Beef Bones & Bone Broth: How to Make It (and Why It's So Good for You)

Bone broth has gone from grandma's kitchen to the wellness aisle, but the idea hasn't changed: simmer good bones for a long time and you get a rich, mineral, deeply savoury liquid that's the backbone of great cooking and genuinely nourishing to drink. The catch is that a good broth starts with good bones — and that's where a butcher comes in.

Here's the plain guide: which bones to use, how to make broth, and why it's worth the (mostly hands-off) effort.

Why bone broth is worth making

A few honest reasons it's earned its place:

• It's deeply nourishing. Long simmering pulls collagen, gelatine and minerals out of the bones — calcium, magnesium, phosphorus — into the broth. The gelatine is what makes a good broth set to a wobble in the fridge.
• It's the base of better cooking. Real bone broth makes soups, stews, risottos, gravies and sauces taste like a restaurant made them. Once you've cooked with it, stock cubes feel like a different food.
• It's the cheapest nutrition in the shop. Bones are inexpensive, and a few of them make litres of broth. It's the definition of nose-to-tail value.
• It's almost entirely hands-off. Ten minutes of work, then the pot does the rest.

Which bones to use

Different bones do different jobs, and the best broth uses a mix:

Marrow bones — rich, fatty and full of flavour. Roast them first for a deeper, nuttier broth (and eat some of the soft marrow on toast while you're at it).

Beef bones / soup bones — the everyday workhorse for a solid, mineral broth.

Knuckle and joint bones — high in cartilage and collagen, which is what gives broth its body and that signature gelatine set.

Meaty bones (like oxtail or short rib) — add depth and a richer, beefier flavour. (Oxtail does double duty — see our organ meats & offal guide.)

A mix of marrow, joint and meaty bones gives you the best of all three: flavour, body and richness.

How to make beef bone broth

It's simple. The two secrets are roasting first and simmering long.

1. Roast the bones. Spread them on a tray and roast at ~220°C for 30–40 minutes until well browned. This step is what separates a deep, rich broth from a pale, watery one.
2. Into the pot. Put the roasted bones in a large stockpot or slow cooker. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar — it helps draw the minerals out of the bones.
3. Aromatics. Add roughly chopped onion, carrot, celery, a few peppercorns and a bay leaf.
4. Cover with cold water and bring to a gentle simmer. Skim off any foam that rises early on.
5. Simmer low and long. 12–24 hours for beef bones (a slow cooker is perfect for this). The longer it goes, the more collagen and minerals you extract.
6. Strain and store. Strain out the solids, cool, and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze in portions. A good broth will set to a jelly when cold — that's the gelatine, and it's exactly what you want.

Sip it as is, or use it as the base for any soup, stew or sauce.

Buy grass-fed bones for broth in Perth

Our bones come from the same grass-fed, grass-finished WA animals as everything else — clean bones make clean broth. Browse our stocks & bones range, delivered across Perth and regional WA.

Shop beef bones & marrow bones → Shop roasting marrow bones → See our full beef range →

Frequently asked questions

What bones are best for bone broth? A mix is best: marrow bones for richness, beef/soup bones for a mineral base, knuckle and joint bones for the collagen that gives broth its body, and a meaty bone like oxtail for depth. Roasting them first makes a noticeably better broth.

How long do you simmer beef bone broth? For beef, simmer gently for 12–24 hours — a slow cooker is ideal. The longer it simmers, the more collagen and minerals are drawn out, and the richer the broth.

Why add vinegar to bone broth? A splash of apple cider vinegar helps draw the minerals out of the bones into the broth. You won't taste it in the finished product.

Is bone broth actually good for you? Bone broth provides collagen, gelatine and minerals like calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, and it's a comforting, low-calorie, nourishing base for cooking. It's a simple, traditional food rather than a miracle cure, but it's genuinely worthwhile.

Why did my bone broth set to a jelly in the fridge? That's a sign of a good broth — it's the gelatine extracted from the collagen in the bones. It melts straight back to liquid when reheated.