.com/detail.asp?id=14...IoOCyfvKVQ

Before, straining, make your life easier by removing large chunks from your broth with one of these: http://www.boscovs.com/shop/prod/joyce-c...CSE:Google

And a couple slotted spoons are handy, especially for poaching eggs: http://www.kitchenrestock.com/product.as...fgodhggAzA

Post: #71

^^

Thank you so much!

Post: #72

Veloce is easily one of the most all round knowledgeable guys on the forum.

Post: #73

I am using some chicken bones and a crock pot. Just going to let it go for 16 to 20 hours. Shouldn't be a problem to us a slow cooker for that long, right? Low setting.

Post: #74

I use a pressure cooker to make my bone broth (using chicken feet and lamb bones). Takes 2 hrs and the broth sets into a very dense jelly. The effects on my skin, hair and joints is pretty amazing. An all round healthy and mineral laden staple that every playa should have.

Post: #75

Quick question please. Between 1030 and 430 this morning my crock pot shut off. No idea why. It was cool to throw touch. I turned it back on high for a couple hours and now it is on low. Veloce mentioned bacteria in a previous post. Should I just chuck it? Got plans this weekend can't really deal with a stomach issue. Smells so fucking good!