Beef Marrow Bone Stock

Healthy, delicious, nutrient-packed, vital, traditional....what are these words describing? Marrow bone stock, of course! Stock adds wonderful nutrients and delightful flavor to many recipes. Always use stock or broth which is homemade or purchased from a reliable source, never use bouillon cubes which are packed full of MSG and salt instead of nutrients.

Beef Pie

Filling:
2 lbs beef stew meat
1/2 cup seasoned flour -1/4 cup each: spelt and whole wheat flours (seasoned with sea salt and black pepper)
2 Tbl olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup beef marrow bone stock
1 Tbl parsley
1 tsp mixed Italian herbs
Sea salt, to taste

Crust:
1/2 cup spelt flour*
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup beef tallow
1/2 tsp sea salt
cold water
1 egg, beaten

Dredge beef in seasoned flour. Heat oil in a skillet and cook meat until just browned. Add onion, carrots, stock, parsley, Italian herbs, and sea salt. Turn heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare crust: Add flour in a medium-sized bowl, add salt and stir. Add tallow and cut in with a pastry cutter or fork until it resembles coarse meal. Add a small amount of cold water, about a tablespoon at a time, lightly knead until dough forms, don't over-knead. Roll out crust so that it will fit the top of the pie pan.

Put meat mixture into a 9 inch pie pan, cover with pie crust. Cut of any excess crust. Press edges onto the rim of the pan to seal. Cut several vents in the crust to let out the steam. Brush with egg.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until crust is done. Let cool for a few minutes, enjoy and nourish!

(Admittedly not the best picture, but wow, it tastes awesome!)

*Low-gluten flour, such as spelt flour, alone does not make a good pie crust.

This recipe can easily be made with more and/or different vegetables, if you prefer.

Along with beef stock, chicken stock is also great. The feet of chickens are thought to be the "secret ingredient" in making good broth, however, finding chicken feet can be a task in itself! If you're in the market for chicken feet, take a look at this package. They're expected to be available again in the next couple of weeks and they go fast!

Check out all the blogs participating in the Bone Broth Recipe and Tips carnival. Real Food blog carnivals occur every Wednesday - Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Cheeseslave rotate hosting duties.