The BEST Bison (or beef) Shank/Soup Bone Broth

I have people frequently asking how to use the shanks and soup bones that they get on their animal.  Lots of people opt out of the bones because they just don’t know what to do with them and that makes me want to cry – because they are an animal part I would not know what to do without.   I make a batch of bison broth every week to week and a half.  It is a total no brainer to make and is extremely nutritious – not to mention yummy. Here’s what I do:

Open 1 frozen pack of shanks or soup bones and put them in the bottom of a 6qt (or whatever you have) crockpot.  Cover with water all the way to the top.  Add salt (about a teaspoon per Qt.), pepper, Montreal Steak Seasoning (without any garbage in it), garlic powder, and onion powder.  Let it rip on low for 24 hours.  Strain the broth through a colander.  I used to use paper towels or fine mesh cheesecloth to do this so that my broth was clear, and it was a big, fat pain in the rear.  Then a friend told me that she just uses her immersion blender to blend up all the little particles that come through. They aren’t meat, but just parts of the broth that keep it from being clear.  It is so much easier this way. And then, you are able to add the marrow to the broth and blend it up in there too.  I store it in 1 qt freezer containers.  One goes directly in the fridge and the others I freeze for later in the week.   I use this for everything…..I braise vegetables in it (brussell sprouts are delish after being sauted in coconut oil and then braised til tender with a little bison or beef broth), add it to anything that calls for liquid, and even drink it for lunch.  It is perfect yumminess. 

After straining, you will have a good amount of meat left with the bones.  I pick this apart, and make enchiladas with it……meat, enchilada sauce, cheese (for dairy dooers – sigh!) rolled in a tortilla – corn or flour.   Please try this before you decide to opt out of your shanks and soup bones.  I am sure that you will be so glad that you did.  In fact, you will end up running out long before you buy your next portion of a beef or bison and be sorry that you don’t have more.