BrothsAmericanEasy

Slow Cooker Beef Broth

Name: Slow Cooker Beef Broth
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 10 h 18 min
Total time: 10 h 58 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 lb (1360 g) bone-in beef shank (cross-cut, 1½ to 2 inches thick), patted very dry with paper towels; 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil such as canola or avocado oil; 2 large (about 1 lb total) (450 g) large yellow onions, unpeeled, halved through the root end; 3 medium (about 8 oz total) (225 g) medium carrots, scrubbed, not peeled, cut into 3-inch chunks; 3 ribs (about 6 oz total) (170 g) celery ribs, cut into 3-inch pieces, leaves included; 1 head (50 g) garlic, halved crosswise, papery outer skin left on; 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste; 10 cups (2400 ml) cold water, divided: 1 cup for deglazing, 9 cups for the slow cooker; 1 tbsp (7 g) whole black peppercorns; 2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves; 4 sprigs (4 g) fresh thyme sprigs; 1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar; 2 tsp (6 g) kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), added at the end, then adjusted to taste

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A deeply savory, clear beef broth made by browning bone-in beef shank and letting a slow cooker do the rest over 10 hours. You also get tender shank meat for soup, tacos, or sandwiches.

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 10 hr 18 min
Wait: 4 hr 30 min
Total: 15 hr 28 min
Makes: About 2 quarts (1.9 L) broth, plus about 2 cups shredded beef

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Ingredients

8 servings

3 lb (1360 g) bone-in beef shank (cross-cut, 1½ to 2 inches thick), patted very dry with paper towels
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil such as canola or avocado oil
2 large (about 1 lb total) (450 g) large yellow onions, unpeeled, halved through the root end
3 medium (about 8 oz total) (225 g) medium carrots, scrubbed, not peeled, cut into 3-inch chunks
3 ribs (about 6 oz total) (170 g) celery ribs, cut into 3-inch pieces, leaves included
1 head (50 g) garlic, halved crosswise, papery outer skin left on
2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
10 cups (2400 ml) cold water, divided: 1 cup for deglazing, 9 cups for the slow cooker
1 tbsp (7 g) whole black peppercorns
2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves
4 sprigs (4 g) fresh thyme sprigs
1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 tsp (6 g) kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), added at the end, then adjusted to taste

Equipment (7)

6-quart (5.7 L) or larger slow cooker
12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
Fine-mesh strainer
Large heatproof bowl or 4-quart (3.8 L) pot for straining
Tongs and a ladle
Airtight containers or jars, 1-quart (1 L) size
Cutting board and chef's knife

Steps

Before you start

Plan for about 15 hours from start to finish: roughly 40 minutes of hands-on work, 10 hours of slow cooking, and about 4½ hours of cooling and chilling. Starting in the evening means the broth is ready the next day.
Use a 6-quart (5.7 L) or larger slow cooker. The ingredients should fill it no more than about three-quarters full.
Pat the beef shank very dry with paper towels. Dry meat browns. Wet meat steams and turns gray.
Don't salt the pot at the start. Season only after straining so you can adjust to taste. Reducing or reusing the broth later will concentrate any early salt.

1
Prep the vegetables
- Halve the onions through the root end, leaving the skins on because they add color.
- Scrub the carrots and cut them into 3-inch chunks.
- Cut the celery into 3-inch pieces.
- Halve the garlic head crosswise.
- Set everything next to the stove.
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Ready when: Vegetables are cut into large chunks that won't dissolve during the long cook.
Tip: Big pieces matter. Small pieces turn mushy and can cloud the broth.
2
Brown the shank
- Season nothing.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 2 minutes.
- Add the dry shank pieces in a single layer, working in two batches if they crowd the pan.
- Sear without moving them for 3 to 4 minutes per side, including the edges, until deeply browned.
- Transfer the pieces to the slow cooker insert.
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Ready when: All sides are a deep mahogany brown and release easily from the pan.
Tip: If the meat sticks, give it another minute. It releases when the crust has formed.
3
Char onions and deglaze
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Place the onion halves cut-side down in the same skillet and cook 3 minutes until dark brown.
- Push them aside, add the tomato paste to the bare pan, and stir for 1 minute until it darkens to brick red.
- Pour in 1 cup of the water and scrape up all the browned bits with a wooden spoon.
- Scrape everything, including the onions, into the slow cooker.
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Ready when: Onion cut sides are deep brown, tomato paste smells sweet and toasty, and the pan bottom is clean.
Tip: Those browned bits are concentrated flavor. Don't leave them in the pan.
4
Fill the slow cooker
- Add the carrots, celery, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, and cider vinegar to the slow cooker.
- Pour in the remaining 9 cups cold water.
- The liquid should cover the beef and vegetables by about 1 inch and sit at least 1 inch below the rim.
- Do not add salt yet.
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Ready when: Everything is submerged with about 1 inch of headroom.
Tip: Starting with cold water helps proteins release slowly, which gives a clearer broth. The vinegar helps pull minerals and gelatin from the bones.
5
Slow cook for 10 hours
- Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours.
- (On HIGH, cook 5 to 6 hours, though the broth will be slightly less clear.) Do not stir or lift the lid, because lifting it releases heat and adds hours.
- The broth should barely bubble at the edges.
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Ready when: The broth is deep amber-brown, the kitchen smells richly beefy, and the shank meat pulls away from the bone easily when poked with a fork (about 200°F / 93°C inside).
Tip: If the surface looks foamy at the start, don't worry. You'll remove fat and any solids when you strain.
6
Remove meat and strain
- Turn off the slow cooker.
- Using tongs, lift out the shank pieces and set them on a plate.
- Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large heatproof bowl or pot.
- Ladle the broth through the strainer in batches, without pressing on the solids.
- Discard the vegetables, peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme.
- Pull the meat from the bones, discarding the bones, fat, and gristle.
- Refrigerate the meat for another use.
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Ready when: You have about 2 quarts (1.9 L) of clear, amber broth with no floating bits.
Tip: Pressing the vegetables forces cloudy bits through the strainer. Let it drain on its own.
7
Season and cool
- Stir in the salt, starting with 1 teaspoon, then taste and add more until the broth tastes savory but not salty.
- Let the bowl sit uncovered at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it stops steaming heavily.
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Ready when: The broth tastes balanced and is warm rather than hot.
Tip: Don't leave broth out longer than 2 hours total. Cool it in a sink of ice water to speed this up.
8
Chill and defat
- Divide the broth among 1-quart containers or jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, until a firm layer of fat sets on top.
- Lift off the fat with a spoon and discard it (or save it for roasting potatoes).
- The broth below should wobble like soft gelatin when cold.
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Ready when: A solid white fat cap has formed, and the broth underneath is clear and slightly jiggly.
Tip: A jiggly set means plenty of collagen. It will melt back to liquid when heated.

Good to know

Tips

Browning is the biggest flavor step. Skipping it gives a lighter, boiled-beef taste.
Keep the slow cooker on LOW. A rolling boil emulsifies fat into the broth and makes it cloudy.
Save the cooked shank meat. It's great in soup, tacos, or stirred into rice, and it needs only a pinch of salt.
For a more concentrated broth, simmer the finished broth in a pot over medium heat until reduced by one-third, then dilute as needed when cooking.

Make ahead

"The finished broth keeps for days, so make it up to 4 days ahead. You can also brown the beef and char the onions the evening before, refrigerate them in the slow cooker insert, then add the water and start cooking in the morning."

Storage & reheating

"Refrigerator: up to 4 days in airtight containers. Freezer: up to 6 months in freezer-safe containers with 1 inch of headspace, or freeze in ice cube trays for small portions. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat on the stove over medium heat until steaming and at 165°F (74°C). The shredded beef keeps 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen."

Substitutions

bone-in beef shank (cross-cut, 1½ to 2 inches thick) → bone-in beef short ribs or oxtail. Oxtail gives more gelatin; short ribs make a fattier broth that needs more skimming. Use the same weight.
apple cider vinegar → fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar. Use 1 tbsp (15 ml). It only helps extraction and won't taste sour.
fresh thyme sprigs → ½ tsp dried thyme. Add it with the other aromatics. Fresh gives a slightly cleaner flavor.
tomato paste → 1 tbsp (15 g) miso paste or 2 tbsp (30 ml) tomato puree. Miso adds umami but is salty, so cut the final salt by half.