Bone broth is an excellent source of easily digested and assimilated minerals, nutrients, and healthy fats. Its high in calcium, iron, and especially nourishing for pregnant, postpartum and nursing people, during menstruation, anyone recovering from blood loss or surgery, people with degenerative bone loss or healing broken bones, for any rLung (wind) imbalance, and anyone with a condition that saps strength and leaves them needing an easy, readily available source of rich nutrients. It’s food medicine, so it can be freely enjoyed!
Get a few organic (local is best) beef bones from the butcher. If they have sacrum, scapula, or hip bones, those are ideal, but thigh bones or whatever they have will do just fine. Put them in a big pot on high heat and sear them for a couple minutes on each side (this improves flavor). Fill the pot with lots of water (4+ quarts), put in a generous amount of sea salt (start with a small palm-ful and taste for saltiness an hour or so into cooking), and whatever spices you wish to use (optional). Some good spices are a little black pepper, a little ginger, long pepper (aka pipi ling), nutmeg, cardamom, black cardamom, astragalus, onion, or garlic. Choose a couple of those or none, using all of them in one broth with be far too overpowering a flavor. Stay away from capsicums (chilies) and too much black pepper or ginger or it will be too warming, and no need to use other veggies – this is a delicious broth, but not a soup. Bring it all to a boil, covered, then turn it down to a slow simmer and let it cook, partially covered, for at least 3 hours and ideally longer if you have it – overnight in a crockpot is a good option too. If any scum forms on the top, skim it off and throw it away. It will reduce down quite a bit. When it’s looking and smelling done, strain it and reserve the liquid, discarding the solids. The bones will be hollow and empty of their marrow now. There will be a layer of fat on the top of the strained broth. You can skim some of this off if you wish, sometimes there is quite a lot, but do leave some as well, since that contains lots of healthy marrow and is part of the medicine we want. Taste for salt and add it as needed. It should taste delicious, and feel deeply nourishing in your body. You can fill a few yogurt containers almost full, leave room for the broth to expand, and freeze them for drinking throughout the week (they’ll last for a few months in the freezer). The broth will keep for no more than a few days in the fridge, so do freeze whatever you won’t drink in a few days. You can add milk and/or tsampa (roasted barley flour) if you want it to be a hearty drink, use it for soup bases, or enjoy it as is.