Make it from scratch: Beef Broth

I was asked recently how I made my homemade beef broth. I had to think about it for a minute...I've been making it since before I was married, so I just throw everything in the pot! The story behind this broth is one of my favorites. My great- grandmother, my Baba, had 8 children. Her husband and 4 sons worked in the steel mill in Hazelwood (Pittsburgh, Pa.), and my great-grandfather insisted on having soup to eat every single day. They had other meals, as well...but a meal always started with soup. Apparently, the broth replaced everything that they sweated out in the mill. So, my Baba would make this soup, serve it with homemade noodles...then ONLY the men would eat pieces of meat and potatoes with butter...along with bread and butter with every meal. IF there were any meat or potatoes left...then the women could have them. When I think of everything that my Baba did in the course of a day back in the early 1900's....I think SHE worked much harder than anyone else....especially with carrying 9 babies ( I did say 8 before, but Margaret died of the whooping cough when she was 3 years old), nursing them all for well over a year...along with doing everything by hand. As I was growing up, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my grandmother, and she would tell me stories about her mother ( my Baba), and her growing up years....then I was blessed to live with her for 2 years before marrying Ron....so I learned A LOT! Here is a 'rough' recipe for homemade beef broth! Hope you enjoy! ~Sue~

~Baba's Beef Broth~

First, I melt 2 tblsp butter along with 2 tblsp olive oil in the bottum of my 20 quart stock pot.

Then, I season the meat ( I only had round steak yesterday, but usually use chuck...either one is good) and brown both sides VERY WELL. Then, I added 2 big beef soup bones. (now, these I used yesterday were organic from a butchered cow, that someone gave me, but I've bought them in the grocery store in the beef department....or ask the butcher)

Ok....so your meat is well browned and you've added the bones.....now I fill up the pot with cold water. As it is filling, I scrape up all the wonderful brown, carmelized bits off the bottum of the pot. Add in 4-5 celery stalks with the leaves, 5-6 large garlic cloves, smashed....2 large onions quartered with the skins ON, and a couple large carrots.....salt and pepper....and simmer for hours.
***Note: as the 'scum' rises to the top, skim it off and get rid of it...it will make the soup bitter if you don't***

Usually, after a couple of hours, it is a rich golden brown color, and I take everything out and strain. Since it has cooked down, I usually add some water to get it back up to almost the top. Then, I put the meat back in. A lot of fresh carrots, and a peeled whole potato for everyone and "one for the pot".....when that is tender, we eat the soup with the carrots, then everyone gets a piece of meat (kids usually want ketchup on it) and a potato with butter and salt. And that is it! (if they had them, my Baba would add in whole tomatoes at the end..sometimes I do and sometimes I don't...Sara and I are the only ones who like them)

We made enough for 6 of us for dinner last night, lunch today, 2 quarts given away....and 2 HUGE containers frozen to make french onion soup out of one and beef stew out of the other....each one is usually 20 quarts. Any questions, just let me know!