Spicy Beef Broth: Built for Chili

Homemade beef broth doesn't need to be an all-day project involving a pile of roasted bones and a dozen ingredients. Beef shank does most of the heavy lifting here. After a few hours of simmering, you get a rich, beefy broth while simultaneously braising the shank until the meat is tender enough to pull apart.

This version was made specifically as the base for beef chili, so it isn't a completely neutral beef stock. Chili powder, paprika, chili flakes, garlic, and pepper scraps start building those flavors directly into the broth. I also used the onion and pepper scraps left over from prepping the chili. Instead of throwing them away, they get a few hours in the pot before everything is strained out.

The other advantage is the beef shank itself. Once the broth is finished, you've got tender braised beef ready to shred and add to the chili. One pot gives you both the broth and one of the main ingredients for the meal that follows.

Ingredients

For the Beef Broth

• 1-2 beef shanks

• Onion scraps and peels from 1 large onion or 2 medium onions

• Tops and scraps from jalapeño and bell peppers (the ones you're using for the chili)

• 3-4 cloves garlic

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, or to taste

• Salt, to taste

• Black pepper, to taste

• Water, enough to cover everything

  
  

Optional

If you're making the broth for something other than chili, leave out the chili powder, paprika, and chili flakes for a more neutral beef broth.

Directions:

1. Add Everything to the Pot

• Place the beef shank in a large pot.

• Add the onion scraps, pepper scraps, garlic, chili powder, paprika, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper.

• Cover everything with water.

  
  

2. Bring It to a Simmer

• Bring the pot up to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

• You want steady, gentle bubbling rather than a hard rolling boil.

  
  

3. Cook for 3-4 Hours

• Let the broth simmer for approximately 3-4 hours.

• Check it occasionally and add a little more water if the liquid level gets too low.

• As it cooks, the beef shank will become increasingly tender while the broth takes on the flavor of the beef, vegetables, garlic, and spices.

4. Remove the Beef Shank

• When the shank is tender enough that the meat easily pulls apart, remove it from the broth.

• Let it cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bone.

• If you're making the Bus Stop BBQ beef chili, set the meat aside. It's going straight into the chili alongside the ground beef.

5. Strain the Broth

• Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer.

• Discard the onion and pepper scraps, garlic, bones, and other solids.

• Taste the finished broth and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.

6. Use the Broth

• The broth can be used immediately or cooled and stored for later.

• For the beef chili, there's no reason to cool it down. Measure what you need and add it directly to the chili.

Final Take

The best part of this recipe is that almost everything in the pot is doing more than one job. The onion and pepper scraps get used before they're discarded. The beef shank makes the broth while simultaneously braising the meat. The spices start building the flavor of the chili before you've even started making the chili.

After three or four hours, you've got a pot of homemade beef broth and a pile of tender braised beef ready for the next recipe. That's a pretty good return for throwing everything in a pot and leaving it alone.

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