Beef broth - the basis for borsch soups Meat broth is the basis for most of the first courses. The taste of borscht or soup depends on its quality.
Of all the meats, beef stands out for its low calorie content and ease of preparation. It is widely used in many cuisines around the world. The value of this product is in the content of B vitamins and a source of protein that performs a building function. In addition, it contains a lot of potassium, magnesium, sodium and phosphorus, which are very necessary for the body.
Broth preparation
If you follow certain rules at home, you can cook a wonderful beef broth.
It is better not to use ordinary water, it is more suitable purified through a filter, after which it becomes softer. It is better to start cooking meat in cold water, but salt after boiling, this will make the dish more rich. The use of various spices will be appropriate.
An indispensable condition is the quality of the meat. The broth will come out transparent and tasty if you choose pieces with a minimum amount of fat and veins. There are several opinions regarding the use of meat with bones. Fans of a pronounced meaty taste, who are not afraid of the cloudy color of the broth, will certainly put them. But almost all nutritionists are unanimous in one thing - harmful metal salts are collected in the bones, and during cooking they are released. When boiling, foam appears on the surface, which must be removed without fail. Then it is worth reducing the heat and leaving the lid ajar until the end of cooking. This will keep the dish transparent. The duration of cooking on low heat is 1.5-2 hours.
Plain white broth
Here is a simple step-by-step cooking recipe. There is no trick here, anyone who decided to comprehend the basics of cooking rules with him. It is especially good for dietary nutrition, it is recommended for people after a serious illness or surgery. One serving of delicious and nutritious food will give strength and quickly restore the body.
You will need: beef pulp - 500 g, water - 2 liters, onion - 1 head, peas and allspice - 3 pieces each, bay leaf - 1-2 pieces, salt.
We put the washed and peeled meat in a saucepan with water and start cooking. After boiling, remove the foam from the surface with a slotted spoon. We send a whole peeled onion, salt and spices to the pan. On low heat and the lid not closed completely, cook for about 1, 5 hours. After that we remove the onion, take out the meat, and filter the liquid itself. This broth is called white. It has a pleasant golden color.
Classic recipe
You will need: beef on the bone 1.5-2 kg, water - 3.5-4 liters, onions, carrots - 2 pieces each, celery root and leeks - 200 g each, bay leaf - 2 pieces, peppercorns - 10 pieces, salt, vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon.
We put the beef cleaned of veins and films in a saucepan with water and leave for half an hour. At this time, we clean the carrots, onions and cut into 2-4 pieces. Some people like to put whole vegetables in the broth, which is also allowed. Fry celery and leeks, cut into cubes, with a little oil for 2-3 minutes. After washing the meat again, fill it with the required amount of water and put it on fire. After boiling, remove the foam and add onions, carrots and fried vegetables to the pan. During the second boil, you can add salt and spices. After a couple of hours, the dish is ready.
Red broth
But the next interesting recipe is called red because of its brownish tint. It comes from pre-fried meat and red onions. For this original recipe you will need: beef pulp - 0.5 kg, red onion and celery root - 100 g each, water - 2 liters, butter - 80 g, salt, spices.
Peel the vegetables and chop the onion into rings, the celery into slices and fry into pieces of oil for 5 minutes. Then we put all this in a cooking pot. On the rest of the oil, you need to fry the prepared and chopped beef. After 10 minutes, add it to the vegetables, fill it with water and put it on the stove. When boiling, it is important to remove the foam, do not forget about salt and spices. Cooking such a dish takes about 2 hours.
Bone broth
The broth can be made from a good piece of meat or from bones. It is quick and easy to do. We observe the following successful proportions: beef bones - 0.5 kg, water - 2.5 liters, 2 medium onions, butter - 40 g, salt, spices.
First you need to fry the bones in oil. Then we send them into a saucepan, along with whole peeled onions, fill with water and set to cook. Do not forget to remove the foam after boiling, salt and add spices. The finished dish will turn out in an hour, but it is better to strain it twice. It turned out to be cloudy and rich due to the large amount of gelatin released from the bones, which is necessary for preparing second courses or cold aspic. But it is not recommended to cook soups from such broth.
Mushroom broth
Beef goes well with various vegetables. It turns out to be the most delicious and aromatic with mushrooms. Any store or forestry will do. An ordinary recipe can be turned into a real culinary masterpiece. We need: meat - 0.5 kg, water - 2 liters, mushrooms - 300 g, onion - 1 piece, salt and spices to taste.
Put the cooked meat, filled with water, on the fire. After boiling, remove the foam, put onions and chopped mushrooms, salt and spices. In this case, the meat is cooked for 2 hours until tender. At the end of cooking, remove it, discard the vegetables, and strain the liquid well.
Broth with vegetables
At home, you can make another recipe for a wonderful beef broth. In stages, it looks as follows: meat - 0.5 kg, water -2 liters, onions, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes - 1-2 pieces each, butter - 50 g, salt, spices.
While the meat is cooking, clean and dice the vegetables. Then fry them in a pan with the addition of oil until golden brown. When the contents of the pan boil, remove the foam and then add vegetables, salt and spices to taste. After 1, 5 hours, remove and drain.
The proposed recipes are quite easy and quick to prepare, every housewife will appreciate them. Any of them will serve as a wonderful basis for new dishes. In addition, meat broth with croutons will be good as an independent nutritious and tasty dish.