Broth has been used in many civilizations for thousands of years because many of its great healing properties. Bone broth is currently the craze right now in the health world. There are now bone broth bars in cities across the country. Drinking bone broth has many great benefits for people of all ages and health conditions. The problem with bone broth is it is extremely time consuming to make. Most people suggest cooking times of anywhere from twelve to seventy hours. A great alternative to bone broth is actually plain beef broth made from meat instead of bone.
By cooking meat into a very mild broth all of the protein and nutrition from the meat is turned into a very digestible form. Your body will not get as much benefit if you eat beef as a steak. Having beef broth regularly will make your body feel stronger and at the same time more relaxed. It will help to strengthen your digestive system, improve immunity, reduce joint and lower back pain and improve your complexion. At my Mamaroneck office many patients coming for acupuncture or Chinese medicine will often be told to make beef broth at home as part of their treatment. Patients often notice they feel more relaxed and more energetic after drinking broth. Many patients that tend to feel cold easily also notice there body starts to become warmer.
From a Chinese Medicine perspective would say that broth support and warm the middle Jiao (the digestive system) tonifies qi and blood, nourishes yin and boost yang. Beef broth is great for people suffering from fatigue, arthritis, weak digestion, poor immunity, anemia, anxiety, depression, etc. It is great for patients that are chronically ill, or debilitated or those undergoing cancer treatment
Below is a simple recipe for beef broth:
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. of cubed beef stew meat (preferably grass fed)
2-3 slices ginger
4oz. white wine
enough water to fill the pot to 2/3 full
salt (this is the salt I use and recommend: http://www.realsalt.com/)
1. Put meat in a medium stock pot.
2. Cover with water.
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Turn the heat down to a medium flame
5. Skim off the blood as it rises to the surface. (The blood should be a grayish color)
6. Add ginger and wine.
7. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 2.5 – 3 hrs.
Note: Depending on the size of your pot you may need to add water while cooking. You want to end up with about 4 bowls full of broth.
Once the soup is ready you can place a little bit of salt in the bottom of a bowl and ladle out the soup. One bowl should be one serving. The leftovers should be left out to cool. Then you can put it inside a Tupperware container (preferably glass) and place it in the refrigerator. Each time you heat up a bowl you should add salt.
This recipe should make enough for about 4 bowls. You can have a little bit of the meat with each bowl if you like. If the meat is tasteless you can toss it out. You can drink the broth between meals or as part of a meal. You can also boil some fresh vegetables in each serving. You can add whatever vegetables you like. Potato, cabbage, carrot etc.
Give this recipe a try. You should have 3-5 bowls of broth per week. Try drinking it for a month and see how your body feels. If you have any more questions about acupuncture or Chinese medicine give a call to the office in Mamaroneck to make an appointment.
– Enjoy
Photo: Turkey Broth/Stock by Kim Knoch courtesy of Creative Commons http://bit.ly/1VrWJqr
