From Beef Bones to Onion Gravy: A Better Sunday Dinner
A package of beef bones can become more than a bowl of broth. Once you have made and strained a batch of stock, a few pantry ingredients turn it into onion gravy for a roast, meatloaf, or a generous scoop of mashed potatoes.
Beef soup bones pictured on the Big Horn Mountain Farms website. Product photo; serving ideas are described below.
Start with Stock, Not a Pot of Bones
This recipe uses finished beef stock. Make it ahead with soup bones, following a beef stock recipe, then strain out bones and small fragments. Meaty bones add beef flavor; marrow bones alone can produce a fattier result. Chill the stock promptly and lift off excess fat if you prefer a lighter gravy.
Ingredients
2 cups unsalted or lightly salted beef stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Black pepper and salt, to taste
How to Make It
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden. Lower the heat if it starts to scorch.
2. Stir in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the stock, adding a splash at a time at first to avoid lumps.
3. Add the thyme and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5–10 minutes, stirring, until the gravy coats a spoon. Add a splash of stock or water if it becomes too thick.
4. Taste before adding salt, especially if your stock was seasoned. Finish with black pepper. Makes approximately 2 cups; serves 4–6.
Make the Most of the Batch
Use the gravy with roast beef, mashed potatoes, or a beef-and-vegetable pie. Keep some stock unseasoned for future recipes: it is easier to add salt at the end than to correct an overly salty sauce.
Cooling and Leftovers
Refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours; use within 3–4 days. Reheat gravy to a rolling boil. Follow the USDA guidance linked below.
Ask About Bones with a Bulk Share
When arranging custom whole, half, or quarter beef, ask BHMF and your processor whether soup bones are available and how you would like them packaged. Bones are not guaranteed with every share; pre-packed shares contain only their listed items.
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