48-Hour Chaga Infused Grass Fed Beef Bone Marrow Broth

Grass fed and finished, pasture raised beef bone marrow broth is one thing, but infusing it with the powerful chaga mushroom takes it to an entirely new frequency. Bone broth may be a trendy superfood beverage these days, but in fact has been used throughout the ages to impart delicious flavours in different types of ancestral cooking across the globe, regarded as a cure-all that can support the body and prevent and reverse many types of ailments, and it’s something my grandma would make regularly.

Bone broth imparts a hearty, soothing flavour base to most any dish you can think of. As with all animal foods, proper sourcing is critical, especially when it comes to bones. Bones not only store highly nourishing vitamins and minerals, but also heavy metals, so do go for the highest quality you can possibly find. Get to know your farmer or butcher. It’ll be worth it!

Try to find bones from animals that have been 100% regeneratively grass-fed and finished, rotationally and ethically pasture raised, and thriving and moving around under the sun. Nutrient density is directly rooted in the lifestyle the animal has led, and you are what you eat… eats. When conventionally raised and commercially farmed animals eat pesticide sprayed, inflammatory, genetically modified grains and who knows what else, then injected with growth hormones and antibiotics under terrible environmental and physiological conditions, that inflammation and energy will make its way to you on a cellular level. Genetically modified foods no longer resemble the profile/immune response that most of our guts had evolved to grow accustomed to, and so the commercial label “all natural” doesn’t really mean anything when it comes down to it and cannot guarantee the exact quality of your food.

Consider the following guidelines to ensure you’re getting top quality bones, every damn time.

• 100% grass fed, and finished
• Pasture raised under the sun
• Organic or wild caught
• Local and fresh
• Consciously raised with love and care/honoured with reciprocal practices

Beneficial for the joints, skin, gut microbiome, digestive system, and even mental health and neuroplasticity, you can integrate it into all kinds of different soups, condiments, leftovers, sauces, stews, or even include it to power up healing herbal drinks. When you look at other bone broth recipes, you’ll commonly find lemon juice, lime juice, or apple cider vinegar added to help break down the collagen and connective tissue. This is a must! When the bones are boiled and simmered in slightly acidic water, you’ll extract highly bioavailable vitamins, minerals, gelatin, and all of the amino acids that the body uses as pre-cursors to produce collagen, one of the most powerful proteins for the body. No need for Botox or supplements, although I’m not judging. The liver is also reliant on glycine for its ability to break down toxins, so bone broth can also be detoxifying for the body.

Some other powerful benefits include:

• digestive support: heals, soothes, seals and repairs the gut wall
• immune supercharging
• concentrated source of easily absorbed, healing compounds such as glutamine, collagen, proline, glycine and gelatin
• remineralizes teeth naturally, also strengthens bones and joints
• improves allergies and supports you through autoimmune conditions, food sensitivities, bloating, digestive issues
• replacement for ineffective and toxic skincare and makeup
• supports shiny, strong hair and glowing skin, heals skin ailments from the inside out such as psoriasis, acne, eczema
• balances the thyroid
• combats stress
• improves sleep quality
• reduces inflammation
• great to consume after you’ve accidentally consumed gluten if you are gluten-free or if you ever get food poisoning
• delicious, highly nourishing and life giving

Bone broth for the soul

48 hours might seem like a lot, but bone broth is easy to make, incredibly flavourful and nutritious, and is such a basic staple in cooking all sorts of meals. Cooking food in a liquid base leaves all nutrients intact, and in many cases can even allow a higher nutrient profile as the heat used in frying and grilling breaks down vitamins and protein.

All you need is a slow cooker or a large pot and 24-48 (or even up to 60) hours, and you’ll end up with a massive batch of broth, easily stored in the freezer for long-term and convenient use. This recipe uses the power of herbs, spices and vegetables that will supercharge the broth even more by adding a plethora of additional vitamins and minerals.

Tips to make 48-hour chaga infused grass fed beef bone marrow broth:

• Using a slow cooker or a pressure cooker and leaving it to simmer for 48-60 hours is the easiest way to get the most out of the bones, but you can also use a large stainless steel stock pot or Dutch oven, bring it to a boil, then simmer however long you like (ideally a minimum of 12 hours), adding more water as needed to keep the bones and vegetables covered.
• The amount of water you use doesn’t really matter. Just fill the slow cooker up and leave a few inches of space to keep it from simmering over the side of the slow cooker.
• After the 12-24 hour mark, the broth may have evaporated quite a bit, so refill the pot with some more water at this point and bring it back to a simmer.
• Many people like to roast their bones before simmering them, but I personally don’t bother. If you prefer to do so, preheat the oven to 450 F / 230 C, line a baking sheet with unbleached, biodegradable parchment paper, and roast the bones for 40 minutes, turning them over at the halfway point. Remove and use them in your broth.
• If you can, try to use a variety of bones such as oxtail or short ribs, since these are marrow bones with a rich store of nutrients. I get mine frozen and sourced ethically raised and locally through my health food store or farmers’ market for super cheap.
• Fat is not the enemy, and in fact should actually be embraced, especially in bone broths. Once cooled, a thick layer of highly nutritious fat will form on the surface. This is bone broth tallow, a sure sign your broth is a success. Don’t discard it! Scrape it off the surface and transfer to a small saucepan to gently melt on the stove top. Transfer the melted tallow to a glass container to store in the fridge, or pour it into fun shaped silicone molds to harden in the fridge, then remove and keep them in a glass container. Store it in the fridge as a quality, high smoke point (heat stable) cooking fat that can be used as a healthier replacement for typical rancid, industrialized, toxic seed or vegetable cooking oils.
• In this recipe, the chaga has a mild taste and will turn the broth a rich, dark brown. The broth is great in soups, stews, herbal tonics, or just to drink on its own.
• Veggie scraps: don’t waste ’em when you’re making other meals. I often either freeze them for broths, or compost scraps in the garden so nothing goes to waste.
• I recommend using the stove top rather than a microwave to reheat broth or broth-based meals. See this article for further info—I’ve personally ditched microwaves completely. The gelatin in homemade broth confers immense benefits, but if you heat it in the microwave, it becomes toxic to the liver, kidneys and nervous system.
• I make a batch of broth pretty much weekly or whenever I find I’m running out of frozen broth cubes. I like to make big batches and freeze portions of it for long-term storage. Simply pop broth cubes into your stews, soups or smoothies. Try not to store broth in glass mason jars in the freezer as they easily break (refrigerator is fine for a week, though). Find freezer-friendly glassware, silicone molds or ice cube trays, fill the molds with cooled broth, freeze it to harden, then remove the cubes and place them in a freezer-safe container or silicone Stasher bag for easy, long-term storage.