This is an updated version of a post that originally appeared in 2014.

I've written before about making stock - from chicken, vegetables, fish, and beef - but recently we purchased half a steer, and I found myself with a lot of wonderful beef bones. And since more and more people are buying their beef in bulk and have far more access to beef bones than they used to, I felt a new - more detailed - post was warranted on making your own beef stock. (Not buying part of a steer anytime soon? You can still make your own beef stock. Just find a real butcher's shop and request some beef "soup bones." These are bones that still have some meat on them, and which are full of good marrow. They will be inexpensive - or the butcher might give them to you for free.)

Please note that all you really need to make stock is bones and water. All the other ingredients are optional - but do improve the flavor of the stock and the nutrition of the finished product. So feel free to vary the ingredients, depending upon what you have on hand. 

NOTE: The main instructions below explain how to make broth the old school way: In a big pot on the stove. To read about alternative methods, scroll to the end of the numbered instructions.

 
Ingredients:

About 5 - 8 lbs. beef soup bones, cut into pieces (the butcher will do that for you)
Water

Optional ingredients: 

Sea salt
Pepper
Vegetables (I keep a Ziplock bag in my freezer of trimmed carrot ends and leaves, celery ends and leaves, and onion skins and trimmings; these can go into the pot without being chopped or defrosted. You may also add 2 or 3 coves of garlic, a bit of fresh parsley, a couple of bay leaves, a few sprigs of fresh thyme...But also consider how you'll use the finished broth. Sometimes it's best to keep things simple so that your broth is most versatile.)
Vinegar (This helps leach the nutrients from the bones; it's important to use vinegar if you'll be using the bones more than once to make broth. I use Braggs apple cider vinegar.)


How to Make Beef Stock

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Place the beef bones in the roasting pan. Most likely, you'll get frozen bones from the butcher. You don't need to defrost them - just stick them in the pan, frozen. Add any carrots, celery, onions, and garlic to the pan, if using. Once the oven is fully preheated, place the pan in the oven and roast until the meat on the bones looks cooked through. With frozen bones, this takes approximately 60 minutes. If the bones weren't frozen when you put them in the oven, it will take about 30 - 40 minutes. (NOTE: The roasting stage is also optional, but greatly improves the flavor of the stock.)

In the photos below, you'll notice I absentmindedly added the herbs at the roasting stage. This by no means ruined the stock, but I do think it's better to leave the herbs out until the simmering stage.

Before roasting.

After roasting.

3. Pour the contents of the roasting pan into a large pot. Be sure to include any fat and liquid in the pan. Add additional seasonings, as desired.

4. Add 1/2 cup of water to the roasting pan and use a spoon to scrape the bits of beef off the bottom of the pan. Pour into the stock pot. Add enough water to cover the contents of the pot. Add a splash of vinegar, if using.

5. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently about 4 hours.

6. Strain the contents of the pot, reserving the liquid. The vegetables can be composted or given to your livestock. Any meat on the bones can be picked off and frozen for soup made at a later date.

In addition, I recommend reusing the bones for at least one more batch of broth. If you want to do this, it's okay to re-freeze the bones to use another day. But whenever you reuse bones, do be sure to add a splash of vinegar at the simmering stage; it will help leach more nutrients from the bones.

7. Allow to stock to cool on the counter, then place it, covered, in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, skim off any congealed fat you find on top of the stock. It should be firm enough that you can just lift it out with your fingers. (If it's not, it's because there wasn't much fat on the bones; in that case, use a small strainer or a slotted spoon to remove as much fat as possible. If desired, you can keep the fat in the refrigerator and use it for savory cooking.)

Overnight, all the fat rises to the top and becomes firm enough to lift out.

The stock is finished. It turned out beautifully gelatinous.

ALTERNATIVE METHODS:

In an electric roaster: Roast the bones in an electric roaster set to 450 degrees F. Add water and other ingredients, if desired. Bring the mixture nearly to a boil, then reduce the temperature so the broth gently simmers. Allow to simmer overnight. (This is my favorite method because I can make so much broth all in one fell swoop - and it requires very little of my time!)

In a crock pot: Once the bones are roasted, transfer to a crock pot, along with the other ingredients and any scrapings from the roasting pan. Bring the mixture nearly to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Allow to simmer overnight.

In an Instant Pot:  See directions and video here.

Preserving Broth

Once the stock has been chilled and the fat cap removed, it may now be frozen, canned, or freeze dried. 

Freeze in freezer containers/bags or in canning jars with straight sides. (Jars with "shoulders" are much more likely to break in the freezer.) Leave 1 1/2 inches of headspace - i.e., the empty space between the top of the food and the rim of the jar.

To can, reheat the broth to boiling, then ladle into hot canning jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Process in a pressure canner: pints 20 minutes, quarts 25 minutes. If you live at a high altitude, read this important information about adjusting canning times.

To freeze dry, spoon the finished broth onto trays, pop into the freeze dryer, and let the machine do its magic! Store in Mylar bags with appropriately sized oxygen absorbers, or, for short term storage, in canning jars with air tight lids.