Meat Stock
EQUIPMENT
- 1 6-8 quart dutch oven with a lid – stainless steel or glass
- 1 mesh strainer
INGREDIENTS
- 1 whole organic chicken (including skin & giblets) cut at the joints
- Plenty of filtered water (1 quart for every pound of chicken)
- 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 medium onion rough-chopped for flavoring the stock
- 1-2 carrots rough-chopped for flavoring the stock
- Non-fibrous vegetables (such as broccoli, peas, red onion, squash and cauliflower) for eating in the soup
METHOD
For making the stock
- Cut chicken at the joints to expose the cartilage
- Place the entire chicken (with all the parts it comes with) in the pot
- Add chopped onion, carrots, peppercorns and salt
- Cover with filtered water – one inch above the ingredients
- Heat on high
- Just prior to boiling, skim with a mesh strainer and discard all the foam (impurities) that came to the top
- Continue heating to boiling point
- Lower the temperature to simmer and cover with the lid
- Simmer for 1.5-3.0 hours
For making the soup
- When finished, remove solids from the stock – retaining the chicken parts cooling for handling
- Separate meat bits and return to stock pot
- Choose and chop into bite size pieces your favourite non-fibrous vegetables
- Cook until the veggies are soft
- Store the soup in a glass jars
- The stock with turn to a gel when refrigerated and have a layer of fat on the top (longer cooking = thicker consistency)
- Do not remove the fat layer – it carries a lot of critical gut-building nutrients and adds flavour
Meat Stock [Chicken]
The base of GAPS Gut Healing Protocol – Meat Stock
If you experience a chronic health issue, candida and/or the pain of inflammation, and you haven’t yet explored the concept of leaky gut condition, now is the time to do it. There is more and more evidence that our modern lifestyles contribute to gut inflammation and increased permeability of the gut lining. While some permeability is natural and necessary, there is a point where the leaking of partially digested food, toxins and unwelcome bacteria can become a serious health issue that underlies many chronic illnesses. Read more in this article published by Harvard Medical School: Leaky Gut syndrome.
Meat stock – a rich source of collagen – is a key food strategy for rebuilding and protecting gut lining and correcting bacteria balances (gut flora). This soup is often the first step in a recovery process.
By adjusting your cooking method, you control the stock’s healing intensity to match your body’s unique needs and level of tolerance you have for the broth’s histamines and glutamic acid.
The nutrients are pulled out of the bones during the cooking process – and there is a direct correlation between the levels of available nutrients and how long the soup is simmered. For those with particularly sensitive guts, adjusting cook times is an easy and helpful way to be mindful of your body’s needs.
This stock can be enjoyed clear with a little added sea salt, or loaded with chicken and vegetables for a hearty soup.
Note: this recipe uses chicken as its base. To use other meats, use fresh, raw, ideally organic sources and include bones, joints and meaty bits. The bones and joints provide the collagen needed for its gut-healing properties.
Cooking times for different meat base
Chicken or turkey: 1.5 to 3.0 hours
Beef or lamb: 4.0 to 6.0 hours for beef or lamb
This soup can remain in the fridge for 3 to 5 days; or the freezer for 4 to 6 months.
If freezing, fill no higher than the jar’s shoulder as the expanded soup can apply enough pressure to break the glass.
