Gut Healing Meat Stock
If there was ever a salve for the gut, it would be meat stock. I realize that Bone Broth has become all the rage lately and there is good reason for that. It is a highly mineralized and gelatinous soup that adds a wallop of nutrients to the body.
However, Bone Broth is different from Meat Stock. The primary difference is the length of time it is cooked and the amino acids it produces.
Bone Broth is simmered for around 24 hours. During this time, crucial minerals and amino acids are pulled from the bones and the meat. However, there is one amino acid that is plentiful in bone broth which can prove to be difficult on a leaky gut.
Glutamic acid is a free glutamate and closely resembles MSG and glutamine. If you have a leaky gut, this amino acid can easily pass through the intestinal membrane and cause more inflammatory or autoimmune issues.
Meat Stock, on the other hand, while containing amino acids, just in lower amounts, is incredibly high in gelatin if prepared properly.
Well prepared Meat Stock should end up looking like jello in the finished product. That means filling a large pot with lots of chicken pieces (I like to do a whole chicken and about 5 - 6 chicken legs or thighs with the bone in and skin on), adding in any vegetables and seasonings that you like and filling the pot with water to the point where it just covers the chicken pieces.
If you put too much water in the pot, it won’t produce that lovely gelatin consistency that is SO healing for the gut. It is the gelatin that heals and seals an inflamed gut.
I drink a cup of warmed stock first thing in the morning. And it makes a huge difference.
Of course, you can also use this stock as the base for any kind of soup that you like. And as a bonus, Meat Stock tastes better than Bone Broth. Bone broth has a very heavy taste that some people enjoy. I’ve always had a harder time getting bone broth into my system. It’s just too heavy.
Meat Stock is only simmered on the stove for 2 - 3 hours. You can store it in glass jars in your fridge for up to 10 days. It also freezes really well for several months.
The Meat Stock should look clear with a small layer of fat on top. Do not skim the fat off! This is crucial for the gut, your joints and brain health.
MEAT STOCK
INGREDIENTS:
Chicken pieces with skin on and bone in (a whole chicken and 5 -6 chicken thighs work well)
2 - 3 organic carrots, chopped
1 large organic onion, chopped with skin on
3 - 4 garlic cloves with skin on
Roughly chopped cabbage, about 1 cup
2 Tbsp of good quality sea salt
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp of whole cloves
DIRECTIONS:
Place all the ingredients into a large stock pot. Fill the pot with water just so it covers the chicken. If you overfill the pot, you will not get a good consistency of the stock. Bring the pot to a gentle bubble and let it bubble on the stove for 2 - 3 hours. Once finished, let it cool and strain it into glass jars and keep in the fridge. Enjoy!!