Bone Broth — Slow-Cooked Elixir
You don't need a recipe. You need time. And good bones.
Why Bone Broth?
Bone broth is one of the oldest foods in the world — and one of the most underrated. Slow-cooked for hours, it releases collagen, gelatin, and a dense concentration of minerals directly from the bones: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus. The result is a broth that heals the gut lining, supports joint health, strengthens hair and nails, and deeply nourishes the nervous system.
It works with any meat — beef for depth, chicken for lightness, lamb for warmth. The principle is the same: low heat, long time, good bones.
It freezes beautifully and keeps up to a week in the fridge, which makes it easy to always have some on hand — as a morning elixir, a base for soups, or simply a warm cup between meals on a cold Lisbon afternoon.
I've been making bone broth for two years now. It became such a part of my kitchen — and of the requests from people around me — that I started making it on order. There's something quietly powerful about a food this simple, this old, that the body recognizes immediately.
Gut-healing, mineral-rich, slow-cooked
RECIPE
Ingredients
1.5kg mixed bones (beef, chicken, or lamb)
3 litres water
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 onion, halved
1 garlic head, halved
1 bay leaf
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp black peppercorns
Salt to taste
Method
Roast the bones at 200°C for 30 minutes until golden. This deepens the flavour.
Place bones in a large pot with water and apple cider vinegar. Let sit 30 minutes before turning on the heat — the vinegar begins drawing minerals from the bones.
Add all vegetables and aromatics. Bring to a gentle boil, skim the foam, then reduce to the lowest simmer possible.
Simmer uncovered for 12 to 24 hours. Add water if needed to keep bones submerged.
Strain through a fine mesh. Season with salt. Cool, then refrigerate. Remove the fat layer on top once cold — or keep it, it's nourishing.
