My Simple Meat Stock: A Gentle, Gut-Friendly Recipe

Hi friend! In my latest video I mentioned the simple meat stock I make, and I promised I'd share the recipe here. It's become part of how I'm caring for my gut. It's warm, simple, and honestly one of the most comforting things I make.

Meat stock isn't the same as bone broth. Bone broth simmers for many hours, sometimes a day or more, while meat stock cooks for just a couple of hours using meaty bones and meat, like a whole chicken, chicken feet, or beef or lamb pieces. That means it's ready to enjoy sooner, and it's not as big of a project. The longer broth cooks, the more free glutamate (the same compound found in MSG) and histamine it can build up. Some people who are sensitive to MSG or histamine notice they feel better with a shorter-cooked meat stock, so that's why it's the one I make. If you have sensitivities, it's always a good idea to check with your healthcare provider about what's right for you.

I also love how nourishing meat stock is. The chicken feet, skin and soft connective tissue are rich in collagen, which turns into gelatin as it gently cooks. Gelatin brings amino acids like glycine and proline, which are thought to help support the lining of the gut. Meat stock has been treasured for generations as a gentle, healing food, and many people on a gut-healing journey find it soothing and comforting. It's become one of the ways I care for my body, and I truly hope it blesses you too.

I'm not a doctor. This is my story, not medical advice. Please talk with your own doctor about what's right for you.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 3 to 5 lbs)
• 1 lb chicken feet
• 1 large onion, cut into big chunks
• Half a head to a whole head of garlic, cloves peeled and left whole
• 2 tablespoons Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt
• Cool or room-temperature filtered water, enough to cover everything by at least half an inch to an inch

Instructions

1. Rinse the chicken and chicken feet and put them in a large pot. I use an enameled cast iron pot like this one.
2. Add the onion chunks, whole garlic cloves, and salt, then cover with cool or room-temperature filtered water by at least half an inch to an inch.
3. Let it sit. Before you turn on the stove, let everything sit in the pot for 30 minutes to an hour. I do this because I've learned the salt helps draw minerals out of the bones.
4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and skim off the foam as it rises.
5. Turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for about 2 hours.
6. Lift out the chicken and feet.
7. Blend it back in. Peel the skin and connective tissue off the chicken. Put them in a blender with some of the broth and a little of the cooked onion and garlic, blend until smooth, and pour it back into the pot. Since I eat therapeutic high-fat, low-carb, I keep the onion and garlic small here, because they do have carbs. Save the chicken meat for meals.
8. Cool quickly by setting the pot in a sink of cold water, then refrigerate.

How I Drink It

I have a warm cup with every meal. I stir in a tablespoon of olive oil as an easy way to get in more fat, and sometimes I add a squeeze of lemon just because it tastes good.

Tips

• No chicken feet? No problem: If chicken feet aren't your thing, you don't have to use them. Bone-in chicken pieces with the skin on, like thighs, drumsticks or wings, work too. After it simmers, peel off the skin and blend it back into the stock just like in step 7.
• If it jiggles: If your stock sets up like jelly in the fridge, that's the gelatin from the chicken feet and joints. It melts right back when you warm it.
• Don't waste the feet: I don't like to waste anything, so I give the cooked chicken feet to my dogs as treats. I know they look a little disturbing, but dogs love them. I cut off the nail tips and cut the feet into small pieces first; I don't give them a whole foot. Always check with your vet before giving your dog any bones, since cooked bones can splinter.

Storage

• Fridge: 3 to 4 days in covered glass jars.
• Freezer: 3 to 6 months. Leave an inch of space at the top of the jar. Wide-mouth, freezer-safe jars or ice cube trays work well.
• Thaw only what you need, and don't refreeze it.

There's something about a pot of stock simmering on the stove that slows me down and reminds me to be thankful for the simple things God gives us. If you make this, I'd love to hear how it turns out. Leave me a comment, and tell me how you like to use it. I'll be praying for you, friend.

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