Paleo & Keto Mexican Bone Broth
i.e. Caldo de Res 🍖
This caldo de res, otherwise known as a Mexican beef bone broth, tastes of my childhood. My mother use to whip it up religiously, and her mother before that. Warming and soothing, it was a real staple.
Para abrir el apetito (to open up your appetite), my grandmother used to say. As well as for colds and any and every ailment. Talking both body and soul.
Funny enough, it turns out my grandma (and probably yours as well), was in the know about the healing and restorative powers of a good bone broth.
And if you’re doing keto, a good bone broth is something you absolutely need. And not just once in a while, but constantly. And we’re not just talking electrolytes here, but gut restorative properties to help balance out the inevitable increase of gram negative bacteria that comes from a high fat low carb diet.
The Methodology
Now, even though we’re talking Mexican beef bone broth here, in the end it’s all potato potatoe. And a good bone broth everywhere consists of browning the bones, followed by the veggies, and a looong simmer (from 2 hours, but preferably 24) in order to extract all the goodies.
Just be sure to never leave your pot unattended of course. And if you’re going for a 24 hour simmer (which we cannot recommend enough), simply allow it to cool at night and carry on the next day.
It’s easy peasy. Though lengthy, and with no short cuts.
As while you can all well and good certainly cook up a good broth in your pressure cooker, it won’t have all the properties as a proper broth.
We’re talking glycosaminoglycans (GAG), glucosamine, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, minerals and electrolytes, collagen… a nutritional powerhouse all the way. Read up on the benefits, particularly those linked to a ketogenic diet over here.
So no cutting corners, and forget store-bought versions. As most truly don’t come even close to the real deal.
The Bones
Needless to say, when it comes to bone broth going grass-fed (and if possible organic) is a no brainer.
And a mix consisting primarily of marrow bones and a handful of meaty bones, such as oxtail or short ribs, is ideal.
The Garnish
How you serve up your caldo de res varies widely from region to region, and even family to family. But let me assure you that the no-fail ingredient you most definitely want are plenty of limes.
But other awesome additions are avocado, finely diced onion and jalapeño or Serrano chilis, and a handful of cilantro or parsley.
And if you’re so inclined, my grandma used to serve it up with a handful of freshly made tortillas to scoop out the marrow and make some scrumptious impromptu tacos. Which we cannot recommend enough with our popular grain free & keto tortillas.
Simple, yet absolutely delicious.
Paleo & Keto Mexican Bone Broth (i.e. Caldo de Res) 🍖
Ingredients
- 1 kg beef bones preferably marrow bones and a couple others with a little meat on them such as oxtail or short ribs
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 medium onion quartered
- 1 medium leek trimmed and sliced crosswise
- 3 celery stalks sliced crosswise
- 1 head garlic halved crosswise
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 2 cloves
- warm water to cover
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Serving suggestions
- limes
- avocado diced
- onion very finely minced
- serrano or jalapeno chili seeded and very finely minced
- cilantro or parsley roughly chopped
Instructions
- Trim meat from the meaty bones into bite-sized pieces (about 1 inch), leaving some on the bones. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Heat up a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium/high heat. Add oil, spreading it until the bottom is evenly coated. Add meat and bones, and sear until fully browned. Remove browned meat and bones from pot and set aside.
- Heat up remaining oil, and add in onion, leek, celery and garlic and cook until browned, about 15 minutes.
- Add browned meat and bones back in, along with the bay leaf, black peppercorns and cloves. Add enough warm water to cover completely, followed by the vinegar. Cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat as low as you can, leaving the lid slightly ajar. Allow to simmer for at least 2 hours, but preferably up to 24 hours (allowing the broth to cool at night, and carrying on the next day).
- Discard solids and serve with garnishes of choice.
- If storing, allow to cool completely before refrigerating and/or freezing in airtight containers.
Paola, I think it would be helpful to know roughly much water to use for the 24h simmering version, just to be able to adjust this recipe for the whole family. I wouldn’t want to end up with just a bowl of soup after all the trouble. Thank you! 😉
How about nutrition facts? My daughter is in MAD and she needs to know carbohydrates.
How do I get the beef marrow bones? Do I ask at the meat counter?
1 kg beef bones preferably marrow bones and a couple others with a little meat on them such as oxtail or short ribs
Hi! I’ve seen bone marrow bones in freezer section of Whole Foods.
I will try this using a pressure cooker. Hopefully it is a similar result
I am wondering if I can make this in a crockpot. If anyone has tried it already, let me know the process. Thanks.
I don’t see why not! Xo!