{"id":528680,"date":"2010-04-15T13:23:30","date_gmt":"2010-04-15T17:23:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/?p=12006"},"modified":"2010-04-15T13:23:30","modified_gmt":"2010-04-15T17:23:30","slug":"cooking-with-bones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/528680","title":{"rendered":"Cooking with Bones"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" title=\"Bones\" src=\"http:\/\/i247.photobucket.com\/albums\/gg158\/MDA2008\/MDA2009\/4160630244_bd8c6a7ba7.jpg\" alt=\"4160630244 bd8c6a7ba7\" width=\"320\" height=\"250\" \/><a title=\"Bone Marrow\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/bone-marrow-recipe\/\" >Marrow<\/a> is great and all, but what about the bones that aren\u2019t blessed enough to bear the sacred gel in easily extractable amounts? We can\u2019t forget about those. Chicken backs, beef knuckles, ham hocks, chicken feet, lamb necks, hooves and any other animal-derived matrices of calcium phosphate and collagen fibers are all worth saving, cooking, and perhaps even eating. Hell, I bet elk antlers would make a fine, mineral-rich soup. The best part is that bones, feet, hooves, heads, and connective tissues are all pretty inexpensive, sometimes even free, parts of the animal. They also represent an entirely different realm of nutritional content than basic muscle meat, being complex organs playing multiple roles in the body.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-12006\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>You see, bone is living tissue, rather than inert structure. It is rigid, true, but it\u2019s actually an organ, in fact, placing it squarely in the nutritional all-star camp of <a title=\"Organ Meats - It's Not So Offal!\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/organ-meats\/\" >liver, heart, brain, kidney, and sweetbreads<\/a>. Bone is also slightly elastic, owing to the collagen, which combines with the calcium phosphate to lend \u201celastic rigidity.\u201d (If it weren\u2019t for the collagen, bones would simply be hard with no give, and thus brittle.) Bone is full of minerals, mostly calcium and phosphorus (seeing as how the \u201cbone\u201d part of bone is calcium phosphate, this is no surprise), along with sodium, magnesium, and other trace minerals. If the connective tissue \u2013 and most animal scraps and bones you use will have tendons, ligaments, and cartilage \u2013 is still attached, bones also include stuff like chondroitin and glucosamine, popular joint supplements that are the raw materials for bone and cartilage formation.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s do a quick rundown of all the other good stuff found in bones and, therefore, well-made bone stock:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bone marrow<\/strong> \u2013 We <a title=\"Bone Marrow\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/bone-marrow-recipe\/\" >went over this last week<\/a>, but I\u2019ll say it again: bone marrow is one of the first &#8220;superfoods&#8221; (for lack of a better term &#8211; I actually slightly cringe using it) our ancestors enjoyed. It\u2019s fatty, with a bit of protein and loads of minerals. Even if you\u2019re cooking spindly chicken bones, there\u2019s going to be marrow, and that marrow will make it into your stock.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Collagen and gelatin<\/strong> \u2013 Most commercial gelatin comes from animal collagen already, so why not cut out the middle man and get your gelatin directly from bone and cartilage? The more collagen your bones have, the more gelatinous, rich, and viscous your stock will be \u2013 important qualities, especially if you intend to reduce your stock into sauces. Gelatin may even <a title=\"Gelatin found to reduce joint pain in athletes \" href=\"http:\/\/www.bsu.edu\/news\/article\/0,1370,-1019-632,00.html\" >reduce joint pain in athletes<\/a>, as one (admittedly small) study appeared to show. Another showed <a title=\"Gelatin Treats Ulcer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/50126.php\" >benefits for ulcer patients<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Glycine<\/strong> \u2013 Although our bodies already produce plenty of glycine, rendering it a non-essential amino acid, there\u2019s some <a title=\"Protective effect of glycine supplementation on the levels of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in the erythrocyte of rats with alcohol-induced liver injury.\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/15027101\" >evidence<\/a> that supplementation can help mitigate free-radical oxidative damage in rats with alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity. Bone broth is rich in glycine. It probably doesn\u2019t mean much, but it can\u2019t hurt. And hey \u2013 it <a title=\"Glycine ingestion improves subjective sleep quality in human volunteers, correlating with polysomnographic changes\" href=\"http:\/\/www3.interscience.wiley.com\/journal\/118498669\/abstract\" >may even improve sleep quality<\/a>, as one Japanese study showed in human subjects. Drink a warm cup of broth before bed, perhaps?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Proline<\/strong> \u2013 Proline is another non-essential amino acid found in bone stock, but supplementation has shown promise in patients <a title=\"Clinical trials of vitamin B6 and proline supplementation for gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina.\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC1040584\/\" >suffering from vision loss due to gyrate atrophy<\/a>. It\u2019s also an important precursor for the formation of collagen, though it\u2019s not clear whether eating proline has any affect on the body\u2019s ability to make collagen.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hyaluronic acid<\/strong> \u2013 Hyaluronic acid, also known as hyaluronan, is one of cartilage\u2019s three glycosaminoglycans. It helps broth gel, and it\u2019s been used for years to treat race horses with osteoarthritis, usually as an intra-articular injection or IV fluid. Recent <a title=\"Oral hyaluronan gel reduces post operative tarsocrural effusion in the yearling Thoroughbred\" href=\"http:\/\/cat.inist.fr\/?aModele=afficheN&amp;cpsidt=17942874\" >studies on oral administration<\/a> have been promising, though, meaning oral administration of quality bone stock (as opposed to, um, what other method of administration?) might help us with our joint issues, too. According to Wikipedia, human studies are underway and showing promise, but I wasn\u2019t able to dig up much beyond this <a title=\"Effect of a natural extract of chicken combs with a high content of hyaluronic acid (Hyal-Joint) on pain relief and quality of life in subjects with knee osteoarthritis: a pilot randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/18208600\" >small study<\/a>. Still, it\u2019s compelling, and I\u2019ll continue to drink broth regardless.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chondroitin sulfate<\/strong> \u2013 Chondroitin sulfate is another glycosaminoglycan present in bone stock. It\u2019s also a popular supplement for the treatment of osteoarthritis the efficacy of which has come under question. One <a title=\"Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate as therapeutic agents for knee and hip osteoarthritis.\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/17658908\" >recent review<\/a> concludes that chondroitin sulfate \u201cmay interfere with progression of osteoarthritis\u201d. I\u2019d say it\u2019s worth a shot.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Calcium<\/strong> \u2013 I\u2019ve <a title=\"Calcium for Women\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/calcium-for-women\/\" >downplayed the importance of large amounts of supplementary calcium<\/a> in the past, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not important. It\u2019s the raw material for bone production and fortification, and bone stock might be one of the best sources of calcium around, especially for those who avoid dairy and don\u2019t eat enough leafy greens.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Phosphorus<\/strong> \u2013 There\u2019s also a good amount of phosphorus in bone stock, though I doubt Primal eaters lack adequate dietary phosphorus (there\u2019s plenty in meat). Still, it\u2019s a nice buffer.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Magnesium<\/strong> \u2013 Magnesium is pretty lacking in the modern diet. Fatty fish like <a title=\"The Simple Beauty of Mackerel\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/mackerel-recipe\/\" >mackerel<\/a> offer good amounts, as do <a title=\"Smart Fuel: Dark Leaft Greens\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/dark-leafy-greens\/\" >leafy greens<\/a>, <a title=\"Top 10 Ways to &quot;Go Nuts&quot;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/top-10-ways-to-go-nuts\/\" >nuts<\/a>, and <a title=\"A Quick Guide to Edible Seeds\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/quick-guide-edible-seeds\/\" >seeds<\/a>, but most people, Primal folks included, could stand to take in more magnesium. Dr. Michael Eades <a title=\"Magnesium and Inflammation\" href=\"http:\/\/www.proteinpower.com\/drmike\/uncategorized\/magnesium-and-inflammation\/\" >says<\/a> if he had to recommend just one supplement, it\u2019d be magnesium; Dr. Stephan Guyenet over at Whole Health Source recently posted a couple great pieces, one on <a title=\"Whole Health Source\" href=\"http:\/\/wholehealthsource.blogspot.com\/2010\/02\/magnesium-and-insulin-sensitivity.html\" >magnesium and insulin sensitivity<\/a> (short version: the former improves the latter) and another on <a title=\"Magnesium and Vitamin D Metabolism\" href=\"http:\/\/wholehealthsource.blogspot.com\/2010\/04\/magnesium-and-vitamin-d-metabolism.html\" >magnesium and vitamin D metabolism<\/a> (short version: the former affects the latter). Bone stock is just another way to obtain this valuable mineral.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sulfur, potassium, and sodium<\/strong> \u2013 Stock has these minerals in mostly trace amounts, but they\u2019re all important for health. <a title=\"The Salt\/Blood Pressure Debate\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/salt-blood-pressure\/\" >Sodium<\/a> isn\u2019t really an issue for most people, but potassium is undoubtedly important and often lacking. Both are crucial electrolytes (bone broth \u2013 possible new sports drink?). Sulfur is the \u201cS\u201d in MSM, or methylsulfonylmethane, the popular joint supplement that has shown some promising <a title=\"Randomised, Double-Blind, Parallel, Placebo-Controlled Study of Oral Glucosamine, Methylsulfonylmethane and their Combination in Osteoarthritis.\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/17516722\" >results<\/a> in humans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The best way to extract all that boney goodness from the bones is to cook with them, and that means making stock (or broth; from here on out, I\u2019ll just say stock, but the two are pretty similar, with broth technically being derived from meat and bones, and stock from just bones). I mentioned a <a title=\"Homemade Chicken Stock\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/homemade-chicken-stock\/\" >basic chicken stock recipe<\/a> last year, but we can do better than that. Besides, different bones require different considerations. A few tips:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Add a couple shots of apple cider vinegar to your stock.<\/strong> This aids in the extraction of minerals without really altering the flavor.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Roast your bones beforehand.<\/strong> This adds color and flavor. For big bones like beef, 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes usually works. For chicken, just use roasted carcasses.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t throw bones away.<\/strong> Even if you just ate a couple bone-in chicken thighs, save those measly little bones! Freeze them and keep adding to your collection until you\u2019ve got a respectable amount.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t be afraid to simmer long and slow.<\/strong> Smaller animals require less cooking time to extract nutrients, so chicken can probably go for twenty hours and produce a quality stock, but beef or lamb bones can go for several days, provided you keep the heat low and watch the water level to prevent burning.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Add feet<\/strong>, especially chicken feet, for added collagen \u2013 and more gelatin.<\/li>\n<li><strong>If it\u2019s a delicious joint supplement you\u2019re after, look for actual animal joints to throw in. <\/strong>Knuckles, especially, have tons of cartilaginous material and snappy ligament that will break down in the water.<\/li>\n<li>When dealing with the bigger bones from ungulates, sometimes the heat and the water need a little assistance. To really get the good stuff, <strong>stick the bones in a sturdy bag and smash them with your sledgehammer<\/strong> (you do have a <a title=\"The Sledgehammer Workout\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/sledgehammer-workout\/\" >sledgehammer<\/a>, right?). Then put the shards in the stockpot. <a title=\"Small Game in Primitive Living, Part 3: Cooking For Maximum Nutrients\" href=\"http:\/\/ryan-koch.blogspot.com\/2010\/01\/small-game-in-primitive-living-cooking.html\" >Native Americans used to do this to buffalo bones<\/a> to get at the little grease pockets lurking within the bone latticework; why shouldn\u2019t we do the same? Another option is to remove the bones after half a day or so and go to work with a smaller hammer, a chef\u2019s knife, or even the food processor. They\u2019ll have softened considerably, and you\u2019ll be able to chop them up into bits for quicker, more thorough extraction. Last week, I took a 10-inch chef\u2019s knife to some cow knuckles and cow necks that\u2019d been simmering for a day and returned the pieces for another few hours of cooking. That stock was the thickest, richest, most gelatinized stock I\u2019ve ever made. Correlation, causation? I lean toward the latter. In fact, going forward, I plan on doing this every single time I make stock. The difference was just that huge.<\/li>\n<li><strong>You can eat bone, technically.<\/strong> Now, if you\u2019ve made a proper stock and gotten all you can out of your bones, eating them may not confer many benefits. Still, it\u2019s an interesting thought. Chicken bones in particular become pretty delectable after a day of stewing, and I\u2019ll confess to sifting through the stock solids for snacks. I haven\u2019t eaten an entire carcass or anything (yet), but I may try a few of the smaller, softer bones as an experiment. Anyone else?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Once your stock has cooled in the fridge, only skim the fat if you\u2019re prepared to store or use the stock right away. <\/strong>That layer of fat is protecting your broth from adulterants, whether they\u2019re random fridge flavors or bacteria.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Speaking of fat, I\u2019d toss poultry fat.<\/strong> It\u2019s a relatively high-PUFA animal fat, and a day of simmering has probably damaged it beyond repair. If you\u2019re stewing bones with more <a title=\"Saturated Animal Fat\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/saturated-fat-healthy\/\" >saturated animal fat<\/a>, though, you should absolutely save the fat layer.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Veggies are optional, but tasty. <\/strong>They add flavor, and the classic mirepoix blend of carrots, onions, and celery is always a welcome addition. Herbs work well, too. I\u2019m partial to thyme, bay leaf, and whole peppercorns, with maybe a sprig or two of rosemary added. If you\u2019re doing herbs and veggies, add them toward the end of cooking, especially if you\u2019re doing a marathon two-day stock making session.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Divining the nutritional details of traditional foods like bone stock and bone marrow is difficult, if not impossible altogether. We know stock contains gelatin, calcium, phosphate, magnesium, glucosamine, chondroitin, and other trace minerals, but what are the numbers? We\u2019re a numbers generation; we expect to have accurate info at the tips of our fingers at all times, but that\u2019s unrealistic. Bone composition isn\u2019t set in stone. What the animal ate, how it lived, where it lived, the mineral content of whatever it ate, the nutrient density of whatever it ate \u2013 these all factor into the composition and content of the bones, joints, and cartilage. The <a title=\"Commercial Bone Meal\" href=\"http:\/\/nowfoods.com\/Products\/ProductsbyCategory\/Category\/M003353.htm?cat=Minerals\" >nutrition facts of commercial bone meal<\/a> marketed as a calcium supplement gives us a general idea of the mineral content (900 mg calcium, 360 mg phosphorus, 9 mg magnesium per serving) of bone stock. That stuff comes from powdered \u201ccattle raised in the United States,\u201d which undoubtedly means corn-fed, nutritionally-deficient cows. We don\u2019t know exactly how an animal\u2019s diet affects its bone composition, but we know that it matters. Diet plays a huge role in everything, and I\u2019d bet that grass-fed (again, as always) results in better, more nutritious stock. Regardless of the numbers, bone stock is good for you, damn good, and being somewhat in the dark about the precise nutrient count shouldn\u2019t dissuade you from making and using your own bone stock on a regular basis.<\/p>\n<p>Even if you don\u2019t (or are unable to) seek out bones specifically for cooking, you\u2019ll end up with plenty as leftovers. In fact, I\u2019d suggest opting for whole animals or bone-in segments; the meat tastes better, it stays fresher longer, and you get some cooking bones when it\u2019s all done. When you roast a chicken, you\u2019ve got an entire skeleton to work with. When you cook a bone-in leg of lamb on the barbecue, you\u2019ve got a big femur left over. What does a skinless breast offer after it\u2019s been eaten, or an endless parade of steaks? I love a good steak as much as the next man, but a Primal eater shouldn\u2019t live on muscle meat alone. I highly recommend giving homemade stock a try. If you eat animals, you should have access to their bones, and you should never throw those bones away.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Have I missed anything? Anyone have any good stock-making tips?<\/strong><\/p>\n<h5><em>Lori NY <a title=\"Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/loridstone\/4160630244\/\" >Flickr Photo<\/a> (CC)<\/em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h5>\n<h4><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em>Get <a title=\"Mark's Daily Apple Feeds\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/..\/feeds\/\" >Free Health     Tips, Recipes and Workouts<\/a> Delivered to Your Inbox<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/h4>\n<p>Related posts:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href='http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/cooking-omegas\/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Dear Mark: Cooking Omegas'>Dear Mark: Cooking Omegas<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href='http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/smart-fuel-swiss-chard\/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Smart Fuel: Swiss Chard'>Smart Fuel: Swiss Chard<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href='http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/homemade-chicken-stock\/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How to Make a Rockin&#8217; Chicken Stock'>How to Make a Rockin&#8217; Chicken Stock<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~r\/MarksDailyApple\/~4\/Ya9CFKKuzIQ\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marrow is great and all, but what about the bones that aren\u2019t blessed enough to bear the sacred gel in easily extractable amounts? We can\u2019t forget about those. Chicken backs, beef knuckles, ham hocks, chicken feet, lamb necks, hooves and any other animal-derived matrices of calcium phosphate and collagen fibers are all worth saving, cooking, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-528680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/528680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=528680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/528680\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=528680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=528680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=528680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}